Damon Lindelof confirmed he was hired by Lucasfilm in 2023 to write a New Jedi Order Star Wars movie starring Daisy Ridley as Rey, set after The Rise of Skywalker [1, 2]. He worked on the script for about two years alongside partners Justin Britt-Gibson and Rayna McClendon but was fired around early 2025 or 2026 [1, 2].
Lindelof described the movie’s concept as exploring the conflict "between nostalgia and reinvention in Star Wars," which he called "the Protestant Reformation inside Star Wars." He said Lucasfilm liked the premise but the writing process was "really hard, slow," with difficulties in nailing the tone and fitting the story into the canon after Episode 9 [1]. He acknowledged the challenge of establishing a clear narrative center in the franchise, saying: "We're looking for the center of Star Wars. And when Episode 7 came out, we all knew what it was. But now the franchise lacks a defined center" [2].
Reflecting on his firing, Lindelof stated, "Just to talk about the Bantha in the room, I was fired off of a Star Wars movie" [1]. The project never moved beyond the script development stage.
Lindelof discussed the canceled movie and its themes on The Ringer-Verse podcast on May 18, 2026 [2].
The film would have taken place after The Rise of Skywalker, with Ridley reprising her role as Rey, but no official release date was ever announced. Lindelof’s departure leaves the future of the planned New Jedi Order movie uncertain.
