Star Wars: New Jedi Order Writer Describes George Lucas Influences (And We’re Excited)

Star Wars: New Jedi Order writer George Nolfi has shed light on his approach to the writing process, sharing how he’s drawing from George Lucas’ political themes. In an interview with Film Stories to promote his new film Elevation, Nolfi discussed his mindset while working on the script. “The way I approach it is, you look at what’s come before you, you look at the broad ideas of what they want to do,” he said. “Meaning: Lucasfilm, Disney, Sharmeen [Obaid-Chinoy], the director, and then you do what a writer does, and try to try and put beats of a story together. Try and imagine characters, and then you present that with an understanding that it needs to honor, obviously, a long, incredible tradition.”

In the interview, Nolfi was also asked about incorporating some kind of political element into New Jedi Order. From the sound of it, Nolfi is inspired by what George Lucas did with his Star Wars films, which he said are “very steeped in broad notions of politics.” “It’s not talking about today, per se, but there’s the Empire’s Nazism slash Roman Empire,” he said. “The democracy of the Roman Empire collapsing and becoming an empire and the perennial story of human beings organising themselves and against chaos, and then the tools that help human societies tamp down on chaos becomes oppression.”

New Jedi Order was one of the Star Wars movies Lucasfilm announced back at Celebration Europe 2023. Set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker, the film sees Daisy Ridley reprise her role as Rey, as the scavenger turned Jedi spearheads a new era for the Jedi. Since its reveal, New Jedi Order has encountered numerous hurdles, notably cycling through multiple writers. Nolfi was recently confirmed as the latest scribe taking a stab at the project, replacing Steven Knight.

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Due to the behind-the-scenes issues, it’s unknown when New Jedi Order would begin production or who will co-star alongside Ridley. Naomi Ackie, who played Jannah in The Rise of Skywalker, has suggested she would be open to return if she gets the call from Lucasfilm. Next on Lucasfilm’s movie slate is 2026’s The Mandalorian & Grogu, with Shawn Levy’s untitled Star Wars movie reportedly eyeing a filming start date of this fall.

It’s encouraging to hear that Nolfi is using Lucas as a primary source of inspiration. While Lucas was arguably hit-or-miss from an execution standpoint when he was making Star Wars films (though, the prequels are now viewed more favorably), he always brought fascinating ideas to the table. Drawing from Lucas’ politically minded storytelling suggests New Jedi Order will have some intriguing substance to complement the usual big-budget spectacle fans expect. As Nolfi says, it doesn’t mean the film will be making statements about today’s political climate, but he still views politics as “really very core” to the franchise. It’ll be interesting to see what he pulls from and how he portrays those real-life elements through the lens of a Star Wars film.

Following The Rise of Skywalker‘s polarizing reception, the Star Wars franchise has hit on some hard times, as Lucasfilm has struggled to figure out a movie slate. As the studio looks to the future, it will be vital for projects like The Mandalorian & Grogu and New Jedi Order to be critical and commercial successes, reigniting enthusiasm for upcoming films. Star Wars has been criticized for leaning too much on the past before, but there’s a stark difference between nostalgic callbacks and using Lucas’ approach as a guide. Hopefully, Nolfi is able to tap into what made Lucas’ approach so captivating, giving New Jedi Order a compelling narrative that honors the franchise’s roots while also bringing fresh concepts to the property. If the goal is to get Star Wars back on track, drawing from Lucas sounds like a great idea.