Spider-Man director Jon Watts to create new Star Wars series for Disney Plus
Watts is joined by Spider-Man: Homecoming writer Chris Ford for the new Lucasfilm show
Jon Watts isn’t done with the Disney machine just yet. After dropping out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Fantastic Four, the director has reportedly signed on to create and executive produce a new Star Wars series for Disney+.
Vanity Fair reports that Watts will team up with Spider-Man: Homecoming scribe Chris Ford for the show, the details of which are being kept under wraps. So far, we know that it’s set to take place in the same time period as The Mandalorian (specifically, “the post–Return of the Jedi reconstruction that follows the fall of the Empire”) and that a “casting notice has called for four children, around 11 to 12 years old.”
Apparently, the project “is being described as a galactic version of classic Amblin coming-of-age adventure films of the ’80s” within Lucasfilm. (Think The Goonies in a galaxy far, far away.) Per VF, the show is currently only known under the codename “Grammar Rodeo,” which refers to “to an episode of The Simpsons in which Bart and his schoolmates steal a car and run away for a week, using a phony educational event as an alibi.”
Fantastic Four exit notwithstanding, Watts is clearly in demand to helm tentpole franchises at the moment. Beyond his blockbuster success with the Spider-Man trilogy, he’s set to produce the next Final Destination movie for New Line Cinema and HBO Max. Per Variety, he’ll also be writing and directing the on-screen reunion of George Clooney and Brad Pitt for Apple Studios. Safe to say, Watts is booked and busy.
“Grammar Rodeo” joins a growing Star Wars television slate that includes The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ashoka, and Andor. From the sounds of it, it will be Lucasfilm’s first live-action with a cast of kid leads. Knowing how well Watts handled Peter Parker’s high school years, he certainly seems like the right man for the job.