Damon Lindelof Reveals Insights on His Canceled ‘Star Wars’ Film with Daisy Ridley

Damon Lindelof has candidly discussed his unfulfilled vision for a ‘Star Wars’ film that was set to feature Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker. His remarks came during an interview with House of R, where he reflected on his experience with Lucasfilm and the potential direction of the project.

The connection between Lindelof and the project emerged after Disney and Lucasfilm announced in 2023 that Ridley would reprise her role as Rey in a film taking place after ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.’ Initially, many fans believed that Lindelof’s interpretation of the story was progressing. However, that iteration of the film was ultimately shelved, leading Lucasfilm to pursue a different path.

In the interview, Lindelof made it clear that he was let go from the project. He shared, “Just to talk about the Bantha in the room, I was fired off of a Star Wars movie … They asked me, ‘What do you think a Star Wars movie should be?’ And I said, ‘Here’s what it should be.’ And they said, ‘Great, you’re hired.’ And then two years later, I was fired. And so I was wrong, at least through that prism.”

He elaborated on the challenges he faced during the writing process, noting that the enormity of the franchise complicated the development. Lindelof stated, “I may have been fired, not just – because they seemed to like the premise – it was just the writing was really hard. It was slow. The tone, getting it right, where it was inside of the canon, what its relationship was with [The Rise of Skywalker]. Is it starting a new trilogy? Is it all of those things? They’re so massive. They’re so big … sort of like a tanker, which is you turn the wheel and it takes five minutes before it turns a little bit.”

Lindelof also shared insights into the themes he and his team aimed to explore. Collaborating with Justin Britt-Gibson and Rayna McClendon, they sought to delve into significant themes within the narrative.

He explained, “What we were attempting to do, my partner Justin Britt-Gibson and Rayna McClendon and I, what we were attempting to do was to have this conversation in the movie, which is to say there is a force of nostalgia and there is a force of revision and they are at odds with one another, and let’s do the Protestant Reformation inside Star Wars and it didn’t work,” as reported by House of R.

He emphasized their desire for the story to embody the conflict between traditional ideas and new directions within the saga. He remarked, “You have your cake and eat it, too. But the conversation that the fandom is having, without winking and looking at the audience … that didn’t feel necessarily that risky.”

Lindelof also pondered the shifting focus within the ‘Star Wars’ universe. He compared earlier films centered on Rey, Finn, and Poe with newer projects like ‘The Mandalorian,’ stating, “We’re looking for the center of Star Wars… My new question is, are Mando and Grogu the center of Star Wars?”

The future of ‘Star Wars’ films remains uncertain. Lucasfilm is actively developing new projects, including upcoming releases featuring various characters and timelines. While some past spin-offs like ‘Rogue One’ have performed well, others like ‘Solo’ have seen less favorable outcomes, according to box office and review data from entertainment trackers such as Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently, Lindelof’s version of the Rey film will not proceed, and Lucasfilm is continuing to redefine its long-term strategy for the franchise.

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