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Lucasfilm apparently axed an unannounced Star Wars series developed by Jon Watts.
Watts, who is best known for directing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy before Destin Daniel Cretton took over for this year’s blockbuster Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), is reportedly set to helm the first installment of a new Star Wars trilogy. Announced in September 2026, the project is being written by Simon Kinberg, whose previous credits include the X-Men films and the animated series Star Wars Rebels.
The trilogy is expected to continue the Skywalker Saga following 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, potentially bringing back Daisy Ridley’s Rey. However, Lucasfilm has yet to confirm the cast, plot, or release date.
Watts previously co-created the Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which premiered in 2024. However, a new series created by the writer has already been axed by Lucasfilm.
What Happened to Jon Watts’ ‘Star Wars’ Series?
According to Knight Edge Media, Watts was developing an eight-episode live-action Star Wars series alongside Skeleton Crew co-creator Christopher Ford. The project was reportedly conceived as a western, rather than a continuation of the Jude Law-led Disney+ series.
A writers’ room was reportedly assembled in January 2026, with work continuing until at least August. However, the project’s current status remains unclear, with no official announcement from Lucasfilm confirming its development or cancellation.
Watts’ involvement in Kinberg’s upcoming trilogy may explain why the series has apparently stalled. It’s possible that the director shifted his attention to the big screen, although it’s unclear whether the show’s writers have continued developing the project without him.
While Skeleton Crew followed a group of children lost in space, Watts’ new project reportedly took inspiration from westerns. No plot details have emerged, and it’s unclear which period of the Star Wars timeline the series would have explored.
The news comes amid a slowdown in live-action Star Wars releases on Disney+. The franchise’s last live-action series was Andor Season 2, which concluded in May 2025. Its next confirmed release is Ahsoka Season 2, starring Rosario Dawson, which premieres January 20, 2027.
Ahsoka was originally expected to return in 2026, having wrapped filming in October 2025. However, Disney subsequently pushed the series to early 2027, creating a gap of more than three years between its first and second seasons.
The delay also means 2026 will be the first year since Disney+ launched in 2019 without a new live-action Star Wars series. Notably, it was also the first year since 2019 to experience a theatrical Star Wars release, with The Mandalorian and Grogu hitting the silver screen in May.
There’s every chance that Jon Watts’ Star Wars project may not follow suit. Lucasfilm has a history of announcing Star Wars projects that never make it to theaters. Daisy Ridley’s Rey film, announced in 2023, remains without a release date, while Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron and Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie have also disappeared. James Mangold’s Jedi origins film is also on hold, despite previously being announced as a major franchise expansion.
However, Watts’ western may still eventually reach Disney+, as the original report leaves open the possibility that development has simply been paused rather than permanently canceled.
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