Scottish screenwriter to pen new Star Wars film

A Glasgow screenwriter has been chosen to co-script the next Star Wars film.

Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who received an Oscar nomination for her work on war epic 1917, will co-write the new film’s screenplay with Taika Waititi.

Waititi will also direct the film, fresh from winning an Oscar for adapting the screenplay of the anti-hate satire Jojo Rabbit.

While the film will be a theatrical relese, it is unclear whether it will be one of the already announced Star Wars films for 2022, 2024 or 2026.

Wilson-Cairns welcomed the announcement by posting on Twitter: “Look Mum, I’m writing on a Star Wars.”

The news was announced today – a date known to fans as Star Wars Day because of its similarity to the popular saying “May the force be with you”.

It was also announced that Russian Doll showrunner Leslye Headland is developing a new untitled Star Wars series for Disney+.

She will write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner for the series, which will join the catalogue of Star Wars spin-off on the platform, including The Mandalorian, another based on Cassian Andor’s life prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and another following the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope.

Krysty Wilson-Cairns attending the 73rd British Academy Film Awards held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Picture: Matt Crossick/PA Wire

Release dates for both projects have not yet been announced.

Wilson-Cairns, who got her first break in the industry after talking her way onto the set of Taggart, came to global attention after joining forces with Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes to write 1917.

Charting the story of two young British soldiers tasked with crossing into enemy territory to deliver a message that could save the lives of 1,600 of their comrades, it also won the best director honour for Mendes at the ceremony in Los Angeles.

A huge set was built at a dockyard in the Govan area of Glasgow – where Wilson-Cairns’ grandfather had previously worked – for extensive location filming on 1917, which featured Sunshine on Leith star George MacKay in one of the lead roles, starring alongside Dean-Charles Chapman.