Daisy Ridley’s career has exploded since she first signed on to star in Star Wars. She may have left the galaxy far, far away behind but, these days, she’s still keeping one foot firmly planted in the sci-fi genre. The Rey actress has signed on to a futuristic new film that will see her tackle some wild themes.
It’s been nearly two years since the actress’ last appearance in the George Lucas-birthed franchise. Since The Rise of Skywalker, she’s stayed busy both working on new projects and navigating rumors about her potential next career steps. As Deadline reports, though, she’s about to return to sci-fi in Mind Fall.
Described by the trade as a “futuristic thriller,” the new film centers on Daisy Ridley’s Ardis Varnado, who makes a living trafficking memory implants on the black market. These “mems” are extracted and implanted via illegal technology, and they bind to the subconscious, making it difficult for a person to distinguish between their own memories and someone else’s. Ardis is addicted to the “mems” she sells and finds herself on the streets of a near-future London fighting to clear her own name when one of her clients is murdered.
Mind Fall’s premise is decidedly dark — it sounds like a mix of Memento and Blade Runner. It’s not that Star Wars didn’t have its share of psychologically thrilling moments, especially where Rey was concerned. Still, the role sounds like it will give her a chance to show off new sides of herself that we haven’t seen before.
Daisy Ridley took on a few roles in between her filming duties in the galaxy far, far away, including Murder On the Orient Express and Ophelia. She also voiced characters in the films Only Yesterday and Peter Rabbit as well as the video games The Dawn of Art, 12 Minutes and Baby Yaga. After Disney’s sequel trilogy wrapped, though, she was honest about the challenges she faced moving forward in her career. In addition to having to deal with the end of a huge moment in her life, she also admitted she was having trouble booking new roles, despite her global fame.
She has managed to forge a new path for herself in Hollywood despite the hurdles, though. She most recently appeared in the dystopian action film Chaos Walking alongside Tom Holland. She also completed work on The Marsh King’s Daughter. That’s all in addition to being embroiled in rumors that she could appear as Spider-Woman in a future Marvel film — or even reprise her role as Rey. Whether either of those opportunities ever materialize, it’s clear the actress is willing to take big risks when it comes to her career moves.
The screenplay for Mind Fall was written by The Imitation Game’s Graham Moore and La Haine’s Mathieu Kassovitz is set to direct for Studio 8.