A decade isn’t really such a long time ago, but it feels like ages ago if you’re a Star Wars fan who’s lived through the many highs and lows of the franchise since Disney acquired the rights to George Lucas‘ empire. That must go double for Daisy Ridley, who in that span of time has not only starred in a trilogy of Skywalker films—while experiencing all the good and the bad that comes with landing a role of that cultural magnitude—but also several more intimate indies, including the well-regarded Magpie and Sometimes I Think About Dying. Now she’s also a John McClane-style action hero in this month’s Martin Campbell-directed thriller Cleaner.
Yet, just 10 years on from her big-screen debut as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ridley is set to return to the massive spectacle of the galaxy far, far away. Set 15 years after the end of The Rise of Skywalker, the still-in-development New Jedi Order movie will see Ridley play an older and wiser Rey, now a Jedi Master ready to guide the next generation of young lightsaber-wielding heroes.
The script is still being penned—originally by Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson, then by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and now by George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum). In the meantime, Ridley has had plenty of time to reflect on the legacy of Rey and what the character means to her a decade after she first hit the screen.
“[Rey] is a part of a beautiful whole, and being part of that is wonderful,” Ridley tells Den of Geek. “The character is beautiful and has resonated with people and continues to. I also think of the Star Wars world as [this] feeling of the people who make the films and enjoy the films, it feels like such a togetherness. That’s what I feel the legacy is.”
Ridley was cast in Star Wars at the age of 22, a newcomer with only a few short films and minor British TV credits to her name, and the news of her casting thrust her into superstardom virtually overnight. Landing such a huge role of course came with quite a bit of scrutiny before and after the release of The Force Awakens. Needless to say, the film brought both positive and negative attention to Ridley, who left social media all together for a time as a result, only returning to Instagram in 2022.
Since completing the Sequel Trilogy in 2019, Ridley has been candid about dealing with extreme stress that led to health issues during her first tenure as Rey: “I went to therapy for a bit, which was great because a lot of it was about feeling out of control, cause I’m quite controlling in that I like to know what’s going on and suddenly you’re in a situation where you have no idea what’s going on,” she told Glamour UK in 2010.
But after a bit of time away, the 32-year-old Ridley is ready to lead a new era of Star Wars on the big screen once again.
“I’ve gone off and done lots of different sorts of films. I feel like I’ve learned a lot and grown a lot I would hope as an actor,” Ridley told Den of Geek at SXSW last year, saying she was looking forward to having a fresh start with Rey. “I think it will feel like baby steps again, like sort of starting at the beginning. But yes, I’m very excited!”
Daisy Ridley tells us Rey plans to do things differently than Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: New Jedi Order. 👀#SXSW #SXSW2024 pic.twitter.com/bfn8m3epAm
— Den of Geek News! (@DenofGeekUS) March 9, 2024
Just when we’ll finally get to see that film is still unclear. The Rey movie, which will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel), remains in the scripting stage and doesn’t currently have a release date. But according to Ridley, the longer development time is for the best.
“People have talked about it a lot that the release date often affects films and how quickly things go into production. So the freedom to make sure that this [New Jedi Order] script is the best way to tell this story is wonderful, and I don’t think any fans would want it to be rushed,” Ridley told THR earlier this month. “The wait will be worth it. I know what George [Nolfi] is working on, and he is a phenomenal writer. So I’m really looking forward to reading it, and yes, it’s all worthwhile.”
While the finer details about what the movie is about remain a well-kept secret at Lucasfilm, last year we learned one small tidbit about the story when we asked Ridley whether Rey will be a different teacher from Luke Skywalker. Her answer: “I would say, from what I understand, yes.”
Cleaner is out in theaters on Feb. 21. Star Wars: The Force Awakens turns 10 on Dec. 18.
The post 10 Years Later, Daisy Ridley Considers the Legacy of Rey and Star Wars: The Force Awakens appeared first on Den of Geek.
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