Feminist director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was picked to head the next "Star Wars" film.
Commenting on her role with the upcoming untitled film, set for a 2026 release, the Pakistan-born filmmaker told CNN it was "about time" a woman shaped a "Star Wars" movie.
"I'm very thrilled about the project because I feel what we're about to create is something very special," Obaid-Chinoy, who is the first woman and the first person of color to direct a "Star Wars" film, told CNN. "We're in 2024 now, and it's about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away."
Obaid-Chinoy, in a viral clip shared on X, has shared that as a director, she likes to "make men uncomfortable."
"It is important to be able to look into the eyes of man and say, 'I am here' and recognize that," she said. "And recognize that I am working to bring something that makes you uncomfortable, and it should make you uncomfortable because you need to change your attitude."
Obaid-Chinoy added: "It's only when you're uncomfortable, when you're shifty, when you have to have difficult conversations, that you will perhaps look at yourself in the mirror and not like the reflection, and then say, Maybe there is something wrong with the way I think' or, Maybe there is something wrong with the way I'm addressing this issue."
Little is known about the upcoming "Star Wars" film other than it will follow the story of Rey Skywalker, a female Jedi.
"The story is really cool," Daisy Ridley, who will play Rey Skywalker, told Collider in November. "I'm waiting to read a script because, obviously, I don't have any other updates. It's not what I expected, but I'm very excited."
Ridley also spoke about the film in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
"I haven't read anything, but I know the story. It's really worth telling, worth exploring, and I think people will be excited," she said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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