James Mangold's Dawn Of The Jedi will have a big advantage over the other Star Wars movies

Right now, the future of “Star Wars” feels more up in the air than it has in a long time. Much of this has to do with the fact that Disney and Lucasfilm haven't released a feature film set in a galaxy far, far away to the silver screen in over five years. The last time it happened was in 2019 in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, which concluded the sequel trilogy and thus the larger Skywalker Saga. Since then, many films have been in development, none of which have made it to the finish line.

One of the most exciting films currently in Lucasfilm James Mangold's tentatively titled Dawn of the Jedi. which will explore the origins of the Jedi. The film was first announced nearly two years ago, though Mangold has been slowly approaching it behind the scenes. Speaking in an interview with MovieWeb to promote his Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” the “Logan” and “Walk the Line” director offered a little update on his “Star Wars” project:

“What's really important to me is the freedom to create something new. “Beau and I have been working on a script for 'Star Wars' and we'll see what happens (…) Can we find a way to say something original on the page? “

The “Beau” Mangold refers to is Bo Willimons, who wrote the Emmy-nominated “Andor” episode “One Way Out.” He was brought on board to co-write the film with Mangold last year. Speaking further on the matter, Mangold explained that what he finds most appealing about his developing Star Wars film is not being constrained by continuity, which he finds liberating. As he put it:

“The Star Wars movie (that I'm working on) takes place 25,000 years before any known Star Wars movie. It's an area and a playground that I've always (wanted to explore) and inspired me as a teenager because i'm not so interested in being handcuffed right now that it's almost immobile and you can't please anyone.

One of the problems that a lot of “Star Wars” media has faced in the Disney era is that it has largely existed in the shadow of the past. People usually like “The Mandalorian” for example, but it still works to some extent; namely, it overlaps with the Skywalker Saga timeline where the Empire is defeated, yet somehow continues to survive. Perhaps why the show was able to tell new stories in a recognizable context “The Mandalorian and Grogu” will be the next Star Wars movie to hit theatersoffering the franchise a somewhat safe return to the big screen.

That's not to say the property hasn't attempted anything far from the Skywalker Saga before. The Disney+ series “The Acolyte” took place during the era of the High Republicwhich takes place hundreds of years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. But what Mangold is talking about is 25,000 years in the past, which is an inconceivable amount of time. At that point in Star Wars history, the universe will look very different, so the film won't be able to directly refer to anything familiar in the franchise. In that sense, it would be a completely clean slate.

At the same time, Mangold will have the advantage of being able to break down the origins of the Jedi, which will make his film somewhat familiar even to casual fans. It could also offer Lucasfilm a chance to finally do something truly fresh. By going back in time, “Star Wars” could create a bold future. Of course, whether this film will see the light of day is another matter entirely. Quite a few Star Wars movies have fallen apart in pre-production in recent years. Additionally, several other “Star Wars” films are currently in development, including a trilogy fronted by Simon Kinberg (“Dark Phoenix”). In addition to all this, Mangold is a very busy man as he is also set to direct the Swamp Thing movie at DC..

However, it's clear that Lucasfilm wants to work with Mangold, especially on this franchise. After all he was previously slated to direct “Boba Fett” before it fell throughso there is obviously a lot of mutual interest. Here's hoping the pieces fall into place as the development process continues.

James Mangold's Star Wars currently does not have a release date, but stay tuned.