Daisy Ridley says her Star Wars movie is a "Different direction" as it should be

Daisy Ridley's upcoming Rey Skywalker film was one of three announced at Celebration 2023. The film, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, is set 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, focusing on Rey setting up a new Jedi Order. In a recent interview with AlloCiné, via IGN, Ridley shared more about the Celebration announcements and how the movie will take the franchise in a different direction.

Daisy Ridley shared about meeting with Lucasfilm President, Kathleen Kennedy, who sprung the news on her, saying:

"I was actually making my own film last year, and Kathy Kennedy said that she wanted to have breakfast. And I thought we were just having breakfast, and I was literally just eating my breakfast when she said, 'Oh, we might do another [Star Wars movie]...' So I thought about it for a little bit. Once I knew what the story was and everything, I knew it was something that I really wanted to do."

She continued, sharing her thoughts about the upcoming film:

"I think it's a really fantastic exploration of the Star Wars world. It's a really cool way of taking the story on in a bit of a different direction."

The entire interview is very lovely. She shares stories about early readings with Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as well as how, despite loud people on the internet, the majority of Star Wars fans have been lovely and welcoming. I definitely suggest checking out the entire 8 minute video.

About taking the Star Wars story in a different direction:

Good. Do it.

Star Wars needs to evolve and change continually, or it will die. It needs to take risks and always swing for the fences. Sometimes, it doesn't work out. Other times, though, we get fantastic shows like Andor, which was a massive risk. It cannot be what it was in 1977 because we're not in that time anymore. Heck, George Lucas didn't want to tell the story he told in 1977. There's a reason that the prequel trilogy went in the opposite direction than the original trilogy. An entire generation (me included) got their first Star Wars from the prequels, which reflected our world at that time. The sequels did the same thing with the next generation. Going forward, this is what Star Wars needs to do consistently.

Star Wars must change, which understandably ruffles some people's feathers. The nice thing about the franchise being so big is you don't have to watch it if you don't want to. Enjoy the original movies, and let new kids get their chance to experience their first Star Wars just like you did. Let it change and evolve with new stories for a new generation.

Just like George Lucas did.