‘Dawn of the Jedi’ Will Take ‘Star Wars’ Back to the Old Republic
Star Wars Celebration 2023 kicked off in Europe on April 7 by unveiling several new projects on the horizon. While the event featured teasers of upcoming Star Wars series like Ahsoka and The Acolyte, it is Star Wars‘ cinematic future that fans were really anxious to hear about. Following the conclusion of the Star Wars sequel trilogy in 2019, fans were unsure of what to expect next. Would the franchise continue the stories of the characters it introduced in the sequels, introduce a whole new set of characters, or circle back to familiar characters elsewhere in the vast Star Wars timeline? It turns out Lucasfilm will be doing a little bit of everything going forward.
It was announced during Star Wars Celebration that Lucasfilm is in the very early stages of developing three new live-action films. One will continue the sequel trilogy by bringing back Rey (Daisey Ridley) as a Jedi Master heading a “new Jedi order.” Another film will tie into and wrap up the interconnected Disney+ original series, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. Lastly, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi will go farther back than any film has before, exploring the early years of the Old Republic.
While all of the upcoming films are exciting, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi is the most unique. This is because it will be a complete departure from the stories and characters all the recent Star Wars projects have been establishing and will explore an entirely new timeline, likely with entirely new characters. When people think of Star Wars, their thoughts always go to the fall of the Republic, the Galactic Empire, the Rebellion, and the New Republic and First Order. To have a new film that departs from all of this and expands the franchise into new territory is very intriguing.
Here’s what we know about Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi so far.
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi release window
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi does not appear to have an official release date or release window yet. However, CBR reported a December 2025 release date for the film, possibly because Disney does have an untitled Star Wars feature film scheduled for release on December 17, 2025. Of course, it’s difficult to determine which of the three films will ultimately get this spot. Plus, there’s another untitled Star Wars project slated for release on December 17, 2027. While there isn’t a confirmed release date, Dawn of the Jedi could potentially come to theaters between late 2025 and 2027.
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi cast & crew
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi has already found its writer and director in James Mangold, a filmmaker best known for directing and co-writing the Academy Award-nominated film Logan. He is also the director and writer behind the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Mangold now has both Star Wars: Dawn of Jedi and the DC Universe’s Swamp Thing movie on his plate. No other cast or crew have been tied to Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi—yet.
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi plot
As stated above, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi will take place in the time of the Old Republic. The Old Republic was established in 25,000 BBY (before the Battle of Yavin) and stood until 1000 BBY when it was replaced by the modern Galactic Republic. Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi plans to go back to 25,000 BBY to explore the first years of the Republic and the rise of the Force and the Jedi. It will seemingly follow the pattern of the comic book series of the same name, which follows a group on the planet of Tython who discover the mystic Force.
However, Mangold expressed interest in making the film a “biblical epic” that will focus on how early religion and spirituality led to the development of the Force and Jedi Order. Mangold explained:
“When I first started talking to Kathy [Kennedy] about doing one of these pictures, what occurred to me was thinking about what kind of genre of movie within Star Wars I wanted to do. And I thought about a Biblical epic, like a Ten Commandments, about the dawning of the Force. Where did the Force come from, when did we discover it, when did we learn how to use it?”
Mangold also expressed excitement about the film taking place outside of the more familiar timeline periods in Star Wars. “It gives you elbow room to create a world,” said the filmmaker. “So many of the tricks of working within the tighter fabric of the [existing] movies are the realities that have already been set, which can create compromises.” Mangold’s goal is to create a story that still connects to the wider Star Wars franchise but has some degree of separation, allowing it to be more of a standalone film.
(featured image: Disney)
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