Star Wars: Damon Lindelof Claims He Was “Asked to Leave” Movie He Developed

Thanks to his accomplishments with Lost, The Leftovers, and Watchmen, audiences were thrilled to hear that Damon Lindelof was developing a film for the Star Wars franchise, though like many other figures who have collaborated with Lucasfilm on projects for the galaxy far, far away, Lindelof ultimately parted ways from the project. Despite many filmmakers voicing that it was their decision to leave the franchise, Lindelof claims he was “asked to leave” the franchise. These remarks might sound relatively frustrating for the filmmaker, he talks about the project in a jovial way, so even if it was ultimately Lucasfilm’s decision to part ways, his remarks don’t make it sound as though he was necessarily fired, and also expresses that he’d like another shot a collaborating with the studio.

In an interview for Esquire where he was asked to explain a headline about him potentially joining the Star Wars universe, Lindelof confirmed, “I was in more than talks to join the Star Wars universe. I joined the Star Wars universe and was asked to leave the Star Wars universe.”

Earlier this year, reports emerged about Lindelof developing the project and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy joining the project as the director. Shortly before Star Wars Celebration, reports claimed that Lindelof exited the project, sparking speculation about what led to the split. At Celebration, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy brought out Obaid-Chinoy to confirm that the director was helming a movie that took place after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and would see Daisy Ridley return as Rey Skywalker.

Even though this project might not have come together, the significance the franchise has had on him means he’s happy to find another way to develop a project for the saga.

“Will I get back in line outside the club and try to get back in again? Of course,” Lindelof pointed out. “This movie was the Alpha and the Omega, it’s the first movie I saw in a movie theater. I love all the storytelling in that world. And if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again, or again, again try, as Yoda would say.”

For the time being, this reaction leaves us with more questions than answers, as initial reports made it seem as though Lindelof brought the concept to Lucasfilm, so to keep Obaid-Chinoy yet ask him to leave, while also bringing back Ridley, will leave us to wonder how drastically different his idea was from what the studio wants to move forward with. While the film doesn’t yet have a release date, reports claim that studio is targeting a 2025 release.

Stay tuned for details on future Star Wars projects.

What do you think of the filmmaker’s remarks? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!