Filmmaker J.D. Dillard recently announced that his upcoming Star Wars project is no longer being developed at Lucasfilm. The movie would’ve been the most significant film for the director in his career so far. Dillard is known for his work on Sleight, the 2016 movie, following a young street magician who turns to illegal tricks after his parents’ passing. The movie received mixed reviews, though it made $4 million at the box office against a $250,000 budget.

Dillard spoke with TheWrap, sharing the unfortunate news surrounding his movie in a galaxy far, far away. He claimed the project was “unfortunately no longer a thing,” though it was “not for lack of trying.” It wouldn’t have been the first time Dillard was near a major Star Wars film, as the director got his start working with J.J. Abrams on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. However, the filmmaker says his love and inspiration for the world created by George Lucas do not stem from the initial movies.

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Although his Star Wars movie is off the table, Dillard tells TheWrap he would love to make a space movie in the future. However, this time “it will be an original idea.”

“My dad being an aviator, we had a bunch of flight simulators, [including] TIE Fighter. I’m playing this game for months. And my dad’s flying it with me. And I’m like, ‘Man, this game is just so cool.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, you know, this game comes from a series of movies.’ And I was like, ‘You’re kidding me.’ That is where I watched ‘Star Wars’ for the first time and realized the full scope of what it meant to world build because I’d been playing the pseudo-16-bit game.”

J.D. Dillard is Preparing to Take Flight With a Big Release

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No, it’s not Star Wars, but J.D. Dillard is still preparing for the biggest release of his career with Devotion. The film follows a pair of U.S. Navy fighter pilots who risk their lives during the Korean War, becoming some of the Navy’s most celebrated wingmen. Dillard is looking for a big turnout when Devotion releases, capitalizing on the success of Top Gun: Maverick earlier this summer.

Glen Powell stars in the film, returning to the battlefield after starring alongside Tom Cruise in the Top Gun sequel. Jonathan Majors will join Powell in his duties, with the pair playing Tom Hudner and Jesse Brown, respectively. Brown was the first African-American aviator for the U.S. Navy. The budget for Devotion is roughly $90 million, meaning Dillard and the studio will be looking for a big return on their investment following the release.

Devotion arrives in theaters later this month, premiering on Nov. 23.