Another Star Wars movie has been scrapped

The Rise of Skywalker
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

As a new Star Wars movie from Shawn Levy is announced, another bites the dust. J.D. Dillard's movie, first announced in February 2020 with Luke Cage scribe Matt Owens on board as screenwriter, will not go ahead at Lucasfilm.

Dillard told The Wrap that it was "unfortunately no longer a thing," but "it was not for lack of trying." Plot details of the unrealized project were never revealed.

The filmmaker previously directed the superhero movie Sleight and the survival horror film Sweetheart, and his next project is the upcoming war drama Devotion starring Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell. 

Along with Free Guy director Levy's upcoming project, Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof is writing another new Star Wars movie that's currently in the works. This one will be directed by Ms. Marvel helmer Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and it will be set sometime after The Rise of Skywalker – but it won't be a continuation of the Skywalker saga.

The Rise of Skywalker was the last big-screen outing for the Star Wars franchise, despite there being plenty of other feature-length projects in development in the years since. However, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins' project, Rogue Squadron, is now on the backburner, and Taika Waititi's movie has been in development for over two years. 

Next up in the galaxy far, far away is The Bad Batch season 2, which arrives on Disney Plus on January 4, 2023. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of the new Star Wars movies and TV shows coming our way in the coming months – and years.

TOPICS
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

Read more
Star Wars
Two of Star Wars' biggest no-show movies get updates – but they're not completely promising
Mando and Grogu in The Mandalorian
The Ryan Gosling-led Star Wars movie from Deadpool and Wolverine director is set "five or six years" after The Rise of Skywalker
The Rise of Skywalker
New Rey movie screenwriter reveals what his vision might have in common with Star Wars creator George Lucas
Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Every new Star Wars movie and TV show currently in the works
James Mangold at Star Wars Celebration
James Mangold's Star Wars movie is set thousands of years in the past because he's "not interested in being handcuffed" by the massive canon
the acolyte
The Acolyte star says the Star Wars show's cancelation was "overwhelming," but she's still "proud" of playing a Jedi: "Bucket list ticked"
Latest in Star Wars Movies
John Boyega in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
John Boyega was tired of "doing a lot of falling" in the Star Wars sequels, so asked director J.J. Abrams for a "level of growth" between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker
Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars fans have ignited an age-old debate, and there are some seriously hot takes
The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Mandalorian and Grogu has the lowest budget of any theatrical Star Wars movie since Disney bought Lucasfilm
The Mandalorian
Bo-Katan's actor may have accidentally answered whether she is appearing in The Mandalorian and Grogu movie with this cryptic response
John Boyega as Finn in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
John Boyega reveals Tom Cruise actually helped him get cast in Star Wars
Watto in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars confirms Watto isn’t dead after all in new comic, and fans are celebrating his miraculous survival
Latest in News
Final Fantasy 16 protagonist Clive uses magic in closeup screenshot
Despite fans begging for Tifa, Final Fantasy 16's Clive is "significantly more popular" than any other Tekken guest fighter
Spider-Man 4
There might be an obvious reason why Tom Holland's Spider-Man wasn't announced for Avengers: Doomsday
Patrick Stewart in X-Men
Marvel fans are already theorizing how Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and James Marsden's X-Men will be integrated into Avengers: Doomsday
Daredevil: Born Again episode 6
Daredevil's Charlie Cox isn't in the Avengers: Doomsday cast list – but Marvel fans have an idea about how he might still show up
Simu Liu in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Simu Liu had the best reaction to Shang-Chi’s announcement for Avengers: Doomsday, but fans think it's "criminal" there hasn’t been a direct sequel
Robert Downey Jr. during the Doctor Doom announcement at Marvel's SDCC 2024 panel
There may still be some big names missing from the Avengers: Doomsday cast list, but Marvel teases that "there's always room for more"