Movies | Daisy Ridley Says Her New Star Wars Movie Is “Not What I Expected”

The Big Picture

• At Star Wars Celebration 2023, Daisy Ridley was revealed to be returning as Rey for a new film.
• She says the new film is not what she expected but hopes fans will be excited by the story.
• Ridley knows the storyline for at least one film, but it’s unclear if it will be part of a trilogy or standalone.

Back in April, fans of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy got the surprise of a lifetime when it was announced that Daisy Ridley would be reprising her role as Rey in a brand-new film set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub for The Marsh King’s Daughter, out on digital today, Ridley talked about her surprise appearance at Star Wars Celebration and how she already knows the plot of the film—which is not what she expected.

As she told Weintraub, the announcement of a new film was news even prior to her appearance at Star Wars Celebration. Ridley recalls that when she spoke to Collider at Sundance Film Festival for her film Sometimes I Think About Dying, she still hadn’t been approached to reprise her role as the scavenger-turned-Jedi:

“I will tell you, Steve, when I saw you in Park City, I had not been approached. I was asked some, not by you, but I was asked something when I was there and strangely, people were asking me stuff and I was like, “No, I’m not doing another one.” Then it all happened after I came back. It was such a nice reception. I was shitting myself before I went on stage, because no one knew I was going to that. No one knew I was going to Celebration, bar like Kathy [Kennedy] and there were a couple of people. I was so nervous. Oh my God. It was such a wonderful reception. I’m very excited. The story is really cool. 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.“

What Is Daisy Ridley’s ‘Star Wars’ Movie About?

As excited as fans are to see her return, there is also the question of whether Ridley is returning for just one outing as Rey, or if the new film could herald Star Wars’ return to its trilogy roots. When Weintraub asked Ridley if her return to the galaxy far, far away would be the start of a new trilogy of films—and whether she already knew what Rey’s story would be—she didn’t say whether it would be a trilogy or not, but her answer still offered some hope that this could be the start of more stories in this era. In Ridley’s own words:

“I know the storyline for one film. That’s not to say that that’s all it is, but that’s what I was told about. And I imagine it will be the next film, I think. I mean, again, I don’t know, post strikes and everything, how quickly everything will start up again. But yes, so far, I know the story of one film and I think people will be very excited.”

With no release date announced for the film, and with production still not underway, fans hoping to catch Ridley onscreen can do so now in her latest movie, The Marsh King’s Daughter. Based on the book by Karen Dionne, The Marsh King’s Daughter follows Helena (Ridley), the daughter of the titular “marsh king” Jacob Holbrook (Ben Mendelsohn), who years after escaping his captivity, is still haunted by the ghosts of her past.

The Marsh King’s Daughter is out on digital today. Look for our full interview with Daisy Ridley soon.

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