There is another disturbance in the Force. Screenwriter Steven Knight has departed the “Star Wars” movie set to follow Daisy Ridley’s Rey after the events of 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

In March 2023, Variety exclusively reported that Knight had signed onto the project, replacing original screenwriters Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson. Lucasfilm is actively talking with potential writers to take on the story, which has been said to chronicle Rey’s efforts to start a new Jedi Academy, but the delay likely means production won’t start until well into 2025 at least.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is still attached to direct the film, which would be her feature debut; she previously directed episodes of the Disney+ series “Ms. Marvel” after twice winning the Oscar for best documentary short film. While discussing her latest documentary about designer Diane von Furstenberg, which premiered on Hulu in June, Obaid-Chinoy told Variety that...