From Walk the Line to Logan to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, James Mangold’s career has been defined by bold choices and creative risks. Now, he tackles a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, a film set 25,000 years before any other entry in the franchise. With co-writer Beau Willimon by his side, Mangold is poised to explore a truly uncharted era in the Star Wars universe — and he’s ready to defy expectations.
For Mangold, the appeal of Dawn of the Jedi lies in the creative freedom it offers. In an interview with MovieWeb, he explained, "To me, the really important aspects are the freedom to make something new. Beau and I... have been working on a script, and we'll see what happens... Do we find a way on the page to say something original?"
Originality in the Star Wars franchise is no small feat. George Lucas famously described its interconnected stories as "rhyming like poetry," often bound by recurring themes and lore. But by placing his story in an era so far removed from established canon, Mangold sees an opportunity to break away from tradition. "It’s an area and a playground that I was inspired by as a teenager," he said. "I’m not that interested in being handcuffed by so much lore... that you can’t please anybody."
Mangold’s track record suggests he’s up for the challenge. Whether reimagining Johnny Cash’s legacy in Walk the Line or crafting an emotionally resonant sendoff for Wolverine in Logan, Mangold excels at balancing epic storytelling with deeply human moments. For him, the secret lies in finding "the feels." Mangold relayed to MovieWeb:
"Success is never guaranteed, but the reality is that the way to get most people to agree is to move them; to somehow find the humanity in a situation. Whether it's a mega-franchise or a smaller dramatic movie, whatever they are, usually the movies you remember are the ones that move you. The ones that leave you cold, even if they're clever, even if they're spectacular, even if they're dazzling, somehow just become replaced by the next dazzling object a year later."James Mangold
Though Dawn of the Jedi is still in development, Mangold’s vision offers hope for a story that redefines what a Star Wars film can be. As fans continue to see a resurgence in all things Star Wars, we look forward to what Mangold has in store for us and the new stories added to the already rich repertoire of our favorite Space Opera.