Jon Watts tapped to direct new Star Wars Skywalker Saga trilogy
Lucasfilm has tapped Jon Watts to direct the first film in a new trilogy continuing the Skywalker Saga, according to Deadline.
The report was published on 27 September 2026. It puts a director already known to Star Wars audiences at the centre of its main big-screen story. The Hollywood Reporter also reported that Watts will direct the next Star Wars film for Lucasfilm.
There is no formal go-ahead yet. The project has reportedly not received a greenlight from Disney, the formal approval that allows a film to move into production, according to Deadline. Lucasfilm had no comment on the report. Deadline noted that Knight Edge Media was first to report the Watts news.
Simon Kinberg is writing the new trilogy, according to Deadline. Kinberg has long ties to the galaxy. He co-created the Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels, which ran from 2014 to 2018.
Daisy Ridley is reportedly eyed to return as Rey in the new trilogy, according to Deadline. That remains a report, not a casting announcement. No deal has been confirmed.
Watts arrives with box-office history and recent Star Wars credits. He directed Spider-Man: Homecoming, according to StarWars.com. He then co-created Skeleton Crew with Christopher Ford, according to StarWars.com.
Skeleton Crew follows four children named Wim, Fern, KB and Neel. It is set in the time of the New Republic and follows a group of children lost in space. Variety described the Watts series as a coming-of-age adventure.
The Watts and Ford series was announced to debut in 2023, according to StarWars.com. That small-screen path matters. It gave Watts time inside Lucasfilm's process before a possible jump to features.
The next Star Wars film with a firm date is Starfighter. It is set for a 28 May 2027 premiere, according to Deadline. The new Skywalker Saga trilogy sits behind it on the calendar.
For fans, this means patience. A director and a writer are in place, a star is rumoured, but Disney has not yet pressed go.
