James Mangold Shared An Update On His Star Wars Movie, And I Love His Thoughts On What’s Most ‘Important’ To Him About The Film

Han Solo in star wars: the force awakens
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

At the crossroads of saying goodbye to the 2024 movies and looking forward to the future, director James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown continues to keep the man, and his work, in the conversation. With the Timothée Chalamet starring historical drama being among the 2025 Golden Globe nominees, that isn’t a hard task to keep up with. But in his own bit of forward thinking, Mangold has given an update on his upcoming Star Wars movie project, and I love what he’s said about what’s most “important” when it comes to this new picture.

During an interview with MovieWeb to promote A Complete Unknown, the Ford v. Ferrari director gave us some new details to chew on about Star Wars: The Dawn of the Jedi. As he’s been co-writing the project with House of Cards creator Beau Willimon, James Mangold’s double duties give him a unique responsibility to the fans, which he partially described below:

To me, the really important aspects are the freedom to make something new. Beau and I, in relation to Star Wars, have been working on a script, and we'll see what happens [...] Again, it’s just a matter of, do we find a way on the page to say something original? The Star Wars movie would be taking place 25,000 years before any known Star Wars movies takes place. It's an area and a playground that I've always [wanted to explore] and that I was inspired by as a teenager. I'm not that interested in being handcuffed by so much lore at this point that it's almost immovable, and you can't please anybody.

Previous comments on how James Mangold’s Star Wars movie happened have painted a picture of mutual excitement between the co-writer/director and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. So hearing that Dawn of the Jedi is not only still cooking, but it’s being given the time to do so, is exciting.

Approaching a story that precedes the Jedi Order, and taking place several millennia before the even The Acolyte’s setting is something that is still very uncharted territory. So even if you’re burnt out on the Skywalker family legacy, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi has quite a bit of allure to it. James Mangold talking about not being interested in “being handcuffed by so much lore” is as promising as the fact that this project isn’t being shoehorned into a pre-mandated release date.

The Mandalorian and Grogu concept art

(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

Of course, that means there's a chance that Dawn of the Jedi could find itself grounded in development hell. Let’s not forget that we’re still reeling from Rian Johnson’s trilogy of films quietly slipping into obscurity, and we still have no idea if Taika Waititi’s potentially controversial Star Wars movie will actually happen.

Save for The Mandalorian and Grogu film slated for 2026, everything else seems to be fair game in this galaxy far, far away. And you know what? I'm ok with that. If James Mangold and Beau Willimon’s project doesn’t pan out, at least we know that it’s probably because they took their best shot and decided not to force the issue. Sometimes ruling the sandbox means you need to know when to raze it to the ground, and move on into the binary sunset.

It's not like the rest of the Star Wars galaxy won't exist for us to revisit/catch up with in the future! And if you’re looking to do just that, feel free to soar back into the stars with the power of a Disney+ subscription! Though if you’ve been keeping up with Skeleton Crew, you probably didn't need that reminder; so ignore this ominous hologram of hope.

Mike Reyes
Senior Movies Contributor

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.