I just don't understand how Disney, a powerful media entity, would entrust their most profitable IP into the hands of a documentary filmmaker who has barely directed any fiction. Can someone answer this?
Yes, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was chosen to direct the next Star Wars movie, “The Jedi Order,” which will have Daisy Ridley’s Rey back in fray. Obaid-Chinoy was one of five directors on ‘Ms Marvel,’ and every other film she has made has been a documentary.
To make matters worse, speaking to CNN, Obaid-Chinoy raised the ire of Star Wars fans. She was briefly asked about her upcoming Star Wars movie, which she states will be something “very special” and that it’s about time a female director leads one of these movies:
I’m very thrilled about the project because I feel what we’re about to create is something very special. And we’re in 2024 now, and it’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away.
Way to read the room, Lucasfilm!
Obadia-Chinoy is also flat-out wrong. Has she even seen any of the “Stars Wars” movies? Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia played a major role in the first three films. More recently, actress Felicity Jones headlined “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and, of course, there’s Rey.
Over at StarWarsNews.Net, Rob Leonardo had this to say about Obaid-Chinoy’s comments …
This is a disappointing statement from Sharmeen. If her focus is that she is a woman directing a Star Wars film, her focus is in the wrong place. If she was attempting to get the fans excited, she likely has done the opposite. This endless quest for virtue signaling has to end.
Make a good film Sharmeen. Blow the audience away. Bring Star Wars back to the center of entertainment with a movie so engaging, exciting and well made, it will leave audiences and critics cheering. Do that and you can talk about being a woman all you want and people will cheer. Until then, please stop sounding like you are working in Disney's PR department with a focus on diversity and equity.
I just don't get how, out of all of the qualified directors out there, and in desperate need of steering the sinking ship back into place, Disney decided to hire a person known for their documentaries.
Who is Obaid-Chinoy? She’s a Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker who directed a few episodes of Disney’s “Ms. Marvel,” and is also known for her activist work in films that, according to Wikipedia, “highlight gender inequality against women”.
There hasn’t been an actual Star Wars movie since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” A planned trilogy from ‘The Last Jedi’ director Rian Johnson, originally announced in 2017, was put in the backburner. Also, a few months ago, Star Wars projects from Benioff/Weiss, Kevin Feige and Patty Jenkins were nixed by LucasFilm CEO, Kathleen Kennedy.
There are plenty of fans who are still upset with how the last trilogy turned out, which has put a major dent on the entire franchise. Star Wars lost many diehards who vowed never to return — they would rather rewatch Lucas’ prequels on repeat. My best guess is that Obaid-Chinoy’s upcoming film, set to shoot later this year, will not re-convert them.
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.