Lucasfilm has found its director for the next chapter of its central saga. On September 26, 2026, word emerged that Jon Watts will direct ‘Star Wars: Episode X,’ the first installment of a planned new trilogy that will continue the Skywalker story. The news ended months of speculation about who would steer the franchise back to its numbered, mainline films after several years away from the core saga. It also reframes a series that has spent recent years defined by spinoffs and streaming shows rather than event cinema.
Watts is a proven hand with blockbuster material. He directed Sony and Marvel’s ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy starring Tom Holland, a run that culminated in the billion-dollar hit ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ and he co-created the Disney+ series ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.’ His return to a galaxy far, far away gives Lucasfilm a filmmaker who already understands both the property and the pressures that come with a tentpole of this scale.
Simon Kinberg, a veteran writer and producer on the ‘X-Men’ films, is penning the trilogy and producing it. Reports indicate that Rey, the Jedi played by Daisy Ridley, will feature significantly in the new arc, though the studio has not detailed her role or confirmed which other returning characters might appear. No further casting has been announced, and Lucasfilm has not set a production start date or a release window, with the trilogy expected to unfold over multiple years.
Episode X would be the first numbered ‘Star Wars’ film since ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ closed the sequel trilogy in 2019. In the years since, Lucasfilm has leaned heavily on television and on standalone features, including the upcoming ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ and Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ with Ryan Gosling, even as several other announced movies stalled in development or were quietly shelved.
The stakes are considerable for a studio that has struggled to bring its flagship series back to theaters. Handing the assignment to Watts, who blends large-scale spectacle with character-driven humor, signals an effort to recapture the broad appeal of the original films. Whether audiences will embrace another trilogy built around Rey will shape not only the franchise’s next decade, but also Lucasfilm’s argument that the Skywalker saga still has meaningful road ahead.
