“Lost” creator Damon Lindelof is saying that he was “asked to leave” shortly after turning in his completed “Star Wars” script.
Although he and “The Strain” writer Justin Britt-Gibson had been tapped to write the new “Star Wars” movie featuring Daisy Ridley and directed by “Ms. Marvel” director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, it seems he was “asked to leave” after the script didn’t line up with what they intended for the movie.
Damon Lindelof Was ‘Asked To Leave’ But Would Love To Write Another ‘Star Wars’ Script In The Future
According to online speculation, Lindelof’s script featured an elderly Rey training two new Jedi Knights, one of which would be played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II of “Watchmen” fame. However, at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy revealed that the new movie would be led by Rey, which makes her sound like a starring figure instead of a supporting character.
It seems that Lucasfilm decided to take the film in a new direction, which is why Lindelof might have been taken off the project. In an April 2023 episode of Esquire’s “Explain This,” Lindelof revealed that he was “asked to leave” the project after turning in the script.
That being said, the “Mrs. Davis” creator revealed that he is still interested in working with Lucasfilm again in the future. “Will I get back in line outside the club and try to get back in again? Absolutely,” Lindelof said, adding, “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again… or again try, as Yoda would say.”
Damon Lindelof Called His Ill-Fated ‘Star Wars’ Script A ‘True Labor Of Love’
Just last week, Damon Lindelof confirmed in an interview with Variety that “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight had taken over the project and was now writing the script, seemingly from scratch.
“The movie is still happening, but unfortunately, not with me,” Lindelof said, calling the project a “true labor of love.” Fortunately, it sounds like there is no bad blood between the studio and the creative talent.
“I wish them all the best of luck,” he said. “Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is an incredible director, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.”
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Damon Lindelof Seemed Wary Of His Involvement In The Franchise In Early March
In early March, during an appearance at SXSW, the “Lost” creator seemed to warn fans that his script would never make it to the screen in an interview with SlashFilm. “I will just say, that for reasons that I can’t get into on this Sunday morning, on this day, the degree of difficulty is extremely, extremely, extremely high,” he said. “If it can’t be great, it shouldn’t exist.”
“That’s all I’ll say, because I have the same association with it as you do, which is, it’s the first movie I saw sitting in my dad’s lap, four years old, May of ’77,” he continued. “I think it’s possible that sometimes when you hold something in such high reverence and esteem, you start to get in the kitchen and you just go, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t be cooking. Maybe I should just be eating.’ We’ll just leave it at that point.”
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy Confirms Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Will Take Place 15 Years After ‘The Rise Of Skywalker’
Shortly after the new movie was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy shared new details about the movie with Entertainment Weekly.
“As we move into the future space — this story is about 15 years outside of The Rise of Skywalker — obviously we realized post-war, post–First Order rise of the New Jedi Order, we left episode 9 with Rey making a commitment to Luke Skywalker that she would rebuild the Jedi Order,” Kennedy said.
“And so here we are — we’re ready to do that. And it took a lot of discussion because obviously we’ve been developing stories in different spaces, and television has been a big focus of our attention right now,” she continued. “But there’s still so much interest in what happens after The Rise of Skywalker. So we’re excited to be doing that.”
Will John Boyega Be Returning To Join Daisy Ridley In Her New ‘Star Wars’ Movie?
Although only Daisy Ridley is the only sequel trilogy character that has been confirmed to return, Kennedy admitted, “It’s entirely possible to see some people come back.”
It has been rumored that actor John Boyega will be back to reprise his role as Finn, even though the “Attack The Block” star seemed to cast doubt on the possibility in an August 2022 interview with SiriusXM’s Tell Me Everything With John Fugelsang.
“At this point, I’m cool off it. I’m good off it,” Boyega said at the time. “I think Finn is at a good confirmation point where you can just enjoy him in other things, the games, the animation. But I feel like ‘[Episode] VII’ to ‘[Episode] IX’ was good for me.”
