Steven Knight, writer of Rey’s New Jedi Order movie until last October, has spoken out describing what it’s been like to write Star Wars – and offering reᴀssuring comments after his departure. Rey’s New Jedi Order movie was announced back at Star Wars Celebration 2023, and Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight was originally commissioned to work on the script. He left last October, recently replaced by George Nolfi (of The Bourne Ultimatum fame), and the fandom has been unsure what to make of these changes.

Speaking to The Playlist, Knight describes what it was like working with Lucasfilm – including president Kathleen Kennedy, who he described as “a pleasure to work with.” According to Knight, he never expected to be writing the final draft; he expected to be working on the script for a few months before moving on.

““And I always knew the process then moves on. So, I don’t know what of the [writing] that I’ve submitted is going to end up in whatever the next incarnation of that [movie] is. It’s just great to be there and to be part of that.”

He certainly felt the pressure of working on Star Wars, which he described as “like stepping into a hurricane, in a way, because of the fans, because of what they want and what they feel. So you’re in this world, and you’re doing your bit in this world.” That said, he loved it, feeling he “really wanted to use that energy to do what I do, to contribute what I want to contribute.“

Knight described the privilege of being part of such a mᴀssive franchise, one that has been influenced by so many others. “There’s all these people have contributed over the years and it is absolutely a cultural tradition now,” Knight continued. “And you enter it with reverence and do what you can and then hope that you’ve done stuff that’s going to end up on that huge screen.”

Steven Knight Never Expected To Be Doing The Final Draft

Star Wars Fans Need To Relax

Knight’s recent remarks have helped make sense of what’s been going on with Rey’s New Jedi Order movie, which will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Many viewers had ᴀssumed the project was in trouble because it had changed writer, but he’s been consistently indicating this is exactly what he expected to happen. He had the privilege of playing a part, creating a draft, and now that task has been handed over to someone else. He didn’t expect any different.

This fits with an important point made by Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy in an interview last week, where she stressed the relentless focus of Star Wars fans is actually something of a problem. All too often, the people criticizing don’t understand the industry or the processes in play. Far from being in trouble, Knight is indicating Rey’s New Jedi Order movie is simply going through the standard development pipeline.

Our Take On Steven Knight’s Comments

Rey’s New Jedi Order Movie Remains A Mystery

It’s easy to understand why fans have become so hyper-focused; there have been so many canceled Star Wars movies and TV shows, after all. That said, when it comes to Rey’s New Jedi Order movie, Lucasfilm know how important Daisy Ridley really is. It remains to be seen whether this particular project will happen, but Rey is far too important, and the studio will know full well how much pressure they’re under to get it right.

Source: The Playlist