Jon Watts Set to Direct Lucasfilm’s Next Star Wars Movie
Jon Watts has been attached to direct Lucasfilm’s next Star Wars movie, bringing the filmmaker behind the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy into another major franchise. The project is being written by Simon Kinberg, with further story and production details still to be formally announced.
Key Takeaways
- Jon Watts is attached to direct Lucasfilm’s next Star Wars movie.
- Simon Kinberg is writing the screenplay for the new project.
- Watts previously directed Tom Holland in the three-film Spider-Man trilogy.
- Watts co-created the Disney+ series Skeleton Crew, his earlier work within the Star Wars universe.
- Lucasfilm has not announced the film’s official title or full story details.
Jon Watts Joins Lucasfilm’s Next Star Wars Movie
Watts has been attached to direct the next Star Wars feature being developed by Lucasfilm. The project adds the filmmaker to a franchise he has already worked within through the Disney+ series Skeleton Crew.
The new movie is being developed as a feature project, with Watts taking the director role and Simon Kinberg writing the screenplay. The project is separate from the television work Watts previously completed within the Star Wars universe.
Watts is known for directing all three films in the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy: Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home. His work on those films established his experience directing large-scale superhero franchise productions.
His attachment to the new Star Wars movie therefore connects his previous franchise directing work with Lucasfilm’s long-running science-fiction property.
Readers following Lucasfilm’s theatrical plans can also find related coverage of The Mandalorian and Grogu’s theatrical release, another major Star Wars feature connected to the studio’s cinema slate.
Simon Kinberg Is Writing the New Star Wars Project
Simon Kinberg is writing the screenplay for the new Star Wars movie, with Jon Watts attached to direct. Kinberg’s involvement gives the project a separate writing lead alongside Watts’ responsibilities as filmmaker.
Kinberg has worked as a writer and producer on several major film franchises. His credits include the X-Men film series, where he wrote and produced multiple entries before making his directorial debut with Dark Phoenix in 2019.
His work on the X-Men films included screenwriting and producing duties across different stages of the franchise. Kinberg also developed experience working with established characters, returning cast members and interconnected stories through those projects.
For the new Star Wars movie, Kinberg is handling the screenplay while Watts is attached to direct. The project therefore has its principal creative roles divided between a writer with extensive franchise screenwriting experience and a director known for feature work on the Spider-Man series.
Kinberg’s involvement also gives the film a writer who has previously worked within large-scale studio franchises. The Star Wars project represents his latest screenwriting assignment for an established film property.
Watts Brings Spider-Man Franchise Experience to Star Wars
Watts’ best-known franchise work comes from the three Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland. He directed Spider-Man: Homecoming, released in 2017, followed by Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019 and Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021. The three films formed a connected trilogy within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced Holland’s version of Peter Parker as the central character in a standalone film that also connected to the wider Marvel story. Watts returned for the two sequels, continuing the character’s story across separate theatrical releases.
The trilogy placed Watts in charge of a continuing superhero story across three feature films. The movies also formed part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, requiring connections between individual Spider-Man stories and a wider franchise. The third film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, continued the storyline established in the first two movies while incorporating elements from the broader Spider-Man film history.
A previously covered Sadie Sink’s Spider-Man casting, provided related coverage of the franchise in which Watts directed Holland’s three films. The casting story also connects to the broader Marvel film universe in which Watts completed his trilogy.
Before directing the Spider-Man films, Watts directed Cop Car, a 2015 crime thriller starring Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford. The film was an earlier feature directing credit before Watts moved into the larger studio franchise productions that became the central part of his subsequent filmography.
Watts then directed all three Holland-led Spider-Man films before moving into television work connected to Star Wars. His work on Skeleton Crew gave him a separate opportunity to develop a story within an established franchise before his attachment to the new theatrical project.
His move from Spider-Man to the new Star Wars movie places another major franchise feature on his directing credits. The assignment follows his experience managing a three-film superhero series and his earlier work within the Star Wars universe through Skeleton Crew.
The upcoming Star Wars project will be Watts’ next feature directing assignment following his work on the Spider-Man trilogy. His previous franchise credits provide the primary connection between his earlier theatrical work and his new role with Lucasfilm.
Skeleton Crew Connected Watts to the Star Wars Universe
Watts already has a direct creative connection to Star Wars through Skeleton Crew, the Disney+ series he co-created with Christopher Ford. The series gave Watts an opportunity to work within the franchise before taking on the upcoming feature film.
Skeleton Crew follows a group of children who become lost in the Star Wars galaxy and encounter challenges while trying to find their way home. Watts and Ford developed the series for Disney+, while the project expanded the franchise through a television story rather than a theatrical release.
Watts’ involvement extended beyond the series’ basic development. His work with Ford placed him among the creative team responsible for bringing a new story and group of characters into the established Star Wars universe.
The television series also marked a different type of franchise assignment from Watts’ previous work on the Spider-Man films. Rather than directing a theatrical superhero trilogy, he worked on a serialized Star Wars project designed for Disney+.
The upcoming movie represents another role within the same franchise. Watts is attached to direct the feature for Lucasfilm, giving him experience on both the television and theatrical sides of Star Wars.
The distinction is also relevant to the scope of his work. Skeleton Crew introduced Watts to the franchise through a television production, while the new project places him behind a feature film being developed for Lucasfilm.
Watts’ previous involvement with Skeleton Crew means he has already worked with the franchise’s characters, setting and creative framework before taking responsibility for the new movie.
The new assignment therefore follows a direct path from his earlier Star Wars television work to a feature-film directing role. His connection to the franchise began with Skeleton Crew and now extends to Lucasfilm’s next Star Wars movie.
Lucasfilm Has Not Announced Full Story Details
Lucasfilm has not announced an official episode title or full story details for the new movie. The project is currently identified through its director and writer, with Watts attached to direct and Kinberg writing.
Watts’ appointment follows his work on both the Spider-Man trilogy and Skeleton Crew, while Kinberg brings previous experience writing and producing major franchise films.
The new movie will add another feature project to the Star Wars slate under Lucasfilm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is directing the next Star Wars movie?
Jon Watts is attached to direct Lucasfilm’s next Star Wars movie. Watts previously directed the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy.
What Star Wars movie is Jon Watts directing?
Watts is attached to direct a new Star Wars feature film being developed by Lucasfilm. The project does not have an official episode title in the available details.
Who is writing the next Star Wars movie?
Simon Kinberg is writing the screenplay for the new Star Wars project. He is working alongside Watts, who is attached to direct.
Has Lucasfilm announced the new Star Wars movie’s title?
No official episode title is identified in the available project details. The film is currently being referred to as Lucasfilm’s next Star Wars movie.
Has Jon Watts previously worked on Star Wars?
Yes. Watts co-created the Disney+ series Skeleton Crew, giving him previous creative experience within the Star Wars franchise.
