James Mangold is taking the phrase, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” quite literally. Mangold’s Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi will be a prequel movie set thousands of years before the Skywalker Saga. Mangold, who will direct Dawn of the Jedi, is excited to tell a new story with his co-writer, Beau Willimon.

Director James Mangold wanted to set his Star Wars movie thousands of years before the existing films because he didn't want to be "handcuffed by so much lore". The A Complete Unknown filmmaker is set to co-write and direct Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi,

As James Mangold makes his mark on a galaxy far, far away with his upcoming Star Wars installment, he’s emphasizing the “long time ago” part of the setting. The 4x Oscar winner, who is set to co-write and direct Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi,

Beau and I, in relation to Star Wars, have been working on a script, and we'll see what happens [...] Again, it’s just a matter of, do we find a way on the page to say something original? The Star Wars movie would be taking place 25,

James Mangold, who just picked up a Directors Guild of America nomination for “A Complete Unknown,” recently told MovieWeb that his upcoming “Star Wars” movie is deliberately set thousands of years before any other movie in the long-running franchise so that he doesn’t have to deal with the canon and can thus avoid angering fans.

The thing James Mangold finds most appealing about his Dawn of the Jedi movie may also allow the film to chart a bold new future for Star Wars.