In an exciting development for Star Wars enthusiasts, Daisy Ridley’s iconic character Rey is set to return to the big screen in a new installment of the beloved franchise. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, known for her work on Ms Marvel, will direct the film, marking a historic moment as the first woman and person of color to helm a Star Wars feature. While female directors have made strides in Star Wars television, this marks a groundbreaking shift for the film domain.
Expressing her excitement, the Pakistani filmmaker shared with CNN, “I’m thrilled about the project because I believe what we’re creating is something very special. In 2024, it’s time for a woman to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away.”
Details about Ridley’s return are limited, but the storyline will continue with Rey in the aftermath of 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm’s president, revealed that the new film will focus on Rey’s efforts to establish a new Jedi Order over a decade after The Rise of Skywalker.
While the Ridley-Sharmeen collaboration is highly anticipated, some right-wing figures, including Ben Shapiro, have criticized Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy leading the project. Shapiro, among the critics, referred to Kathleen Kennedy as “the worst entertainment executive of my lifetime” in response to Sharmeen’s interview with CNN.
Kathleen Kennedy is legitimately the worst entertainment executive of my lifetime https://t.co/CkGxpgYhvA
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 3, 2024
In a separate X post, conservative writer and political commentator Matt Walsh reposted a 2015 video featuring Sharmeen at the Women in the World summit. In the rediscovered clip, Sharmeen addresses moderator and comedian Jon Stewart’s question about challenging patriarchy through art. The director boldly expressed her approach, stating, “I enjoy making men uncomfortable… It’s crucial to be able to confront a man and assert, I am present, and acknowledge that.”
Here’s the feminist director of the next Star Wars film saying that her goal is to “make men uncomfortable.”
This movie is destined to be Disney’s biggest flop yet. pic.twitter.com/KaihbiA7Oj
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) January 3, 2024
In the caption accompanying the post, Walsh disagreed with Sharmeen’s remarks, asserting, “The feminist director of the upcoming Star Wars film openly admits her aim is to ‘make men uncomfortable.'” He further anticipated that the movie would become Disney’s “most significant failure” due to its alignment with these beliefs.
