Summary
Star Wars' mysterious Dawn of the Jedi movie has been in development for quite some time, with David S. Goyer having written a script for it.
Lucasfilm has covertly developed a Jedi origin film for several years, as indicated by Goyer's mention of his contribution to the project. The concept of a movie exploring the beginnings of the Jedi resonates with the path that Star Wars has embarked on following the sequel trilogy, as glimpsed in The Last Jedi's depiction of the Prime Jedi.
David S. Goyer mentioned in an interview with Josh Horowitz that he had worked on a script for a Jedi origin movie, set 25,000 years before the first Star Wars film. This project, known as the Dawn of the Jedi movie, has been in development for a longer period than initially believed. Recently, during Star Wars Celebration 2023, Kathleen Kennedy, the head of Lucasfilm, announced three upcoming Star Wars movies, including one set in the Dawn of the Jedi era. Director James Mangold will be taking the helm for this long-anticipated project. This announcement came as a surprise to audiences, as it had not been previously disclosed. However, it has now been revealed that the movie has been in the works for quite some time.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Set Up A Jedi Origins Movie
Lucasfilm has long been considering the idea of a Jedi origins film, a notion which Goyer discusses more freely compared to the Guillermo del Toro project. Its status as an active project, however, remains uncertain.Undoubtedly, it was always a natural progression for the Star Wars franchise following the conclusion of the sequel trilogy. Star Wars: The Last Jedi introduced the notion of the first Jedi Temple on Ahch-To, where Luke Skywalker believed its existence. Within the temple, a captivating mural portrayed the figure of the Prime Jedi, who can be credited as the founder of the Jedi order. Interestingly, this artwork subtly suggested that the Prime Jedi advocated a remarkably different philosophy compared to the one commonly associated with the Jedi in the Skywalker saga. The mural vividly illustrated the Prime Jedi as a proponent of equilibrium, embodying both darkness within the light and light within the darkness.
However, the timing is intriguing. Goyer reveals that the del Toro script was penned approximately four years ago and likely discarded due to significant shifts within Lucasfilm. These changes were seemingly brought about by the underperformance of Solo: A Star Wars Story at the box office and the divisive conclusion of the sequel trilogy. Goyer's remarks suggest a chronological order, indicating that he embarked on the Jedi origin movie project following these events. If this is indeed true, it implies that Lucasfilm has been preparing to unveil the Dawn of the Jedi for an extended period of time.