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27 September 2026 · 0 views

Jon Watts to Direct New Star Wars Skywalker Film

‘Star Wars’ Is Continuing Skywalker Saga With ‘Spider-Man’ Director Jon Watts

I. Introduction

A. The Breaking Announcement

Lucasfilm has attached director Jon Watts to helm a new feature film continuing the central Star Wars Skywalker Saga. The development expands the core cinematic storyline beyond the events of Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. Watts, known for directing Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man trilogy, transitions to leading the primary film timeline of the Star Wars franchise.

Extending the mainline saga marks a key operational pivot for Lucasfilm. Following the conclusion of the sequel trilogy in 2019, studio leadership initially shifted focus toward episodic streaming series on Disney+ and standalone anthology concepts. Assigning a high-profile director to extend the mainline saga signals a return to high-stakes, tentpole theatrical filmmaking centered on the primary galactic chronology.

B. Article Intent and Scope

This analysis outlines:

  • Jon Watts’ commercial and creative trajectory from independent filmmaking to billion-dollar franchise stewardship.
  • Narrative pathways for the Star Wars universe beyond the traditional episodic structure.
  • Lucasfilm’s broader theatrical slate and post-2019 restructuring.
  • Production milestones, casting logistics, and projected release windows for the project.

II. Jon Watts: From Marvel to the Star Wars Galaxy

Jon Watts Directorial Trajectory
+--------------------+      +-----------------------------------------+      +---------------------------+
| Independent Era    | ---> | Marvel Cinematic Universe               | ---> | Lucasfilm Pipeline        |
| - Clown (2014)     |      | - Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)         |      | - Skeleton Crew (2024)    |
| - Cop Car (2015)   |      | - Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)      |      | - Mainline Feature (TBD)  |
|                    |      | - Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)        |      |                           |
+--------------------+      +-----------------------------------------+      +---------------------------+

A. Track Record and Proven Blockbuster Success

Jon Watts established a rare commercial track record within modern studio filmmaking through his management of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Spider-Man trilogy:

  1. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017): Reintroduced Peter Parker inside an established shared cinematic universe, grossing over $880 million worldwide.
  2. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019): Served as the epilogue to Avengers: Endgame, becoming the first Spider-Man film to exceed $1.13 billion globally.
  3. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021): Balanced multiple legacy franchises, complex multiversal plot points, and high audience expectations, generating over $1.9 billion worldwide during pandemic-era theatrical conditions.
Film TitleRelease YearGlobal Box Office (USD)Studio Context
Cop Car2015$143,000Independent release
Spider-Man: Homecoming2017$880,166,924Sony / Marvel Studios
Spider-Man: Far From Home2019$1,131,927,996Sony / Marvel Studios
Spider-Man: No Way Home2021$1,921,847,111Sony / Marvel Studios

Watts demonstrated specific operational competencies across these productions:

  • Managing large ensembles containing legacy stars alongside emerging talent.
  • Navigating high-pressure collaborative structures between competing corporate stakeholders (Sony Pictures and The Walt Disney Company).
  • Maintaining grounded character arcs against heavily visual-effects-driven set pieces.

B. Prior Lucasfilm Collaboration

Watts previously partnered with Lucasfilm as the co-creator, executive producer, and director for the Disney+ live-action series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

Working on Skeleton Crew provided Watts with direct experience inside the Lucasfilm pipeline:

  • Mastery of StageCraft and Volume LED production environments developed by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).
  • Direct alignment with Lucasfilm’s executive leadership, including Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni.
  • Application of an Amblin-inspired, coming-of-age storytelling tone tailored to the galactic setting.

His transition from streaming series architect to theatrical feature director mirrors the studio’s strategy of testing creative partners on Disney+ productions before entrusting them with major theatrical installments.

III. Continuing the Skywalker Saga: Story Prospects and Timeline

Galactic Eras and Thematic Progression
+------------------------------+     +-------------------------------+     +-------------------------------+
| The Age of Resistance        |     | Transitional Period           |     | The Next Era                  |
| - Fall of the First Order    | --> | - Power vacuum in the galaxy  | --> | - Reconstructed Jedi Order    |
| - Death of Emperor Palpatine |     | - Dispersed Force-sensitives  |     | - New institutional threats   |
| - Rey adopts Skywalker name  |     | - Remnant warlord conflicts   |     | - Watts' Directed Narrative   |
+------------------------------+     +-------------------------------+     +-------------------------------+

A. The Narrative Context Post-The Rise of Skywalker

Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker ended with the destruction of the Sith Eternal fleet at Exegol, the death of Emperor Palpatine, and the dissolution of the First Order. This resolution left the wider galaxy in an institutional vacuum:

  • Absence of Central Governance: The destruction of the New Republic capital in the Hosnian system (Episode VII) followed by the collapse of the First Order leaves core and rim systems fragmented.
  • The Fate of the Jedi: Rey buried the Skywalker lightsabers at the Lars homestead on Tatooine and constructed her own weapon, standing as the sole recognized Jedi practitioner tasked with rebuilding or redefining the Order.
  • The Force Dynamic: The elimination of ancient Sith lineages allows new manifestations of the Force, dark side cults, or non-traditional Force traditions to emerge unconstrained.

Watts’ project is positioned to explore this open galactic landscape, moving beyond the historical Empire-versus-Rebellion binary.

B. Legacy Characters vs. Next-Generation Leads

A central creative challenge for extending the Skywalker narrative involves calibrating legacy connections against fresh protagonist ensembles.

                  ┌──────────────────────────────┐
                  │    Core Narrative Focus      │
                  └──────────────┬───────────────┘
                                 │
         ┌───────────────────────┴───────────────────────┐
         ▼                                               ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────┐   ┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│       Legacy Integration        │   │    New Generation Narrative     │
├─────────────────────────────────┤   ├─────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Rey's ideological mentorship  │   │ • Unaffiliated Force sensitives │
│ • Finn's Force awakening        │   │ • Post-Imperial star systems    │
│ • Poe's fleet reconstruction    │   │ • Novel external threats        │
└─────────────────────────────────┘   └─────────────────────────────────┘
  1. Thematic Lineage over Bloodline: The Skywalker bloodline formally ended with the death of Ben Solo. Continuing the saga requires examining the “Skywalker” name as an ideology, a title, or a galactic symbol rather than a biological dynasty.
  2. Sequel Trilogy Survivors: The film has narrative space to incorporate Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron. Their roles could shift from frontline combatants to mentors, military leaders, or institutional architects.
  3. New Protagonist Archetypes: Watts’ filmography indicates a strength in grounding high-concept genre stories through younger, less experienced protagonists learning to navigate dangerous worlds.

IV. Lucasfilm’s Theatrical Strategy and Film Slate

A. The Evolution of Star Wars Features Post-2019

Following The Rise of Skywalker, Lucasfilm paused its pattern of annual theatrical releases. Development efforts shifted toward television to support the launch and growth of Disney+.

Several announced film projects faced pauses, cancellations, or changes in creative leadership:

  • Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron
  • Kevin Feige’s untitled Lucasfilm project
  • Rian Johnson’s proposed standalone trilogy

Lucasfilm has since solidified its future film development around specific creative anchors:

  • The Mandalorian & Grogu (Directed by Jon Favreau): Translates the Disney+ flagship series to theaters.
  • New Jedi Order Project (Directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy): Set 15 years post-Episode IX focusing on Rey’s academy.
  • Dawn of the Jedi Project (Directed by James Mangold): Exploring the origins of the Force 25,000 years in the past.
  • Mandoverse Culmination Film (Directed by Dave Filoni): Unifying the New Republic streaming storylines.

Watts’ project provides Lucasfilm with a director experienced in handling massive audience expectations and delivering reliable global box office returns.

B. Restoring the Event Movie Status of Star Wars

The theatrical return of Star Wars relies on re-establishing the franchise as a premiere cinematic event.

                          Strategic Pillars for Theatrical Return
                                            │
        ┌───────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────┐
        ▼                                   ▼                                   ▼
┌───────────────────────┐       ┌───────────────────────┐       ┌───────────────────────┐
│  Proven Box-Office    │       │     Technological     │       │    Narrative Event    │
│      Directors        │       │      Innovation       │       │        Status         │
├───────────────────────┤       ├───────────────────────┤       ├───────────────────────┤
│ Deploying commercially│       │ Combining practical   │       │ Moving beyond episodic│
│ proven filmmakers like│       │ VFX with StageCraft   │       │ streaming models into │
│ Jon Watts.            │       │ volume technology.    │       │ global cinema events. │
└───────────────────────┘       └───────────────────────┘       └───────────────────────┘

Lucasfilm aims to avoid audience fatigue by differentiating streaming content from theatrical releases. While Disney+ series explore niche sub-genres and serialized lore, theatrical installments are engineered around large-scale set pieces, universally accessible character journeys, and worldwide cultural footprints.

V. Production Timeline, Casting, and Release Projections

A. Current Development Stage

The project sits in early development:

  • Screenplay: Story treatments and scripting phases are underway to define the film’s timeline relative to Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey-centric feature.
  • Crew Assembly: Watts is expected to bring core department heads from his Marvel and Skeleton Crew collaborations, including production designers and visual effects supervisors.
  • Pre-visualization: Initial art and design departments are establishing the aesthetic parameters of post-First Order galactic architecture, starships, and alien species.

B. Expected Release Window

Disney maintains several reserved theatrical release dates for untitled Star Wars features across the industry calendar.

Estimated Production and Release Runway
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pre-Production & Scripting  : Months 1 - 8                                        |
| Principal Photography       : Months 9 - 14                                       |
| Post-Production & VFX (ILM) : Months 15 - 26                                      |
| Global Theatrical Premiere  : Targeted Calendar Slot                              |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Given the lead time required for physical production, expansive visual effects by ILM, and scoring, the production cycle typically spans 24 to 30 months from the greenlight date.

VI. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Jon Watts directing a mainline Skywalker Saga film?

Recent industry reports confirm Jon Watts is attached to develop and direct a new installment connected to the ongoing narrative of the mainline Skywalker Saga.

Will this film be Star Wars: Episode X?

Lucasfilm has not officially applied an episodic Roman numeral to the project. The film is developed as an extension of the primary galactic timeline following the events of The Rise of Skywalker.

What prior Star Wars project has Jon Watts worked on?

Jon Watts co-created, executive produced, and directed episodes for the live-action Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which introduced his work to the Lucasfilm production pipeline.

Which characters are expected to return?

Lucasfilm has issued no official cast attachments. The narrative setting permits appearances from sequel-trilogy characters such as Rey, Finn, or Poe Dameron alongside a new cast of leads.

When will the new Jon Watts Star Wars film be released?

An official release date has not been set. The project will align with open Disney theatrical distribution windows scheduled for upcoming studio release cycles.

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