Star Wars' return to movie theaters hits a snag

There has been a disturbance in the Force.

The next Star Wars movie has hit a bit of a snag, as The Hollywood Reporter revealed Monday that Rogue Squadron has been "taken off the production schedule." The news was confirmed by Variety.

This new Star Wars movie is set to be directed by Wonder Woman filmmaker Patty Jenkins, and the plan has been for it to hit theaters in December 2023, serving as the Star Wars franchise's return to the big screen four years after 2019's The Rise of Skywalker. But according to the Reporter, while the movie was looking to begin production in 2022, the crew has now realized this won't be possible given Jenkins' schedule and commitments to other projects.

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"The hope is that once Jenkins' fulfills her previous commitments, she will be able to return to the project," the Reporter writes.

In addition to Rogue Squadron, Jenkins is set to direct a third Wonder Woman film, though it's unclear when that movie will enter production. "We're working on the script," Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot recently said. Jenkins is also expected to direct a Cleopatra movie starring Gadot. Little has been revealed about the plot of Rogue Squadron, though Jenkins said it will be a fighter pilot film.

Star Wars' return to movie theaters was previously scheduled for December 2022, only to be delayed a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As of now, Rogue Squadron hasn't been pulled from its December 2023 release date, but don't be shocked if it doesn't remain there for long.