Kathleen Kennedy Provides Updates on New Star Wars Movies (And We Don’t Know What to Make of It)

While only one upcoming Star Wars movie has an official release date as of this writing (The Mandalorian & Grogu in 2026), Lucasfilm is developing multiple films fans are curious to learn more about. Among those in the pipeline are projects from acclaimed directors James Mangold and Taika Waititi, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has shared updates on both. In a wide-ranging interview with Deadline, she commented on both films, sharing that they are still in the writing process. Mangold’s film got pushed to the back burner while he worked on Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and Waititi’s busy schedule is apparently holding up his Star Wars film.

“He’s working on this script right now,” Kennedy said about Mangold’s film. “Jim, he got delayed a bit because of the Dylan movie and the awards season. You have to accommodate top talent to a certain extent. And quality is so important with what it is we’re trying to do. I like to wait for people that I think are passionate and really good to step into Star Wars.”

Kennedy’s comments on Waititi’s film arguably weren’t as straightforward. “Well, I keep waiting for Taika, and he is working with another writer now,” she said. “He’s so busy. I love him. I think if we ever do get a script from Taika, it’s going to be fantastic. I already saw a first act that I loved, but tying him down, it’s tricky.”

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Waititi has been attached to helm his Star Wars movie since May 2020, while Mangold’s film (tentatively titled Dawn of the Jedi) was announced during Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023. Plot details for both are largely being kept under wraps, though it’s known that Mangold’s project is set thousands of years before the Skywalker saga and depict the origins of the Jedi Order.

Both filmmakers have recently commented on their respective Star Wars projects. In January, Mangold said he is eager to dive into an unexplored era of the franchise timeline, where he will have the freedom to tell the story that most interests him. Dawn of the Jedi was appealing because it will not have to be “handcuffed” by all of the previous releases. Back in November, Waititi provided a fairly confusing update, saying the film isn’t “dead” since it could eventually reemerge as a priority for him down the line.

Kennedy’s comments about Waititi’s movie are just as confusing as what the director said months ago. The “if we ever do get a script from Taika” portion of the quote seemingly indicates the film is not a guarantee to happen despite it being officially announced almost five years ago. It’s somewhat encouraging that Waititi at least has a first act in place, but it sounds like the movie isn’t anywhere close to starting production. This speaks to fans’ larger frustrations about the handling of the Star Wars franchise, as there have been numerous projects announced over the years that never materialized. Waititi is currently in post-production on Klara and the Sun and has other non-Star Wars films lined up, so it remains to be seen when or if his Star Wars movie ever fully gets off the ground.

The update on Mangold’s film is much easier to make sense of. A Complete Unknown was one of the key players on the awards circuit this year, scoring eight Oscar nominations. Making and promoting that movie took up a great deal of Mangold’s time, and now he’s able to turn his attention to Star Wars. Mangold is also developing Swamp Thing for the DC Universe, so it’ll be interesting to see which of those comes out first. Hopefully, there is more concrete information about Dawn of the Jedi at this year’s Star Wars Celebration in Japan.