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Daisy Ridley to return as Rey in new Star Wars film

Movie will be set 15 years after ‘The Rise of Skywalker’

Louis Chilton
Friday 07 April 2023 13:49 BST
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer

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Daisy Ridley will return as Rey in a new Star Wars film set 15 years after Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.

The British actor previously played the jedi in three films across the Star Wars “sequel trilogy”.

During the Star Wars Celebration event in London on Friday 7 April, it was announced that she will be reprising the role in a new film directed by Ms Marvel’s Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

The film will be written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

While exact plot details are still under wraps, it was revealed that the film will focus on Rey’s efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order following the events of Rise of Skywalker.

Obaid-Chinoy, who has won two Academy Awards for documentary shorts and directed two episodes of Ms Marvel for Disney last year, will be the first woman to direct a Star Wars film, as well as the first person of colour to do so.

There is currently no word on whether Ridley’s other co-stars, which included John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Kelly Marie Tran, would also be returning.

Elsewhere at the event, it was announced that James Mangold will be directing a film based on the first Jedi to discover “the Force”. Billed as a “biblical epic” inspired by Ten Commandments, the film takes place 25,000 years before the original trilogy.

Daisy Ridley in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi'
Daisy Ridley in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi' (LucasFilm)

It was revealed that Dave Filoni, the director of the forthcoming Star Wars series Ahsoka who has been involved in numerous Star Wars projects, will be directing a new film set between episodes six and seven.

The movie is said to involve an “epic battle”, and will draw upon elements of the old Expanded Universe, and will serve as the endpoint for story threads in several Star Wars series, including The Mandalorian.

LucasFilm also debuted the first trailer for Ahsoka, which will see The Mandalorian’s Rosario Dawson reprise the role of Ahsoka Tano.

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Furthermore, fans were given an update on the Disney Plus series Andor. Filming for the second season began in November, and is now roughly halfway through, with a view to be released in 2024.

“We know exactly where we’re going, so it means we can go full force,” said Tony Gilroy. “It’s good to know there’s an ending.”

Leslye Headland, meanwhile, gave new detail on the Star Wars series The Acolyte, revealing that it will be “from the perspective of the villains, the bad guys”.

Said to be a cross between Frozen and Kill Bill, the film is set between the High Republic era and the beginning of the prequels.

“This is when the bad guys are outnumbered, they are the underdogs,” Headland said.

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