Steven Knight, writer ofRey’s New Jedi Order movieuntil last October, has spoken out describing what it’s been like to writeStar Wars- and offering reassuring comments after his departure. Rey’s New Jedi Order movie was announced back at Star Wars Celebration 2023, andPeaky Blinderswriter Steven Knight was originally commissioned to work on the script. He left last October, recently replaced by George Nolfi (ofThe Bourne Ultimatumfame), and the fandom has been unsure what to make of these changes.
Speaking toThe Playlist, Knight describes what it was like working with Lucasfilm - including president Kathleen Kennedy, who he described as “a pleasure to work with.” According to Knight, he never expected to be writing the final draft; he expected to be working on the script for a few months before moving on.
““And I always knewthe process then moves on. So, I don’t know what of the [writing] that I’ve submitted is going to end up in whatever the next incarnation of that [movie] is. It’s just great to be there and to be part of that.”
He certainly felt the pressure of working onStar Wars, which he described as “like stepping into a hurricane, in a way, because of the fans, because of what they want and what they feel. So you’re in this world, and you’re doing your bit in this world.” That said, he loved it, feeling he “really wanted to use that energy to do what I do, to contribute what I want to contribute.”
Knight described the privilege of being part of such a massive franchise, one that has been influenced by so many others. “There’s all these people have contributed over the years and it is absolutely a cultural tradition now,” Knight continued. “And you enter it with reverence and do what you can and then hope that you’ve done stuff that’s going to end up on that huge screen.”
Steven Knight Never Expected To Be Doing The Final Draft
Star Wars Fans Need To Relax
Knight’s recent remarks have helped make sense of what’s been going on with Rey’s New Jedi Order movie, which will be directed bySharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Many viewers had assumed the project was in trouble because it had changed writer, but he’s been consistently indicating this is exactly what he expected to happen. He had the privilege of playing a part, creating a draft, and now that task has been handed over to someone else.He didn’t expect any different.
This fits with animportant point made by Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedyin an interview last week, where she stressed the relentless focus ofStar Warsfans is actually something of a problem. All too often, the people criticizing don’t understand the industry or the processes in play. Far from being in trouble, Knight is indicatingRey’s New Jedi Order movie is simply going through the standard development pipeline.
Our Take On Steven Knight’s Comments
Rey’s New Jedi Order Movie Remains A Mystery
It’s easy to understand why fans have become so hyper-focused; there have been so manycanceledStar Warsmoviesand TV shows, after all. That said, when it comes toRey’s New Jedi Order movie, Lucasfilm know how important Daisy Ridley really is. It remains to be seen whether this particular project will happen, but Rey is far too important, and the studio will know full well how much pressure they’re under to get it right.
