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It’s been a little while since we’ve had an update regarding the upcoming Star Wars movie being written by Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers) and directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel), but today we may have had a substantial one from Jeff Sneider, who has been the only person in recent times providing any updates on the project.
During the latest episode of Jeff Sneider’s podcast, The Hot Mic, which he co-hosts with John Rocha, Sneider was asked if there’s any updates he could share on Damon Lindelof’s mysterious Star Wars film. Sneider was the first to break the news that Damon Lindelof was working on a Star Wars project in the Spring of last year, months before the trades began reporting the news, and in more recent times shared that casting is already underway on the project, with the two leads already cast.
When the question was asked, Sneider began to laugh and prefaced, “I don’t know if this is like a ‘I’ve heard thing’ or speculation. This is just a drawing the connections thing, I’ll put it that way.” Sneider continued and recalls tidbits he’s revealed in the past that there’s two leads in the film, a man and a woman, both people of colour and adds that the male actor came attached when the project was being put together. Sneider then asks the audience who Damon Lindelof worked with on his last series, that being HBO’s Watchmen, to which his co-host John Rocha responded with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, to which Jeff Sneider nods his head and says it fits with previous descriptions he’s given about the male lead in the past, most notably that the actor has bounced successfully between both television and film and signs off saying that Yahya in Star Wars is a real possibility. You can read Sneider’s comments below.
“We talked about how the leads are black, right? It’s a black man and a black woman. I was told, and I think I’ve said this before, so make sure to note this when you’re doing it, I’ve already said this – the black actor came attached to the movie. Who does Damon Lindelof have a relationship with? You know, who did he just work with on his last thing that got him this job? You wanna say it so I don’t have to? [Yahya Abdul-Mateen II] I mean did he fit the description that I was given about an actor that’s gone back and forth between film and television, and yet has never been a lead of his own film? I guess you could say that. Furiosa, I consider him a lead in that movie, but again the movie is called Furiosa, so he technically fits that description. Are we looking at Yahya in Star Wars? I think it’s a possibility.”
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is without question one of the rising stars in Hollywood at the moment and as previously mentioned, led Damon Lindelof’s last series, Watchmen for HBO. Yahya is probably best known for playing Black Manta in the 2018 blockbuster, Aquaman, and will appear in its sequel releasing later this year. Though Sneider claims Abdul-Mateen II has not led a film, this is untrue as he led Nia DaCosta’s fantastic Candyman which released in 2021.
It’s worth mentioning that Yahya has been cast as the lead in the upcoming Marvel Studios series, Wonder Man, for Disney+. The series is rumoured to begin filming next month and reportedly co-stars Ben Kingsley (Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Courtney Cox (Scream), and Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul). Why is this relevant? It’s rumoured that the Lindelof movie will begin shooting in the coming months, with Sneider previously revealing that it’ll film by the Summer.
Personally I’d very excited to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Star Wars and to see him collaborate with Damon Lindelof once again. I think Abdul-Mateen II is truly a fantastic actor and it would be a pleasure to see him in a galaxy far, far away. Hopefully we get news on the female lead soon, but it’s likely fans won’t have to wait too long for news on the Lindelof project as it’s rumoured some details will be revealed at Star Wars Celebration which takes place in April.
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