Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the acclaimed Pakistani filmmaker who won Oscars for her documentary shorts Saving Face and A Girl in the River, has been chosen by Lucasfilm to direct a new Star Wars film. This marks a milestone for the franchise as Obaid-Chinoy will be the first woman and the first person of colour to direct a Star Wars movie. The film is currently in the scripting stage, and it will be set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, with Daisy Ridley reprising her role as Rey as she builds a new Jedi Order. Steven Knight of Peaky Blinders is penning the script and Obaid-Chinoy will co-write it with Damon Lindelof. Upon learning about the news, Priyanka Chopra, the global star and friend of Obaid-Chinoy took to her Instagram Stories to express her congratulations. Chopra highlighted the significance of Obaid-Chinoy’s achievement as the first person of colour and first woman to direct a Star Wars film. Many Pakistani celebrities also took to social media to share their heartfelt wishes, including Mehwish Hayat, Mahira Khan, Wajahat Rauf and Adnan Malik. In a statement, Obaid-Chinoy expressed her attraction to the stories of underdogs who triumph against all odds, which is the heart of Star Wars. She also emphasised that the blueprints of the stories we see on screen should be rooted in reality and the world needs more of these stories. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced that three new live-action Star Wars films are on the way, with Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold and Dave Filoni attached as directors. Obaid-Chinoy’s upcoming Star Wars film will be the first major big-screen release for the entertainment company since 2019’s Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, with the studio having shifted its focus to TV projects such as The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor in recent years. The project will undoubtedly attract a significant amount of attention and anticipation from fans worldwide, as they look forward to seeing the magic that Obaid-Chinoy will bring to the Star Wars franchise.