Two days after we broke the news that screenwriters Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson had exited the Star Wars universe, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been tapped to take over writing duties for the untitled film that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will direct for Lucasfilm.
Knight earned an Oscar nomination nearly 20 years ago for writing Dirty Pretty Things. Since then, he has proven he can write just about anything, from thrillers such as Eastern Promises to dramas like the Princess Diana movie Spencer and lighthearted fare such as The Hundred-Foot Journey.
Obaid-Chinoy has directed episodes of Ms. Marvel, and her movie is expected to be the next theatrical installment of the Star Wars franchise. It will officially be announced at next month’s Star Wars Celebration, and production is slated to start next February.
The Star Wars universe — at least on the film side — has been in utter disarray since The Rise of Skywalker — and while fans were bummed to see Lindelof depart this project, Knight is a top-tier replacement whose work on Peaky Blinders should be comforting to fans.
Taika Waititi continues to develop a Star Wars movie, as does Shawn Levy, though he’s currently focused on Deadpool 3 for Marvel at the moment.
Variety broke the news of Knight’s hiring.
