While she has proven to be a controversial choice as the Star Wars: New Jedi Order director, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is still excited about having the chance to direct a Star Wars movie. Obaid-Chinoy is best known as a documentary director and producer and has previously worked on A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, Freedom Fighters, and Assimilation No, Integration Yes. Surprisingly, she agreed to direct New Jedi Order, which will serve as Rey’s reintroduction to the Lucasfilm universe, and mark the franchise’s first movie to be directed by a woman of color.

Though Disney is ready to welcome Obaid-Chinoy to the universe, her assignment has been controversial. There has been immense online backlash, and it has been so extensive that she was asked to respond to the anger in an interview with Variety. Obaid-Chinoy understands why there is so much controversy, and she explains that it only makes the experience more rewarding. Still, she is going to ignore many of “those voices” until after the movie is released. Check out her full quote below:

The greatest thing about ‘Star Wars’ is that everyone has a personal connection to it. Everyone is passionate about it. And throughout the fandom, people have clear ideas about who should direct or what the stories should be about. I’m just drowning out those voices until I’m done. As a storyteller, I’m focused on drawing new moviegoers into the cinema, and bringing a sense of nostalgia that will appeal to older fans of the series.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Has Proved A Controversial Choice For Star Wars

Obaid-Chinoy Is Generally Known For Documentary Work

There are several reasons behind the backlash that has been plaguing Obaid-Chinoy. The most legitimate complaint is that the director has little experience with non-documentary filmmaking. She has directed only five fiction projects, which include the 3 Bahadur trilogy, Sitara: Let Girls Dream, and two episodes of Ms. Marvel. Most of her work has involved directing and producing documentaries, which tackle extremely serious real-world topics, including climate change, the global slave trade, and terrorism. She won two Academy Awards for her work, winning for Best Documentary Short Film and Best Documentary Short Subject.

Being a documentary filmmaker does not make her ineligible to direct a Star Wars movie, however. Obaid-Chinoy’s experience with Ms. Marvel proves that she is capable of leading a popular franchise, especially where it relates to bright and excitable young protagonists. New Jedi Order‘s story will presumably see Rey attempting to lead a new version of the Jedi Order, and the movie undoubtedly features some of the serious topics that Obaid-Chinoy regularly tackles. Slavery is a regular theme in Star Wars, as is freedom fighting, and her experience dealing with these subjects could benefit her immensely.

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The most common complaint, however, relates to comments that Obaid-Chinoy supposedly made when her selection was first announced. There are regular claims that the goal of her movie is to “make men uncomfortable“, which drew ire from a fanbase filled with many men. This claim does not have much standing, as Obaid-Chinoy never actually claimed that about Star Wars, but was actually a decade-old quote about a documentary about acid attacks in Pakistan. With the Lucasfilm franchise, she has repeatedly stated that she plans to make Star Wars: New Jedi Order a nostalgic and fulfilling experience for all viewers.

Source: Variety

Star Wars: New Jedi Order

The tenth mainline installment in the Star Wars franchise is the first movie to follow the sequel trilogy, where Mark Hamill’s Luke, Carrie Fisher’s Leia, and Harrison Ford’s Han Solo gave their final farewell. After the release of The Rise of Skywalker, development on a direct sequel had become dormant as Disney shifted focus on other parts of the galaxy, namely, Disney+ shows such as The Mandalorian, Andor, and Ahsoka. However, a movie starring Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker was officially announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023.

Director

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Writers

Steven Knight

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