Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Dawn of the Jedi

  • Is James Mangold’s ‘Dawn of the Jedi’ Dead? Insider Weighs In on Lucasfilm Shocker

    Is James Mangold’s ‘Dawn of the Jedi’ Dead? Insider Weighs In on Lucasfilm Shocker

    For nearly three years, the promise of a “Biblical Epic” set 25,000 years before the Skywalker Saga has been the north star for Star Wars fans seeking something truly original. James Mangold, fresh off Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was set to explore the very origins of the Force.

    However, speaking on The Hot Mic (via SFFGazette.com), Jeff “the In” Sneider didn’t mince words when asked about the film’s status:

    I heard this week actually. I just heard it. That’s like dead. I can’t say that conclusively, but it doesn’t sound good. I think Mangold is focused on that Timothée Chalamet heist movie is what I think. I think Swamp Thing could be after that.

    -Jeff “The In” Sneider

    If the report holds true, the primary culprits for the film’s demise would seem likely to ne creative differences and  scheduling.

    With Dave Filoni now weileing unlimited power over the “creative direction of the franchise in film, television, and any other platforms in the galaxy,” it’s very possible that Mangold’s film didn’t fit his vision of what Star Wars should be moving forward.

    Mangold has spent the last year riding a massive wave of momentum following the Oscar-winning success of his Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. Mangold and star Timothée Chalamet have officially reteamed for a motocross heist thriller titled High Side. The project, described as “Heat meets Hell or High Water,” was picked up by Paramount in a massive bidding war. With High Side now moving into active production, it appears the timeline for a galaxy far, far away has simply run out of room. And, of course, there’s Mangold’s Swamp Thing lurking in the background.

    The sting of this cancellation is felt even more acutely because of the creative team involved. In April 2024, news that Andor scribe Beau Willimon had joined the project to co-write the script with Mangold seemed to give the project new life.

    Willimon’s involvement was seen as a guarantee of quality, bringing the same stylings to the Jedi origins that he brought to the Narkina 5 arc in Andor. However, news recently broke that Willimon has moved on to write a major Game of Thrones feature film for HBO, which, in hindsight, may have been the first major  that the Jedi project was on life support.

    For Star Wars fans, this story feels all too familiar. From Patty Jenkins‘ Rogue Squadron to the Kevin Feige-produced project, Lucasfilm has a documented history of announcing high-profile director-led films that never make it to the screen…or even into production. The studio’s pivot toward the Mandalorian and Grogu as their primary theatrical return signals a retreat to safe IP, which seems to be the way of things at the House of Mouse. A 25,000-year-old prequel about the origins of the Force was always a high-risk gamble. In a 2026 landscape where Disney is prioritizing guaranteed hits, a risky, mold-breaking epic like Dawn of the Jedi may have simply been too unconventional for Filoni.

  • James Mangold’s ‘Dawn of the Jedi’ Brings on ‘Andor’ Scribe as Co-Writer

    James Mangold’s ‘Dawn of the Jedi’ Brings on ‘Andor’ Scribe as Co-Writer

    Lucasfilm generated significant buzz at Star Wars Celebration 2023 by announcing a trio of new films that would bring the galaxy far, far away back to theaters. Each of the three films will be set in eras never before explored in films and two of those in eras never explored at all. Though directors are in place for all three (Dave Filoni, James Mangold and  Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy), there’s been no release dates provided and, in fact, Jon Favreau‘s The Mandalorian & Grogu will beat them all to the big screen. However, as Mangold continues work on his Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, it looks like he’ll be getting a hand on completing the script for his Dawn of the Jedi era film.

    According to THR’s Borys Kit, writer Beau Willimon has been brought on by Lucasfilm as a co-writer for Mangold’s film.

    Willimon is a known quantity for Lucasfilm, having written three episodes of their Star Wars streaming series, Andor, one of which “One Way Out,” earned him an Emmy nomination.

    As revealed in April 2023 at Star Wars Celebration, Mangold’s untitled film will take place in “the deep past, telling the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.” The director explained that it provides him with “a chance to tell the entire story of its own: the birth of the Force,” and to answer questions such as “where did (the Force) come from? How is it found? Who was the first Jedi?”

    Source: THR

  • Untitled Dawn of the Jedi Movie

    Untitled Dawn of the Jedi Movie

    Premiere: TBD

    Set to be directed by James Mangold, the untitled Dawn of the Jedi movie was one of three films announced to be in development at Star Wars Celebration 2023.

    Mangold’s film will be set some 25,000 years before the events of the original trilogy and will explore “the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.” Mangold has referred to the film as a “biblical epic” and “a kind of Ben-Hur or The 10 Commandments about the birth of the Force” that allows him “a chance to tell the entire story of its own: the birth of the Force.”

    Cast