Daisy Ridley shot to fame as the leading protagonist Rey in Star Wars’ sequel trilogy. She shared screen space with newcomers Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, and John Boyega, as well as Star Wars veterans such as Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford in the films. The films were divisive in their responses, with creator George Lucas himself not being a fan.
After Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, which ended Rey’s arc, Ridley has been keeping busy with other projects and has also begun a career as an executive producer. However, she will be returning as Rey in an upcoming Star Wars film. Ridley mentioned that she almost manifested a Rey-centered film right before meeting with LucasFilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy.
Daisy Ridley Returns To The Star Wars Franchise In A New Film
Before Daisy Ridley became a global star with her leading role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, she was a relative unknown and had done a few minor roles on British TV. The actress only had one movie credit before she was cast as Rey in JJ Abrams’ Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
While being the lead of a Star Wars film comes with a whole new level of public scrutiny, Ridley mentioned that she felt extremely protected and cared for while she was playing the role. The films have gained criticism for being too derivative of the original trilogy, with George Lucas himself criticizing the ‘retro feel’ of the sequels (via The Guardian).
Despite being at the center of attention from Star Wars fans for four years, Daisy Ridley decided to return to the franchise when she was offered a new film centered on Rey. The yet-to-be-titled film was announced in 2023 and was launched as the first Star Wars film since The Rise of Skywalker. Ridley said to Collider,
“No one knew I was going to [Star Wars] Celebration, bar like Kathy [Kennedy], and there were a couple of people. I was so nervous. Oh my God. It was such a wonderful reception. I’m very excited. The story is really cool. I’m waiting to read a script because, obviously, I don’t have any other updates.”
The upcoming film is reportedly directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who previously helmed two episodes of Marvel’s Disney Plus series Ms. Marvel. Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight will reportedly write the film, and it will be set fifteen years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker (via Deadline).
Daisy Ridley Almost Manifested Her Return As Rey Before Going To Meet Kathleen Kennedy
Daisy Ridley’s return as Rey in the Star Wars universe was announced at last year’s Star Wars Celebrations event, where two other films with Dave Filoni and James Mangold directing were announced (via Star Wars.com). Ridley played the role for four years and began her tenure as Rey almost ten years ago in 2015.
Ridley mentioned that she was nervous before meeting with LucasFilm President Kathleen Kennedy for the upcoming film. She was reportedly not aware of what was in store and that when she was offered, it was not too difficult for her to say yes. She said to Empire,
“I didn’t say yes right away, Kathy was like, ‘Take as long as you need.’ It was actually really funny, on the way there, I was on the phone to my best friend and he goes, ‘Oh my God, Dais, imagine if they’re doing a Rey TV show.’ And I was like, ‘Nah, we’re literally just going for breakfast.’ And then I called him and I was like, ‘You will never guess what.’”
Ridley mentioned that though the films were known to be divisive, they still brought a lot of joy to people, and that motivated her to say yes to the film. She also mentioned that she would love to explore how to play the character again as she had grown since her last appearance as Rey.
