Jon Watts will direct the first film in a new Star Wars trilogy written by Simon Kinberg, marking a return to the franchise for the Spider-Man director. Lucasfilm has not yet officially greenlit the project, which is expected to continue the Skywalker Saga following the events of 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.
Lucasfilm is moving ahead with its next major theatrical chapter, tapping Jon Watts to direct the first installment of a developing trilogy penned by Simon Kinberg. Knight Edge Media first broke the news of the attachment, which was subsequently confirmed by major industry trades as the studio shapes its post-Skywalker Saga theatrical slate. Following reports earlier today from Caleb Williams’ Knight Edge Media and insider Daniel Richtman, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Jon Watts, director of Marvel and Sony’s “Spider-Man” trilogy and co-creator of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,
is set to direct the first film in Simon Kinberg’s developing “Star Wars” trilogy. Knight Edge Media first reported that Lucasfilm was circling Watts for the job, citing two sources, while Richtman separately reported that Watts would direct. THR is the first major trade to confirm the news.
Jon Watts and Simon Kinberg Pair Up for the Post-Rise of Skywalker Era
The upcoming films are intended to continue the Skywalker Saga past the events of 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, with Knight Edge Media reporting that the project is being developed as Episode X. While Lucasfilm has not formally applied an episode title, reporting indicates that Daisy Ridley is expected to reprise her role as Rey in a capacity that could expand across subsequent entries in the trilogy. The nine-film Star Wars epic now looks like it’s going up to twelve, as Lucasfilm and parent company Disney prepare a new trilogy of movies. The new trilogy will be penned by Simon Kinberg, who was first attached to the project in 2024. Kinberg has penned a number of X-Men movies, co-created the animated series Star Wars: Rebels, and also served as a creative consultant on the first movie of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens. Very little has been revealed about the upcoming films, but they will apparently continue the story that concluded in Rise of Skywalker. It is expected that Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley), the heroine of the previous trilogy, will appear in the new films; whether any of her cohorts will return as well remains to be seen.
The arrangement pairs a writer who has long been inside the Lucasfilm development ecosystem with a filmmaker accustomed to managing massive tentpole budgets. Kinberg has been working on the material since late 2024.
He wrote something that we read in August, and it was very good, but not there. We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment, which he finished literally about four weeks ago. And it’s a very detailed treatment, like 70 pages. And so he is expected to give us something in March.
Kathleen Kennedy, outgoing Lucasfilm boss
Box Office Track Record and Star Wars Universe Familiarity
For Watts, the assignment represents a step back into a galaxy far, far away after he co-created the Disney+ series Skeleton Crew in 2024 alongside Christopher Ford. Watts directed the premiere and finale of that Amblin-inspired coming-of-age series, which followed four young characters living through the era of the New Republic alongside Jude Law's character, Jod Na Nawood. Watts also served as an executive producer on Skeleton Crew. That gives Lucasfilm a director who has already worked inside the Star Wars universe, not just outside it.
Outside of television, Watts brings a heavy commercial pedigree. He directed three Tom Holland-starring Spider-Man films for Sony and Marvel Studios—2017’s Homecoming, 2019’s Far From Home, and 2021’s No Way Home. His Spider-Man trilogy grossed more than $3.9 billion, and Spider-Man: No Way Home became the highest-grossing solo superhero movie in history in 2021.
| Project | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man: Homecoming | 2017 | Director |
| Spider-Man: Far From Home | 2019 | Director |
| Spider-Man: No Way Home | 2021 | Director |
| Skeleton Crew | 2024 | Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Director |
| Wolfs | 2024 | Director |
Development Status and theatrical Pipeline at Lucasfilm
Despite the high-profile pairings, sources indicate that Disney has not yet officially greenlit the project as foundation work continues. Even without a formal production start, insiders note that this trilogy is further along in development than most unproduced Star Wars motion picture projects currently idling at the studio. At time of writing, this first film hasn’t been greenlit by Disney yet. But of the franchise’ many films that’ve been announced (or implied to be in development), this is reportedly the furthest along.
Either way, the movie brings Watts and Kinberg back to the fold: the former co-created and directed the short-lived Skeleton Crew, while Kinberg wrote and co-created Star Wars Rebels.
The franchise’s theatrical return is anchored by Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, which stars Ryan Gosling and is scheduled to debut on May 28, 2027.
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