Director Jon Watts to Helm Star Wars Episode X, Reports Say

Production on the next trilogy could begin as early as 2027.

Jon Watts, who directed the three Spider-Man films starring Tom Holland, will direct the first film in the new Star Wars trilogy. This is not Watts’s first experience working with Lucasfilm, as he previously co-created the series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and directed two of its episodes.

However, the reports from the two outlets that first broke the news about Watts differ slightly. According to Knight Edge Media, the director is in talks with Lucasfilm, while sources for The Hollywood Reporter claim he is already locked in for the project.

Simon Kinberg has been writing the script for the new trilogy since late 2024. The story will return to the main Skywalker saga, with the first film intended to be Episode X. According to insiders, Rey Skywalker, played by Daisy Ridley, will appear in some capacity in the new trilogy, though the scale of her role remains unknown.

Sources for The Hollywood Reporter also report that the project has not yet received approval from Disney, but its development has progressed further than other films following Star Wars: Starfighter. Shawn Levy’s film starring Ryan Gosling will be released on May 28, 2027, and filming for the prospective Episode X could begin that same year.