Daisy Ridley will reprise her role as the Jedi Knight Rey in a new live-action Star Wars film, it has been announced.
The film, directed by Ms Marvel’s Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, will be set after the events of 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, and see Rey build a new Jedi Order after the apparent defeat of the dark forces in her last movie.
This is one of three upcoming films from the franchise, confirmed by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy on stage at the Star Wars Celebration event in London on Friday.
Welcome home, Daisy. #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/9wIpKdicbe
— Star Wars | #TheMandalorian is Now Streaming (@starwars) April 7, 2023
James Mangold, who is known for directing superhero movie Logan and is also behind the highly anticipated Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, will direct a film that will focus on the dawn of the Jedi.
Bringing in the interconnected stories from three of the live-action Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, The Book Of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, is director Dave Filoni.
He will focus on the development of the New Republic, which rises after the destruction of the Galactic Empire and Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi.
The films also saw appearances of the characters from the original films including the late Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, Harrison Ford as Han Solo and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.
They focused on how Leia and Han’s son, Kylo Ren, had been corrupted by the dark side of the force and The First Order supreme leader Snoke as Rey saw her power grow and develop as a Jedi and continued her friendship with John Boyega’s former stormtrooper Finn.
Warrior. Outcast. Rebel. Jedi.#Ahsoka arrives August 2023 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/SBfCgr4WRA
— Star Wars (@starwars) April 7, 2023
Elsewhere, a trailer showing Rosario Dawson in the title role of Ahsoka, written by Filoni, has also been unveiled by Disney+ and Lucasfilm.
The clip teases the August release of the series which will overlap with the events of The Mandalorian that also sees the appearance of the Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano and is set after the fall of the Empire in the original trilogy of films.
Ahsoka says in the teaser: “Something’s coming, something dark, I can sense it” as lightsabre battles and starship fights are also seen.
A synopsis said Ahsoka is set to investigate “an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy”.
The cast and crew of #Ahsoka shined bright at #StarWarsCelebration in London! ✨
The Original series arrives August 2023, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/UAs3wCbYee
— Star Wars (@starwars) April 7, 2023
The series will also reportedly star Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla and David Tennant as Huyang.
The characters had appeared in other animated series such as Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Forces Of Destiny and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Ahsoka is also set to see the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, otherwise known as Darth Vader, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Another new Star Wars series, The Acolyte, created by Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland, will also be released on Disney+ in 2024.
The lead roles will be portrayed by Amandla Stenberg, who starred in The Hunger Games, and Squid Game actor Lee Jung-Jae. The story sees a former padawan reunite with her Jedi master.
Just announced at #StarWarsCelebration:
The Acolyte, an upcoming Original Star Wars series from Lucasfilm coming to @DisneyPlus in 2024. pic.twitter.com/ZgLlo8LsjG
— Star Wars (@starwars) April 7, 2023
At the event, Russian Doll star Charlie Barnett said on stage that the show would be set during the High Republic Era, which saw a golden age for the Jedi Order before the events of 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
The 35-year-old actor added: “So it kind of like, makes it a little bit more free (as) we’re coming into a place that isn’t established.”
Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dafne Keen, Dean-Charles Chapman and Joonas Suotamo – who first took over from the late Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Force Awakens – also appeared on stage as they were also confirmed among the cast.
Russian Doll actress Henderson also said she was wearing the robes of the Jedi while in the peacekeeping organisation’s temple, as she teased what the story would be about.
