This Week, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Obaid-Chinoys Comments, Ten Star Wars Predictions for 2024

Welcome back to 'This Week, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away', in the first 2024 edition. In case you missed it, last week I tried my best to contextualize the year 2023 inside the recent history of Star Wars and Lucasfilm. As always, let me know if you have any comments, suggestions, or complaints, and share around if you enjoy it! (Before we begin, I listed my top 15 movies of 2023 on our sister site MovieNewsNet.com. Check it out!)



This week, we'll be discussing in detail the recent comments by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on her Star Wars movie and the Internet uproar that they incited, and I'll be presenting 10 Star Wars behind-the-scenes predictions for this year. But first, we'll go through a quick recap of this week's news.


<h2>Three Things That May Have Flown Casual</h2>

• Everyone wants a job: Chad Stahelski, as he looks at new post-John Wick projects to focus on, says he wants to direct a Star Wars movie. The catch? He says he's enjoyed the freedom that Lionsgate gave him with the Keanu Reeves-led franchise. I don't think he'll be pleased to meet the leadership at Lucasfilm...
• Awards season: The late Shawna Trpcic scored two nominations at the Costume Designers Guild Awards for her work in The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. The Mandalorian won an Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Performance. Also, a data analysis says The Mandalorian may have been the most streamed series in 2023.
• News on Ahsoka coming soon? Rosario Dawson teased in a recent interview that Lucasfilm may have been waiting until after the holidays to decide on season 2 of Ahsoka -- possibly, may I speculate, so they could get other projects up and running, like The Mandalorian season 4, Andor season 2, and Steven Knight's Star Wars script. Speaking of which...

(L-R); Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and Captain Enoch (Wes Chatham) with Night Troopers in Lucasfilm's STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. &amp; TM. All Rights Reserved.



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<h2>Quote of the Week</h2>


This week, it wasn't even a competition:

That was Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy talking to CNN on New Year's Eve, coincidentally just a few hours after I complained in last week's edition of 'This Week, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away' that she had barely spoken three words about the film since she was announced at Celebration as the director of the Daisy Ridley-starring New Jedi Order-era Star Wars film.



Though I focused on the first half of the quote in the headline of our story covering it, the Internet brought out their pitchforks to complain about the second half. It's obvious that what she meant to say is that it's about time a woman directs a Star Wars movie, not that no woman has ever shaped a story in a galaxy far, far away.



But obviously, everyone with a keyboard at their disposal started typing up names of women who have been instrumental to Star Wars stories. It may be 2024 now, but the Internet still hasn't learned to not get worked up about every minor miscalculation when someone speaks their mind. (Reps for Obaid-Chinoy did not respond to multiple requests for comment or additional statements.)



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy onstage during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)



This also unearths a larger issue, though: How much is Lucasfilm going to play the 'first Star Wars film by a female director' card in the marketing campaign? I'm not saying 'Don't hire female directors'; I'm not even saying the 2024 equivalent, 'I don't care if they are a man or a woman'. By all means, hire female directors, tell female-centric stories. It's about time. But it's also 2024 now, and people can see through the BS.



In 2018 and 2019, films like Black Panther and Captain Marvel could get away with these PR moves because of the novelty. But if Blue Beetle proved something last year, it's that these campaigns are not flying anymore. Audiences don't care about these records, they care about whether a movie looks good or not. Even Barbie, a movie that is itself a feminist message, wasn't sold on the concept of who's making the film; it was sold on the concept of the film. (Some additional data on this that came out this week: a new analysis showed that the studios' pledge to hire more female filmmakers has panned out box office-wise, yet 2023's top-performing movies had fewer female-directed titles than years prior.)



Take Ahsoka's case, for instance. Not only was it the first Star Wars live-action series with a woman at the forefront, or led by multiple women on both the hero and villain side, but it was also the first Star Wars live-action series led by a person of color and of Latino background, not to mention the co-lead (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) being of Asian descent. We never heard of any of that during the marketing campaign, of course, besides a quick 'Girl Power' message by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Ahsoka was sold on the concept behind it, and it looks like that worked out just fine.



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 08: (L-R) Diana Lee Inosanto, Ivanna Sakhno, Rosario Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Mary Elizabeth Winstead attend the Ahsoka panel at Start Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 08, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)



With all of that said, though, I don't think we'll be getting a lot more 'yay, female director!' quotes from Obaid-Chinoy or anyone else in the movie. Once the ensemble is announced, we might get some 'yay, diverse cast!' messaging but that will cease soon. Obaid-Chinoy's comments sound like something she came up with on the spot after a publicist instructed her to focus on that, since there's not really much story to discuss at the moment. So can we please stop making judgment calls every time these people are forced to say something with the camera and the lights pointing at them?



But if all of the discourse incited by the quote above wasn't enough, the Internet nearly had a heart attack after a clip resurfaced with Obaid-Chinoy saying she enjoys 'making men uncomfortable':

Honestly? Bring it on. As it's already been proven by Reddit, this isn't her talking about Star Wars, and in fact, the stupid backlash against these comments is even stupider when you know the actual context. But I actually wish she was talking about Star Wars. I mean, isn't 'being challenged' what we praise good movies for doing? What we champion films like Get Out or The Zone of Interest for? This is exactly what I want to hear from someone doing a Star Wars movie. I feel more relieved when she tells me she's not interested in making something safe that will ruffle no feathers. Please, be bold. Inspire change. Incite conversations.



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy onstage during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)



I also get the apprehension, though. The last time Lucasfilm tried to challenge its audience, Rian Johnson made The Last Jedi -- a movie I unashamedly love. But it was also responsible for Lucasfilm going full-on conservative in their approach to future stories, making a 'safe' movie with The Rise of Skywalker and doubling down on The Mandalorian, a slightly unproven IP that tried to go back to the original trilogy feels and quickly started to spin off into multiple series centered around known characters.



And with all of that said, I still have my own reservations about her taking on this film. She's a two-time Oscar-winning director, yes, but those statues were in the Short Documentary category. She's a world-class documentarian who has also never directed a live-action feature film before. Is it really the best call to hand her over $300M to play around? Only time will tell. (I expect Kathleen Kennedy to keep an eye on the entire production.) But there must be a reason why they kept her even after Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson left the project. So I will try to leave my reservations at the door whenever this movie finally comes out. Hopefully, so will you.



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Daisy Ridley and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attend the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)



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<h2>10 Star Wars Predictions for 2024</h2>


In the spirit of the New Year, I thought I'd make a few predictions for what the year will bring in Star Wars. Now, I'm not the 'crazy fan theory' kind of guy, and I'm unable to argue whether this obscure character from Legends will pop up in The Acolyte or The Bad Batch season 3. But I know a little bit about Lucasfilm and what they are thinking for the future.



My predictions, then, are based on behind-the-scenes movements we might see in 2024. I decided to do 10 so that I can get an out-of-10 grade by the end of the year. Let me know yours in the comments below or via our Contact page!


<h3>1. We Will Get Details On Kathleen Kennedy's Exit as Lucasfilm President</h3>


Kennedy's current contract as Lucasfilm President is due at the end of this year, last we heard. I already speculated at the end of November, after Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck were promoted, that this may hint at Kathleen Kennedy knighting her successors. I don't know that she will necessarily leave at the end of 2024, but I am convinced that her next contract renewal, should it happen, will not be for another three years. So either she announces her exit or she confirms she'll be leaving at the end of 2025 (or something like that).


<h3>2. Daisy Ridley's Star Wars Movie Will Start Filming, the Cast Will Be More Diverse Than Ever
</h3>


While there is a lot of reporting out there that this is the plan, it still seems like something that might go either way given Lucasfilm's track record. But I'm pretty confident that they are very focused on getting this one right, and they will try to get it in front of the cameras, come hell or high water, before the end of the year. (That is, of course, barring another strike by IATSE workers.)



Notice too that I'm referring to this one as Daisy Ridley's movie and not Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's, as I'm not 100% confident the director will stay on. That is not based on the reaction to the discussion above, but rather based on Lucasfilm's track record of acting as a revolving door for hired directors. Still, given this project has already gone through one creative overhaul and Obaid-Chinoy survived it, I'm quite confident she will direct the film.



And speaking of the director, I think it's safe to assume she will be casting this movie with a lot of non-white male actors, and though the bar is not high, it seems likely that it will be the most diverse Star Wars movie yet.



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: (L-R) Daisy Ridley, Kathleen Kennedy and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attend the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)


<h3>3. John Boyega Will Return to Star Wars
</h3>


I don't buy for a second that Lucasfilm didn't at least contact John Boyega to give him a chance to return as Finn in the upcoming New Jedi Order-era movie. And that is even putting aside Boyega's comments that came out last July when he said he was 'open to all opportunities' -- an interview that was done after the public announcement of the feature film.



Now, I don't necessarily think that he was signed on at that point. I think he was waiting to see a script, and I firmly believe that Lucasfilm will get back to him with Steven Knight's latest draft this month. Whether or not he'll accept it's impossible to know, but something Boyega was openly unhappy about during the making of the sequel trilogy was the mishandling of a Black character by Disney. And as I've already said, I don't think Obaid-Chinoy is in the business of mishandling non-white characters.


<h3>4. The Acolyte Will Be a Big Hit</h3>


If 2023's global box office proved something, it's that audiences are looking for something that feels new. Different. Enough of the same retreaded stuff, like a fifth Indiana Jones film that doesn't feel that different from the past four, or yet another superhero film that doesn't offer anything new. We want something like Barbie or Across the Spider-Verse; it doesn't need to be a new IP, but it has to feel different.



The Acolyte has the opportunity to be just that. It will feel like a Star Wars show, as Lucasfilm will probably populate the trailer with Jedi and lightsabers, but it will feel different enough to stick out -- from a new time period and new characters to the whole look and feel of the show, which will apparently have a lot of focus on martial arts and will be told from the perspective of the Sith. Star Wars already has a history of reinventing itself on the small screen with The Mandalorian back in 2019, and I'm confident The Acolyte will usher in a new era for them.



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae onstage during The Acolyte panel at the Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)


<h3>5. Lucasfilm Will at Least Hire One Outside Film Senior Executive</h3>


Last week, I tried to lay out a comprehensive guide through Lucasfilm's past few years. In 2020, the company invested a lot of effort in its transition to streaming and TV. That was reflected in the hiring of Momita SenGupta as head of physical production, a TV executive coming from Netflix. But their primary objective for 2024 is to go back to film, and the current senior leadership lineup, including the recently-promoted Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni and head of development Carrie Beck, have no experience in film. They need someone who does.


<h3>6. Two New Disney Plus Star Wars Shows Will Be Announced, Live-Action and Animated</h3>


There is no Star Wars Celebration this year, but there is a D23 Expo (now retitled The Ultimate Disney Fan Event,) which will take place on August 9-11. At this time, we only know of two shows coming in 2025, both live-action: Andor season 2 and The Mandalorian season 4 (we assume). We know there is a third season of Star Wars: Visions coming, but we have no date (though 2025 seems like a good bet).



Now, Disney is making cuts left and right, and the Lucasfilm and Marvel divisions will be severely impacted. But that doesn't mean they will be closing them. Disney wants Lucasfilm to go back to films, but they also know they are half the reason the lights are still on at Disney Plus. They will keep milking that cow for the time being, and it's about time we find out exactly how.



Whether it's through press leaks that are eventually confirmed at the convention, or an out-of-the-blue announcement in Anaheim, I believe we'll find out about future plans for the franchise on TV. I'll even go one step further: The Acolyte will get a season 2 renewal, but we will get one more live-action show besides that.






<h3>7. Skeleton Crew Will Undergo Significant Reshoots</h3>


Most of the predictions so far have ranged from neutral to positive developments for the franchise, but here's one that will generate a lot of negative press. Skeleton Crew was once supposed to come out at the end of 2023, but it's now been delayed until 2024. And it's not looking like a two-month delay; otherwise, the marketing campaign would have already started.



So why the delays? Multiple reasons come to mind, of course, from small pickups that were pushed due to the strikes, to the inability of Jude Law to promote the show. He's currently in Australia shooting Ron Howard's Eden, so they might be waiting for him to wrap and then start doing the press tour. But what if they are actually waiting for him to start reshoots? This is just a hunch, and there have been no indications of any need to go back to the set. But the silence around this show is deafening...


<h3>8. Video Game News: Updates on Knights of the Old Republic Remake Coming, Eclipse Will Get a Release Window, and One More AAA Star Wars Game Will Be Announced</h3>


I'm not exactly a video game expert, but it doesn't take one to notice that Disney and Lucasfilm are sitting on a gold mine here. The last few, including The Skywalker Saga and Jedi: Survivor did great sales-wise, and anticipation on this year's Outlaws is through the roof. Not to mention the reaction to that Eclipse trailer approximately 29 years ago, or to the announcement of the Knights of the Old Republic remake.



After being stuck in development hell for a couple of years, it's about time we get some news on the KOTOR remake. 2024 feels like the time to announce Disney has brought in a new developer for it. Eclipse should also start generating some headlines. The game was announced really early on to make Quantic Dream look appealing to a buyer. But enough time has passed now, and we've had enough 'working on it' updates from the studio. It's time for them to put their money where their mouth is, so let's just tease a release window for the game. 2026, maybe?



Last but not least, we'll get an official announcement for a 2025 AAA game. We've had one of these every year in recent memory, and we still don't know which one is coming in 2025. It seems too early for Star Wars Jedi 3 and perhaps even Eclipse, but I think a new game will be announced.






<h3>9. Plenty Will Be Revealed About Donald Glover's Lando Movie</h3>


One of the most mysterious projects in development at Lucasfilm at this point is the Lando movie. After years of not hearing anything about it, we finally had confirmation in 2023 that the once-announced Disney Plus series was being reshaped as a movie by Donald and Stephen Glover. With Mr. &amp; Mrs. Smith out on Prime Video next month, we will likely get a status update on the project, but I don't think that will be the end of it. We could get casting news rather soon, or details on the story. How about something on Emilia Clarke's return? Given his 2023, I don't think Alden Ehrenreich wants to go back to Star Wars just yet, though...


<h3>10. Taika Waititi's Star Wars Movie Will Find Its Star</h3>


This month, it will be four years since the first time we heard about Taika Waititi doing a Star Wars movie, and he's not given up yet. From this week's reports, Waititi is putting together Klara and the Sun and has found its Klara in Jenna Ortega. Moreover, Matt Belloni over at Puck News said on Thursday night that Wednesday season 2 is set to film over the summer, which makes more sense than the previously reported spring start date. That leads me to believe Klara and the Sun will be filmed before that.



In turn, that means that Waititi will be able to focus on his Star Wars script once again in the second half of the year, once the new film goes into post and he's able to lock down a rough edit. And though it might not get made immediately, I do believe Lucasfilm wants to make this one and do it right. What better way to tell the world they are committed to the project than to sign the lead actor/actress? My own prediction? Jenna Ortega herself.



Taika Waititi on the set of The Mandalorian



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<h2>Jocasta Nu's Reading List</h2>

• Star Wars News Net: Jay Goodearl pitches five character possibilities for Tales of the Jedi season 2 to focus on. The show is expected to come out this year. My pick? Baylan Skoll.
• Stanford Lawyer Magazine: Something a bit different here, but late last year the Stanford Lawyer Magazine interviewed Jessica Verran-Lingard, a young lawyer working for Lucasfilm and ILM. Great read on an area of the business we don't focus too much on here.
• CBR: Brian Jankowski believes James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi-era Star Wars film should introduce Jedi Master Thon, from the Legends comic series Tales of the Jedi, a sequel to Dawn of the Jedi.
• Collider: I'm sure most of our readers are vaguely familiar with George Lucas' never-made live-action Underworld series for ABC. However, for those who aren't, or those who want to know more, Julio Bardini has got you covered.
• Screen Rant: What better way to end this article that focused so much on Daisy Ridley's Star Wars return than to highlight this piece by Kevin Erdmann, in which the writer speculates Rey may have access to the one thing that Palpatine always wanted: the World Between Worlds

What did you think of the latest edition of “This Week, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away”? Let me know your thoughts and suggestions down below in the comment section. You can also send them, or reach out with any information tips, directly via our Contact page.



Have a great week!



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