Fact Check: Was the ‘Star Wars Rey’ movie director fired? Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's claim explored 

Recently, a claim arose on the internet that Canadian-Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was fired as the director of the upcoming and untitled Star Wars movie, which will be centered around the character Rey, played by Daisy Ridley.

The claim first arose when YouTuber Mike Zeroh stated that both Disney and Lucasfilm decided to “fire and remove” Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy as the director “in the wake of the Rey movie backlash.”

The backlash refers to Obaid-Chinoy’s statement that she likes to “make men feel uncomfortable,” which recently garnered enough traction online. However, the quote can be traced back to eight years, when she said it while addressing her movies on social issues like honor killings and acid attacks on young girls being prevalent in Pakistan.

Therefore, the speculation that the two-time Oscar winner’s statement was recent and about the upcoming Star Wars film is false. Moreover, there has been no confirmation from Disney or Lucasfilm regarding Obaid-Chinoy's firing.

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Exploring the latest ‘Star Wars’ controversy surrounding Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

In the 9-minute 13-second video titled “WOKE REY DIRECTOR FIRED BY DISNEY! THE TRUE STORY GETS WORSE After Fan Backlash! STAR WARS Is Dead,” Mike Zeroh alleged that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was laid off from the Rey Star Wars movie as well as other projects by the two concerned production houses, Disney and Lucasfilm.

He based his claim upon the latest backlash Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has been facing for saying how she likes to make men feel uncomfortable. While the Terror’s Children creator did say the same, unlike popular belief, it was not about the upcoming Star Wars Rey saga but rather about social injustices that took place in Pakistan nearly a decade back.

During an appearance on the annual summit Women in the World in April 2015 alongside Meryl Streep and Ava DuVernay, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was asked by the host, Jon Stewart:

“As an activist and an artist, do you make that calculation? Who is my target?”

Stewart further enquired whether Sharmeen intended to make women feel empowered or to simply tag men as “assh*les” while making her films and documentaries centered on the violence women face in Pakistan. As Obaid-Chinoy laughed at Stewart’s question, the latter continued by asking her:

“What is the balance of activating a force for change, but also trying to permeate that patriarchy, that power structure? And is that a part of the calculation for your art as well, and what’s been the reaction to that?”

That's when Sharmeen took over and replied that she indeed likes to make men uncomfortable and even “enjoy” the process, while jokingly addressing Jon Stewart and saying, “Not you!”

“You know, it is important to be able to look into the eyes of a man and say, ‘I am here’ and recognize that. Recognize that I am working to bring something that makes you uncomfortable and it should make you uncomfortable because you need to change your attitude,” Obaid-Chinoy explained.

She added that change is only possible when men actually feel uncomfortable and shifty and are ready to participate in difficult conversations and question whether or not they like their reflection when they look into a mirror.

Sharmeen pointed out that’s the only way men would identify their problem areas, the way they think, act, or address the issue surrounding the abuse and subjugation of women worldwide.

In the wake of this, it is important to note that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s above statements were taken eight years out of context and had no relation whatsoever to her Star Wars venture, and the alleged news of her being removed as its maker is unfounded.

However, she told Variety and CNN recently that it was time: “We’re in 2024 now, and it’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away,” hinting how the character of Rey will lead the upcoming Star Wars film from the front, while it was she who would direct the film.

In this context, the rumor that the Rey Star Wars film has also been indefinitely delayed has also turned out to be false. For instance, Lucasfilm told Gizmodo that the film was in pre-production and the studio was eagerly awaiting screenwriter Steven Knight to submit the final draft. Likewise, Daisy Ridley told Allocine how excited she was about the film.

Notably, 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker was the last Star Wars film released, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s project was expected to be the next, announced during Star Wars Celebration 2023. However, Lucasfilm fired Damon Lindelof as the screenwriter and replaced him with Knight, which has now set its new release date to May 2026.

Moreover, according to The Direct, Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu is now being deemed the first Star Wars release post-pandemic, not the untitled Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy one, who is set to be the first female director and also the first director of color to ever make a Star Wars movie.