The next Star Wars movie loses Damon Lindelof as writer, but gains Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight

Ahead of April 2023’s Star Wars Celebration 2023, there’s been some movement in the Force: the untitled Star Wars movie being developed by Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has a new writer, and it’s an unexpected choice — Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

According to Variety (which broke the news), Knight will replace the outgoing Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson on the project, which still remains officially unannounced by Lucasfilm months after it was initially reported on. (That is likely to change given that Star Wars Celebration is just weeks away at this point. It’s believed that this project will be the first new Star Wars movie since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.)

Lindelof and Britt-Gibson were initially reported to be writing the movie, which had been developed in a writers’ room setting alongside Station Eleven creator Patrick Somerville, Willow writer Rayna McClendon, and Star Wars veteran Dave Filoni; the two have recently been reported as having departed the project, with Lindelof recently saying in an interview that he considered making a Star Wars movie something with a “degree of difficulty [that] is extremely, extremely, extremely high. If it can’t be great, it shouldn’t exist.”

Beyond his work on Peaky Blinders, Knight is known for writing screenplays for early '00s movies Dirty Pretty Things and Eastern Promises, as well as 2021’s Princess Diana biopic Spencer. His next project will be the FX/BBC co-production of Great Expectations, debuting March 26 in both the UK and US.

Star Wars Celebration will take place April 7 through 10 at the ExCel in London, England; Popverse will be there reporting on news and events as they happen.

Wondering what other Star Wars projects are in the works? We have a list right here.