With several Star Wars projects currently in the pipeline, Disney has been on a mission to sign on some of the best minds in the film and television industry to assist with the growth of the franchise. According to a previous report by The Hollywood Reporter, one of the company's major recruits is director J.D. Dillard, the creative mind behind the 2016 film Sleight. He had reportedly been approached by the company to take on a rumored Star Wars 'Exegol project', which could very well be in the works at the moment.
Exegol, the Sith planet, was first revealed in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The mysterious world lies in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy and is a place where evil forces are so overwhelming even Emperor Palpatine was able to return. The film featured a cavernous Sith temple where the ultimate showdown between Palpatine and Rey occurred, and that was really the only part of Exegol that audiences were able to see. Other scenes of the planet seemed to portray it as a vast, barren wasteland; however, there could be much more to it than meets the eye.
Unlike earlier Star Wars films which had focused more on the Jedi and the light side of the Force, the 'Exegol project' could give fans a much closer look into the Sith and the dark side of the Force, further adding to the lore of the franchise. One theory posits that the film could be an origin story for the First Order, which had previously established a base on Exegol before they rose to power.
Such a concept would mean pivotal roles for the characters like Gallius Rax and General Rae Sloane, who were both involved in leading Imperial forces to Exegol. When Darth Sidious died, the Contingency plan he devised for rebuilding the Galactic Empire was left for Rax to carry out. Later on, Rax would end up dying at the hands of Sloane during the Battle of Jakku, but he would ultimately convince her to still follow through with the Contingency. Sloane eventually did so, fleeing to the Unknown Regions to regroup with the remaining Imperialists and begin the movement which would eventually give rise to the First Order.
The lore behind Rax and Sloane's mission to rebuild the Empire and resurrect Palpatine has not been fully explored in the films yet, so that could be a compelling storyline for Dillard's project. That said, neither Disney nor Lucasfilm have confirmed any details regarding the project, so as far as we know, the story could just be set in Exegol and nothing more.
Disney purchased Lucasfilm back in 2012 and went on to produce a number of Star Wars films, including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (which was a non-trilogy film like the 'Exegol project' would likely be). The film garnered positive reviews from even diehard fans and went on to earn a staggering $1.055 billion at the box office worldwide.
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