Lost’s Damon Lindelof writing Star Wars movie with Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on board

If there’s one thing we can all agree, it’s that it’s a good idea to put the guy from Lost in charge of Star Wars, right? …Right? Just three years after J.J. Abrams wrapped up his divisive sequel trilogy, his sometime partner in crime Damon Lindelof is officially joining the circus for a new big-screen outing in a galaxy far, far away, per Deadline. Fans are certain to react very normally to this news.

Lindelof is joined in this venture by Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Deadline reports that “production is likely far out” on this project, but Lindelof (who is co-writing with an unknown partner) and Lucasfilm wanted “a director be brought on so that person’s own vision for where they see this story headed gets included in the script.”

Since the dubious reception of The Rise Of Skywalker, Lucasfilm has obviously thrown its weight behind television projects, from The Mandalorian through Andor. Several feature-length projects have been in the works, with lots of major names being thrown around, but so far nothing has come fully to fruition. Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron was pulled from the release schedule, while Taika Waititi’s entry—earlier this year reported as the next big screen Star Wars—is still percolating in development.

Per Deadline, Lucasfilm is being extra careful about its theatrical slate and “don’t see a need to rush out that next franchise.” However, despite how early in the process the Lindelof/Obaid-Chinoy project is, the outlet suggests that theirs “seems to have the most momentum out of all the films currently in development at the studio.”

Lindelof obviously has experience with tentpole franchises (including writing and producing on Abrams’ Star Trek movies). He’s been threatening to delve deeper into the Disney world for a while, expressing interest in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as Star Wars. However, in 2020 he said that he might wait to take a crack at the latter “a decade from now when I would no longer be blamed for ruining it.” But there’s been so much small-screen Star Wars since then, he must feel the responsibility for tanking the franchise is off his shoulders now. Godspeed!