Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to include story credit by ousted Colin Trevorrow

Star Wars is closing out its iconic Skywalker saga, and, like many things behind the scenes in this final trilogy, there’s been some shuffling around about who did what. Directors have been replaced. Writers have had drafts scrapped or rewritten. Even standalone Solo had some directorial drama, as Phil Lord and Chris Miller were replaced by Ron Howard. Now, some clarity has been granted as far as who created the final The Rise of Skywalker product, courtesy of the Writers Guild of America.

So who wrote the script for the final film in the main Star Wars series? Well, like most movies, it’s complicated. To hear it from writer/director J.J. Abrams (returning from his post-The Force Awakens break), he started from scratch. But, of course, George Lucas is getting a credit for the characters he created back in 1977. And Abrams wrote the screenplay with Chris Terrio (Justice League). But two people that Star Wars fans may have counted out are also getting a credit. 

Via a spokesperson, the WGA confirms to SYFY WIRE that The Rise of Skywalker will boast a “Story by Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow and Chris Terrio & J. J. Abrams” credit. Meaning the guild determined that enough from Trevorrow and Connolly’s early work on the film (before the Jurassic World helmer was removed in favor of Abrams) made it into the shooting script.

That’s news to most Star Wars fans, who until now have been working under the impression that Abrams would be, as the writer/director himself said, “starting over.” However, it looks like something from Trevorrow and Connolly’s version made it into the final product. Yet, with all the mystery still afoot about the actual plot, it's hard to know what was included and what was a source of creative differences.

Perhaps we'll have more of an idea (or perhaps not) when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on Dec. 20.