Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy states female director for new Star Wars film is overdue
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the director behind the new Star Wars film featuring the return of Daisy Ridley’s Rey, has made headlines already this 2024.
Why? By simply stating that it was time that a woman came forward to shape the galaxy of Star Wars after The Rise of Skywalker (TROS). The full quote, given to CNN by Obaid-Chinoy, says, “I’m very thrilled about the project because I feel what we’re about to create is something very special. We’re in 2024 now, and it’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away.”
Predictably, this has led to a loud minority accusing Obaid-Chinoy of downplaying many of the female characters involved in the Star Wars franchise. This includes the likes of Princess Leia, Ahsoka, Padme Amidala and Bo-Katan.
However, none of these characters were the lead of their own film, unlike Daisy Ridley’s Rey.
Details surrounding the new film are pretty limited, but what we do know is that it’ll be following Rey building a new Jedi Order, and that it’s set 15 years after the events of TROS.
“We’re 15 years out from Rise of Skywalker, so we’re post-war, post-First Order, and the Jedi are in disarray,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy told IGN back in April last year.
“There’s a lot of discussion around, ‘Who are the Jedi? What are they doing? What’s the state of the galaxy?’ She’s attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order, based on the books, based on what she promised Luke, so that’s where we’re going.”
With Obaid-Chinoy involved, it marks the very first time the Star Wars franchise has had a female and person of colour director in charge of their films.
Previous directors of these massive blockbusters have been the original creator, George Lucas, as well as several other big names like JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson. There have been female directors for Star Wars TV, notably Deborah Chow and Bryce Dallas Howard, but none have been in charge of film. This doesn’t include Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), as her film, Rogue Squadron, has been shelved.
Alongside the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Rey film, two other Star Wars films have been confirmed to be in the works over at Lucasfilm. A film wrapping up the events that have been told across the television series The Mandalorian and Ahsoka by Star Wars veteran Dave Filoni, as well as a film exploring the ‘origins’ of the mystical Force that exists within the franchise by James Mangold.
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Looks like Disney is settling for making the fanboys cry all over social media if they won’t go see the movies. At least it gives them hype and mentions.
Personally I’m loving it. Seems like the right direction for the franchise. I’m not a big fan of Rey and always found her a little flat as a character but maybe it’ll be different with a female team behind her. They will not be afraid to make her pop more.