KARACHI: Oscar-winning movie director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will become the first woman and person of colour to direct a film in the Star Wars franchise, which will also see actor Daisy Ridley reprising her role as Rey.
The announcement by Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy came at a Star Wars Celebration event, held in London on Friday, alongside the revelation that at least three new live-action Star Wars films were on the way. Dave Filoni (who helmed The Mandalorian TV series) and James Mangold will be directing two of the films.
Ms Obaid-Chinoy’s project is said to be set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker — the final film in the third Star Wars trilogy — and will focus on Rey’s character as she builds a new Jedi order.
This isn’t Obaid-Chinoy’s first foray into Hollywood — she also directed several episodes of Ms Marvel, the Disney TV show centring around a Pakistani girl who gains superpowers.
The Academy and Emmy award-winning director is known for documentaries such as Saving Face and A Girl in the River, and The Price of Forgiveness. She is currently involved in directing Paramount’s adaptation of the novel Brilliance, produced by Will Smith.
Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2023
