Rey Skywalker movie loses writer Steven Knight
Well, this is getting frustrating now, isn’t it?
Once again, the upcoming Rey Skywalker film has lost its writer. As reported by Variety, writer Steven Knight has left the project that will be headed by Daisy Ridley and directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Variety was very clear in their article that Obaid-Chinoy was still part of the film and isn't going anywhere.
This isn't the first time that the movie set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker has run into bumps in the road. Variety notes that Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson were the original writers that Steven Knight replaced to begin with.
While the project hasn't begun filming and projects going through creators like this is completely normal, it's not a great look for Star Wars. It's tiring to see so many projects get announced, go through trouble, and either get delayed or dropped. Again, this is normal for a normal film.
But in a Star Wars, everything is so much grander. When there is one trip up in filming, it will hit on a much bigger level because the franchise is such a cultural zeigiest. Also, with the history of Star Wars movie and shows being announced and then getting dropped, delayed, or outright cancelled, things like this sew a lot of distrust into the fan base. Where is the update on the supposed Taika Waititi movie, Lucasfilm? Probably stuck forever in production hell.
I would love to see them wait to announce the movies, at the very least, until it's actually underway. The Mandalorian & Grogu is a different beast because it's essentially Season 4 being rolled up into a film. However, when it comes to the new films like the Dawn of the Jedi film or this Rey Skywalker trying to make a new Jedi Academy movie, at least have it underway before announcing it. I know that's not as flashy for investors or for Star Wars Celebration.
But watching your films very publicly got through stuff like this isn't flashy either.