New writer/director duo tapped to develop 'Star Wars' film or TV project

star wars millenium falcon
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

Director J.D. Dillard (Sleight) and screenwriter Matt Owens ("The Defenders," "Luke Cage," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") are developing a "Star Wars" project for Lucasfilm, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Hollywood trade said that it's being developed in such a way that it could be adapted for a film or as a series for Disney Plus.

Dillard directed the 2016 horror film "Sleight," and followed that up in 2019 with "Sweetheart." He recently directed an episode of the upcoming Amazon series "Utopia," and is in pre-production on the Korean war film "Devotion."

Related: Baby Yoda 'Star Wars' toys launch unstoppable campaign of cuteness

Owens served as a writer and story editor on Marvel Television's "The Defenders," "Luke Cage," and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and was hired as lead writer for Netflix's live-action "One Piece" adaptation.

THR does say specifically that although Owens has a connection to Marvel, this project is unrelated to Marvel Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige's "Star Wars" film, as well as "The Last Jedi" writer/director Rian Johnson's promised trilogy.

Originally published on Newsarama.

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Chris Arrant
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Newsarama Senior Editor Chris Arrant has covered comic book news for Space.com sister site Newsarama since 2003, and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News and CBR. He is the author of the book "Modern Masters: Cliff Chiang," co-authored "Art of Spider-Man Classic," and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology "Pros and (Comic) Cons." He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)