David Fincher’s Star Wars movie died for one surprising reason

David Fincher was in talks to direct a Star Wars movie set after The Rise of Skywalker, but development stopped over one thing Lucasfilm wouldn’t agree to.

It’s fair to say that following the end of the sequel trilogy, Star Wars’ future on the big screen has felt adrift in a sea of directorial announcements, script delays, rumors, and cancelations. Daisy Ridley was meant to return in a film from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy about Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order, but it is reportedly on hold.

However, the galaxy, far, far away has flourished on Disney+ thanks to shows like The Mandalorian, Andor, and Ahsoka. And Lucasfilm is banking on everyone’s favorite little green mischief maker to bring in a big payday when The Mandalorian & Grogu arrives in theaters in May 2026.

But a new report claims that Fincher’s mystery Star Wars movie died during negotiations because he had one major request.

David Fincher wanted final cut on his mystery Star Wars movie

Notable scooper Jeff Sneider reported that Fincher wanted to have the final cut on his mystery Star Wars movie, and negotiations fell through because Lucasfilm wouldn’t agree to that clause.

Given how much money a blockbuster like Star Wars takes to make, studios are a little more precious over final cut because they need to it to be as financially successful as possible.

The film would’ve followed a sequel-era character after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, but it’s not clear who that would’ve been or what the plot was. It’s also entirely separate to the recent news that Adam Driver and Steven Soderbergh tried to get a movie titled The Hunt for Ben Solo off the ground, before Disney CEO Bob Iger shot it down.

Lucasfilm and Disney are clearly conscious that it has been over six years since Star Wars was last in theaters, and after The Mandalorian and Grogu, the next movie will be Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, which stars Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams, Matt Smith, and Mia Goth.

That movie’s plot is under wraps but it is also set after The Rise of Skywalker. All of this suggests the companies are keen to push forward into a new era of the franchise.