Kathleen Kennedy is still answering big Star Wars questions on her way out the Lucasfilm door — and the future of the franchise’s next sequel trilogy is no longer a mystery. In fresh comments given today, Kennedy provided a much more detailed update on Simon Kinberg’s long-rumored Star Wars trilogy, confirming that the project has moved well beyond early brainstorming and into serious story work. According to Kennedy in her exit interview, the version of the script Lucasfilm read last summer wasn’t quite ready — but what followed was a major creative reset.
“He’s working right now. He wrote something that we read in August, and it was very good, but not there. We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment, which he finished literally about four weeks ago. And it’s a very detailed treatment, like 70 pages. And so he is expected to give us something in March.”
That update builds directly on comments Kennedy made earlier this year, back in February 2025, when she first confirmed publicly that Kinberg was writing the next Star Wars saga. At the time, she emphasized how quickly the project was moving and how closely she was tracking its progress.
“We’re absolutely rolling fast and furiously,” Kennedy said then. “That has gone exceptionally well, and he’s literally going to script as we speak. We’ll see something probably around June.”
Why Is Simon Kinberg Making Star Wars?
Kennedy has also reiterated why Kinberg was chosen for such a pivotal role in the franchise’s future. While many fans associate him primarily with the X-Men films, his Star Wars credentials run deeper. He co-created and wrote Star Wars Rebels, an experience Kennedy has repeatedly cited as foundational to her trust in him.
“Simon… did some work with us years ago with the animated show, which was a really wonderful collaborative experience,” she said in February. “He then got very, very busy with X-Men and then recently became available again, and he segued into this space beautifully. We’re really excited about where that’s headed.”
What remains under wraps is exactly who this new trilogy will follow. Kennedy has confirmed that Kinberg’s films will take place after Episodes VII–IX, firmly positioning them as the next chapter beyond the Skywalker Saga. However, she has stopped short of confirming which characters will return — if any.
The broader post-Rise of Skywalker era is already taking shape elsewhere. Daisy Ridley is set to return as Rey in a separate film centered on rebuilding the Jedi Order, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, while Shawn Levy’s Starfighter film starring Ryan Gosling is also confirmed to be set after the sequel trilogy with an entirely new cast of characters.
Stay tuned to Collider for more on Star Wars.
Release Date
May 28, 2027
Writers
Jonathan Tropper, George Lucas