Star Wars’ Most Interesting Spinoff Movie May Be In Trouble After This Latest Update

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With Lucasfilm aiming to start a fresh chapter for Star Wars films, the studio is developing several projects with promising filmmakers. One particularly interesting title is Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi. The movie will be directed by James Mangold, who also directed Logan, and its story is set 25,000 years before Star Wars: A New Hope. It will delve into the origins of the Force and the very beginning of the Jedi Order. Dawn of the Jedi could offer fans something completely new within the Star Wars universe, but its release date is still uncertain (even though it was first announced at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023). Considering Mangold’s recent work, it might be some time before his Star Wars film reaches theaters.

As reported by Deadline, James Mangold has entered into a comprehensive agreement with Paramount Pictures. This deal will see Mangold developing, directing, and producing new films for the studio. This move was expected, as Paramount recently outbid other studios to produce the upcoming crime drama High Side, which will again star Timothée Chalamet – who previously worked with Mangold on A Complete Unknown. While the Deadline article doesn’t offer any new information regarding Dawn of the Jedi, or Mangold’s Swamp Thing project for DC Studios, it does lead to speculation about how those projects might be affected.

Will Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi Still Happen?

During Star Wars Celebration Japan in April, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, revealed which Star Wars films are currently being developed. The list included Dawn of the Jedi, but there haven’t been any significant new details about that project since then. Fans can look forward to The Mandalorian & Grogu hitting theaters next summer. Also, Star Wars: Starfighter, which is now in production, is scheduled to premiere in May 2027. It seems Dawn of the Jedi isn’t a top priority for Lucasfilm right now, and its future is uncertain.

James Mangold agreeing to a deal with Paramount might suggest the current status of his planned franchise projects. Paramount isn’t partnering with the director to create big hits for Disney and Warner Bros. Instead, the plan is for Mangold to primarily work with Paramount for the near future. If either Dawn of the Jedi or Swamp Thing were progressing well, Mangold likely would have hesitated to sign with Paramount right now, wanting to keep his schedule free for those other films. However, it appears High Side will be his next project. With Timothée Chalamet set to star, it’s become a key focus for Paramount’s new management.

The reports don’t say whether Mangold’s contract prevents him from making a film for another studio, but it would be difficult for him to do so. A movie like Dawn of the Jedi or Swamp Thing would take up a significant amount of his time, considering production, editing, and the necessary promotional events. The executives at Paramount likely wouldn’t want to wait a year or two for Mangold to become available again. Luckily for them, Mangold might not even be thinking about Star Wars or DC at the moment. He recently stated, alongside the news, that Paramount has “embraced my ideas for future projects,” suggesting he already has plans for films to make after High Side is finished.

Dawn of the Jedi isn’t off the table, but recent news makes it much less likely to happen. It’s disappointing, because the movie could have been a huge turning point for Star Wars, showing just how many different kinds of stories the franchise could tell in its vast universe. It would have been really interesting to see a Star Wars film so different from previous installments, giving director James Mangold a lot of creative control while still being part of a larger story. If he does leave Dawn of the Jedi, let’s hope another filmmaker steps in to take over. To keep Star Wars fresh and exciting, it needs to explore new kinds of films and ideas that go beyond what fans expect. A movie resembling a historical epic, telling the story of the Jedi’s beginnings, would fit that perfectly, and it would be wonderful if it could still be made.

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2025-09-30 22:14