Damon Lindelof’s departure from the Star Wars universe was not by choice.
“I was in more than talks to join the Star Wars universe,” Lindelof said in a recent Esquire interview. “I joined the Star Wars universe and was asked to leave.”
The Lost co-creator tapped Justin Britt-Gibson (Counterpart, Into the Badlands) to write a screenplay with him, but the duo exited the project in February. Lindelof told Variety earlier this month that his axed Star Wars script was a “true labor of love.”
The original screenwriters were replaced by “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight, with documentarian Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy still on board as director. At Star Wars Celebration in London, it was revealed that Obaid-Chinoy and Knight’s movie will pick up 15 years after 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, featuring the return of Daisy Ridley’s Rey.
On whether or not he would return to the Star Wars universe, if given the opportunity, Lindelof said, “Will I get back in line outside the club and try to get back in again? Of course.”
“If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again,” he joked. “Or again again try, as Yoda would say.”
For more on the upcoming Star Wars movies, check out our interviews with Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau.
Thumbnail credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images
Michaela Zee is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @michaelakzee.
