UPDATE: Contrary, to original publishing, the source for this story was NOT Empire Magazine, but rather Daniel Richtman.
EARLIER: Hollywood loves James Mangold. He’s one of the go-to “hired hands” in the industry. A decently talented filmmaker who doesn’t mind adhering to the creative control that studios enforce upon him. Not an auteur in the least bit, but with films such as “Ford V Ferrari,” “Logan” and “Cop Land” in his filmography, not too shabby either.
The latest Mangold endeavor is “A Complete Unknown,” a Bob Dylan biopic set for release in December. However, Daniel Richtman is saying that after ‘Complete Unknown’ Mangold’s set to shoot his Star Wars movie, “Dawn of the Jedi,” and it could happen as early as next year.
“Dawn of The Jedi” will explore the origins of the Jedi taking place in the earliest era in the “Star Wars” franchise. This film is set 25,000 years in the past. Beau Willimon (“Andor”) was recently tapped to co-write ‘Dawn of the Jedi’ alongside Mangold, Deadline.
Lucasfilm and Kathleen Kennedy haven’t released a Star Wars movie since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” With Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s planned Rey movie having been put “on hold”, the only other project that Lucasfilm has got going for it right now is the success of their Disney Plus show ‘The Mandalorian.’ It’s no coincidence then that they have decided to bet all of their chips on a ‘Mandalorian’ movie, directed by Jon Favreau, which is set to hit theaters May 22, 2026.
So it happens, according to one of the show’s stars, Giancarlo Esposito, “The Mandalorian & Grogu” is being planned as a trilogy of films, or maybe more.
Mangold’s film seems to be next up after ‘Mandalorian & Grogu,’ but there are six other ‘Star Wars’ projects currently in development, from directors Obaid-Chimoy, Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau, Donald Glover, Shawn Levy and Patty Jenkins. I bet none of them goes into production any time soon, or at least until Mangold completes his own film next year.