Pakistani Canadian filmmaker and journalist Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will direct a new “Star Wars” film that features Daisy Ridley’s return as the character Rey.
The film was announced during the Star Wars Celebration event in London on Friday, where three new live-action films were revealed. Obaid-Chinoy will oversee a film centered around Rey reforming the Jedi Order following the events of the 2019 film, “The Rise of Skywalker.”
The other two announced films, which are set to follow the first Jedi and a New Republic conflict, will be directed by James Mangold and Dave Filoni, respectively. Filoni is a veteran of the franchise, having previously worked on the animated “Clone Wars” series and “The Mandalorian,” his live-action directorial debut.
With the upcoming project, Obaid-Chinoy will become the first woman of color to direct a “Star Wars” film. Obaid-Chinoy is a two-time Academy Award winner, having won her first Oscar in 2012 for the documentary short “Saving Face” and in 2015 for the documentary “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness.” She also recently directed episodes of the Marvel series “Ms. Marvel,” starring fellow Pakistani Canadian Iman Vellani.
Aside from three new films, the Star Wars Celebration came with a teaser trailer for the anticipated Ahsoka series starring Rosario Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Eman Esfandi.
