Lucasfilm may still be waving the James Mangold flag when it comes to his announced Star Wars movie Dawn of the Jedi, but a closer look at the director’s recent moves reveals a very different story. While Disney continues to promote the origin-of-the-Force film as a pillar of the franchise’s future, Mangold appears to be everywhere except a galaxy far, far away.
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 18: (L-R) James Mangold, Harrison Ford, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge attend “Indiana Jones and The Dial Of Destiny” photocall at Carlton Pier on May 18, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney)
In a new scoop from Jeff Sneider of The InSneider, it’s revealed that Mangold is developing his very first project at Netflix. The secretive family-friendly film is reportedly based on a book and is being produced as a change of pace from the grittier R-rated fare Mangold is known for. Notably, this Netflix project is not tied to Crenshaw, a previously announced adaptation that has stalled since 2017. It’s something new—something secret—and something time-consuming.
Even more telling? Sneider’s sources say the Netflix project isn’t expected to be Mangold’s next directorial effort. That distinction could go to any number of projects Mangold currently has in active development, including:
- A Swamp Thing film for DC Studios
- A Buster Keaton biopic for 20th Century Studios
- And, of course, the long-rumored Dawn of the Jedi for Lucasfilm
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 23: (L-R) Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment, Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm, Leslye Headland and Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer, The Walt Disney Company and President, Marketing, The Walt Disney Studios and Disney attend the launch event for Lucasfilm’s new Star Wars series The Acolyte at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
If that sounds like too many irons in the fire, that’s because it is. No Star Wars movie has entered production under Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership without chaos, cancellations, or dramatic reshuffling. Mangold’s current workload only adds fuel to that pattern.
Let’s rewind. Back in April 2023, Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi was officially announced at Star Wars Celebration. A press release described the movie as telling “the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy onstage during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)
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By June of that year, Mangold was already attempting to distance his vision from George Lucas’s mythos, telling Gizmodo, “Can we make a kind of the Ten Commandments of the Force? A kind of origin story of how the Force came to be known, understood, wielded, and harnessed?” It was a curious comment from a man tasked with honoring a beloved franchise.
Daniel Richtman and Jordan Ruimy of World of Reel later reported that Mangold’s *Dawn of the Jedi* could begin filming as early as 2025—this year. But with Mangold freshly off A Complete Unknown, a critically acclaimed Oscar contender, and now setting up shop at Netflix, it’s hard to see how he finds the time. Especially since DC Studios is reportedly banking on Swamp Thing as one of the cornerstones of James Gunn’s new universe.
(L-R): Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) in Lucasfilm’s INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Meanwhile, Mangold’s relationship with Lucasfilm is complicated. He directed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which went down as both a critical disappointment and a box office disaster. Rather than take responsibility, Mangold infamously lashed out at fans for the film’s failure.
Add it all up, and Dawn of the Jedi starts looking less like a movie on the launch pad and more like another Lucasfilm mirage—an announcement without a plan.
Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Lucasfilm
With no production timeline, no casting news, and no confirmation that Mangold will direct the film anytime soon, Dawn of the Jedi may join the ranks of Kathleen Kennedy’s many unfulfilled promises. From Rogue Squadron to Taika Waititi’s still-nameless project, to Rian Johnson’s mythical trilogy, Lucasfilm’s history with announced-but-unmade films is as bloated as Mangold’s current calendar.
Fans might want to temper expectations. When it comes to Dawn of the Jedi, the Force may not be with us after all.
Do you think we’ll see James Mongold direct a Star Wars movie? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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Maybe they’re waiting for woke Kathleen Kennedy to leave, before investing in another Star Wars movie.
Mangold “directed Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny”.
It’s modern DEIsney: flopbluster after flopbuster of man-hating, anti-family, anti-white, woke trash.
After his Indiana Jones abomination I don’t want to hear from this clown ever again.
Ah?! dang it!