Jon Watts is attached to direct a new Star Wars movie, currently in early development at Lucasfilm. The Jon Watts Star Wars project is a rare jump from the studio’s television slate to the mainline film series for the director. Knight Edge Media first reported the news, and Variety has since confirmed Watts’ attachment to the untitled film. Lucasfilm has not announced a title, release date or cast, and has not set a release window.
Watts is best known for directing the Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland. The three films are 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home and 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. He did not return for 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Destin Daniel Cretton directed that film in his place. Before the Spider-Man franchise, Watts directed two smaller films, Cop Car and Clown, early in his career. Those projects built his reputation for grounded, character-driven storytelling ahead of bigger studio work.
The new Jon Watts Star Wars movie follows his work on Skeleton Crew
In 2024, Watts and his production company, Freshman Year, along with producer Dianne McGunigle, signed a first-look feature deal with Walt Disney Studios. That same year, Watts co-created Skeleton Crew with Christopher Ford, a series set during the New Republic era of the Star Wars timeline. That period falls between the original trilogy and the sequel films.
The show followed four young characters on an adventure away from home. Jude Law starred as Jod Na Nawood, joined by Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Wim, Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Fern, Kyriana Kratter as KB and Robert Timothy Smith as Neel. Those television credits appear to have paved the way for his move to the big screen. They gave Lucasfilm a director already familiar with the franchise’s tone and timeline.
Watts joins a short list of Star Wars directors
With this project, Watts joins a short list of directors who have led a mainline Star Wars film. That list includes Irvin Kershner, who directed The Empire Strikes Back, and Richard Marquand, who directed Return of the Jedi. It also includes J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, who each directed a film in the most recent trilogy, and franchise creator George Lucas. Each of those films expanded the Star Wars story in a different direction.
Abrams’ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which came out in 2019, remains the most recent Star Wars film to reach theaters. No director had taken on a new mainline film since then. The theatrical side of the franchise stayed largely dormant over that stretch, even as Lucasfilm expanded the franchise across television.
Simon Kinberg will write the script
Simon Kinberg is set to write the screenplay for the new film, a detail Variety previously reported. Kinberg is best known for his work as a writer, producer and director across the X-Men franchise. His hiring came as a surprise when it was first announced.
Knight Edge Media broke the news of Watts’ involvement in the project soon after, and Variety’s confirmation followed. Beyond Watts and Kinberg, no other cast or crew members have joined the project. Kinberg’s exact deal terms and start date for the project have not been disclosed, and Lucasfilm has not commented on a production timeline.