Rumors first circulated in February that Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man” director Jon Watts was circling a “Star Wars” television series at Disney+, but a new report from Vanity Fair now confirms the show. Lucasfilm gave no plot details about the project. Vanity Fair reports the show is being developed under the code name “Grammar Rodeo,” which is “a reference to an episode of ‘The Simpsons’ in which Bart and his schoolmates steal a car and run away for a week, using a phony educational event as an alibi.”
Vanity Fair’s report continues: “The show takes place during the post–’Return of the Jedi’ reconstruction that follows the fall of the Empire, the same as ‘The Mandalorian,’ but its plot remains a secret. It’s created and executive-produced by director Jon Watts and writer Chris Ford, who made ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ for Marvel. A casting notice has called for four children, around 11 to 12 years old. Inside Lucasfilm, the show is being described as a galactic version of classic Amblin coming-of-age adventure films of the ’80s.”
Watts’ series joins “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Ahsoka,” “The Mandalorian” Season 3, and “Andor” on Lucasfilm’s upcoming “Star Wars” television slate. The director recently completed his Holland-starring “Spider-Man” trilogy with “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which grossed close to $2 billion worldwide at the box office.
Confirmation of Watts’ “Star Wars” series follows news from last month revealing that the director exited his filmmaking duties on Marvel’s upcoming “Fantastic Four” movie. Watts was originally announced as the film’s director.
“Making three ‘Spider-Man’ films was an incredible and life changing experience for me,” Watts said in a statement. “I’m eternally grateful to have been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for seven years. I’m hopeful we’ll work together again and I can’t wait to see the amazing vision for Fantastic Four brought to life.”
In addition to his “Star Wars” series, Watts is also set to write and direct a film reuniting George Clooney and Brad Pitt as rival fixers that Apple Studios won in a high-stakes auction last fall. And he’s producing a new film in the “Final Destination” horror franchise for New Line Cinema and HBO Max.