Damon Lindelof’s Star Wars Exit: ‘I Was Asked to Leave,’ but Would ‘Absolutely’ Try Again if Offered

Damon Lindelofs exit from the Star Wars universe was not a mutual decision, the writer confirmed in a new Esquire interview. The Lost and The Leftovers co-creator boarded a new Star Wars movie in 2022 with Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attached to direct. Lindelof brought on Justin Britt-Gibson (Counterpart, Into the Badlands) to co-write the project with him. The duo exited the film in February.

I was in more than talks to join the Star Wars universe, Lindelof told Esquire. I joined the Star Wars universe and was asked to leave.

Lindelof and Britt-Gibson were replaced as writers by Steven Knight, best known in recent years as the creator of Peaky Blinders. Obaid-Chinoy remained as director amid the screenwriting transition. Lindelof told Variety earlier this month that his script was a true labor of love.

I wish them all the best of luck, Lindelof added to Variety. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is an incredible director, and I cant wait to see what she comes up with.

At Star Wars Celebration, it was announced that Obaid-Chinoy and Knights movie is actually a sequel to 2019s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and will feature the return of Daisy Ridleys Rey to the franchise. Its still unconfirmed whether Lindelof was also planning a Rey-centric movie for Obaid-Chinoy to direct, although rumors have claimed as such.

Will I get back in line outside the club and try to get back in again? Lindelof told Esquire about returning to Star Wars in the future. Absolutely. If at first you dont succeed, try and try again or again again try, as Yoda would say.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that Ridleys new Star Wars movie will follow Rey as she builds a new Jedi Order, adding in an interview with IGN that fans will pick up with Rey well over a decade after The Rise of Skywalker.

Well were 15 years out fromRise of Skywalker, so were post-war, post-First Order, and the Jedi are in disarray, Kennedy confirmed. Theres a lot of discussion around, Who are the Jedi? What are they doing? Whats the state of the galaxy? Shes attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order, based on the books, based on what she promised Luke, so thats where were going.

Disney has not yet announced a release date for the new Rey movie.