Jon Watts Set to Direct the First Film in Simon Kinberg’s New Star Wars Trilogy
Jon Watts has been attached to direct the first installment of a new Star Wars trilogy written by Simon Kinberg, though plot, casting and release details remain undisclosed.
Lucasfilm’s next major step for the Star Wars film series is beginning to take shape. Jon Watts has been attached to direct the first installment of a new trilogy being written by Simon Kinberg, bringing a filmmaker with experience in large-scale studio entertainment into a project that is still largely being kept under wraps.
The announcement gives the developing trilogy one of its most important creative connections. Kinberg is handling the writing, while Watts is expected to guide the first movie from the script to the screen. Beyond that basic framework, however, substantial questions remain unanswered. No story details, casting information, production schedule or release date have been publicly identified in the supplied announcement.
That limited information is significant because Star Wars projects often attract attention long before cameras begin rolling. A director’s attachment can signal that a production is moving forward creatively, but it does not necessarily mean that filming is imminent. In this case, the news confirms a central creative pairing without revealing how the proposed trilogy will fit into the wider future of the franchise.
Watts will direct the opening chapter of Kinberg’s planned three-film story. The wording matters: his attachment applies to the first installment, rather than automatically confirming his involvement with every film in the trilogy. Whether he will return for subsequent chapters has not been stated. For now, his role is connected to establishing the project’s first cinematic world, tone and characters.
Directing the opening movie of a trilogy carries unusual responsibilities. The first film must work as a complete piece of entertainment while also introducing ideas that can support future chapters. It may need to establish new characters, explain the circumstances of its story and create a sense of direction for the films that follow. Those decisions can shape how audiences understand the entire trilogy, even before the second and third installments are made.
Watts’ involvement therefore places him at the center of the project’s initial identity. He will be responsible for translating Kinberg’s screenplay into a visual experience, making choices about performances, pacing, action, atmosphere and the balance between familiar Star Wars elements and new material. The extent of those choices will depend on the script and the production’s eventual plans, none of which have been detailed.
Kinberg’s role is equally important. As the writer of the trilogy, he is expected to develop the narrative that connects its installments. A trilogy requires more than three separate plots; it generally depends on relationships, conflicts and larger questions that can evolve across multiple films. The announcement does not explain whether Kinberg is writing all three screenplays himself or how the writing process will be organized, so the precise shape of his contribution remains unknown.
What is clear is that the project is being conceived as a connected Star Wars story rather than as a single standalone film. That gives the new production a built-in sense of scale, but it also creates creative and logistical challenges. The first movie will have to introduce a story that can sustain audience interest beyond its own ending, while leaving enough room for later installments to develop rather than simply repeat the same formula.
The new trilogy also represents another attempt to define the next stage of Star Wars on the big screen. The supplied report does not identify the setting, period or characters involved, and no conclusion should be drawn about whether the story will continue an existing narrative or move into an entirely different part of the franchise. Until Lucasfilm or the filmmakers provide more information, the project’s place in the Star Wars timeline remains open.
That uncertainty is likely to fuel discussion among fans. Star Wars encompasses a wide range of eras and storytelling styles, from stories centered on the Jedi and the Force to adventures involving political conflict, family relationships, rebellion and the ordinary people living within the galaxy. A trilogy can use the franchise’s established foundation while still introducing a fresh group of characters. At present, there is no confirmed indication of which direction this project will take.
The announcement likewise does not include a cast. No actors have been identified for the first film, and there is no information about whether familiar characters will appear. Casting will be one of the next major developments to watch, but it is too early to assume that any particular performer, hero or villain is connected to the project.
There is also no reported release date. That omission is consistent with a project that has only now received a director attachment and remains in development. Before a film reaches theaters, a production typically must move through additional stages, including script development, scheduling, casting, design, preparation and filming. The announcement does not provide a timetable for any of those steps.
For audiences, the most immediate takeaway is that the first film now has two named creative leads: Kinberg as the writer behind the new trilogy and Watts as the director of its opening chapter. Their partnership will be central to how the project develops. One will build the narrative on the page, while the other will determine how that narrative is presented as a finished motion picture.
The pairing also leaves room for the project to develop its own identity before additional details are revealed. A new trilogy can be judged on its own characters and ideas rather than on early assumptions about plot or continuity. With no official story information available, the filmmakers have an opportunity to introduce the concept gradually and define what makes this particular Star Wars story distinct.
At the same time, the lack of detail means the announcement should be viewed as an early update rather than a complete production reveal. It confirms the director for the first movie, but it does not confirm the film’s title, screenplay status, cast, filming locations, visual approach or planned launch. Those elements may change as the project moves through development.
Watts’ assignment could also influence how the first installment is positioned for viewers unfamiliar with any new characters. If the trilogy begins outside the stories audiences already know, its opening chapter will need to provide a clear entry point. It must communicate the stakes of its conflict without depending entirely on background knowledge. If it is connected to familiar parts of the franchise, the filmmakers will face a different challenge: honoring established expectations while offering a reason for the story to continue.
Nothing in the supplied announcement specifies which of those approaches Kinberg and Watts are pursuing. As a result, the most responsible description is also the simplest one: this is a new Star Wars trilogy in development, with Kinberg writing and Watts directing the first installment. Any discussion of its characters, era or plot remains speculation until official information is released.
The trilogy format may nevertheless offer the creative team considerable room. A single film has to resolve much of its central conflict within one running time, while a trilogy can allow its premise to expand. Characters can change over several chapters, alliances can shift and consequences can carry forward. Those possibilities are part of the appeal of a multi-film story, although they also mean that the opening movie must establish a foundation strong enough to support what follows.
For Lucasfilm, the director announcement provides a recognizable point of progress for a project that otherwise remains behind closed doors. Attaching Watts suggests that the first installment has reached a stage where its directing needs can be publicly identified. It does not, by itself, indicate when production will begin or whether the entire trilogy has been scheduled. The announcement is best understood as a creative milestone, not a full launch plan.
Fans will now have two central questions in mind. The first is what kind of Star Wars story Kinberg is writing. The second is how Watts will interpret that material as the director of the opening film. Those answers will depend on future announcements, including potential updates about the screenplay, casting and the broader production timeline.
Until then, the project’s confirmed outline remains deliberately narrow. Simon Kinberg is writing a new Star Wars trilogy, and Jon Watts is attached to direct its first installment. The announcement establishes the team responsible for beginning the story while preserving nearly all of the creative details that will define it. For a franchise built on anticipation as much as spectacle, that combination of confirmation and mystery is likely to keep attention focused on what comes next.
