Gareth Edwards is finally getting ready to return to the director's chair. Edwards, who last helmed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, hasn't directed a movie in the three years since his entry in a galaxy far, far away hit theaters. Given that his last two movies were major hits at the box office, it seemed a bit peculiar. In any event, the filmmaker is heading back to the world of sci-fi for a new, original project that he's cooked up.

According to a new report, New Regency has signed on to produce and finance Gareth Edwards' latest. The movie doesn't have a title yet, but it is written by Edwards as well from an original concept. Details are very scarce, but it's said to be a sci-fi tale set in the near future. This would mirror his first movie, Monsters. Casting is said to be underway already and, if all goes well, the plan is to begin production this summer. So things seem to be coming together rather quickly behind the scenes on this one.

So what took so long for Gareth Edwards to get back in the saddle? One would think that after directing a highly successful Star Wars movie that grossed more than $1 billion at the box office, opportunities would have been abundant. It's said that Edwards was developing several projects, but was cautious about committing to his next cinematic endeavor, as he wanted to make sure it was the right fit. What we do know is that Rogue One had extensive reshoots and Tony Gilroy was brought in to oversee them, with many reports suggesting he essentially became the director.

It's said that New Regency eagerly jumped on the project once Gareth Edwards began shopping it around. It's not clear what type of budget commitment they will be making. Edwards' first movie, Monsters, released in 2010, was made on a shoestring budget and found quite a bit of critical praise, with many impressed by how much he was able to accomplish with so little. That earned him a much larger gig directing 2014's Godzilla, which launched Legendary Pictures' so-called MonsterVerse and grossed $524 million worldwide. Edwards did not return for last year's sequel, Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

That's because Lucasfilm scooped him up and the filmmaker was brought on board to helm Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which served as the first ever live-action Star Wars standalone feature. Despite a somewhat troubled production, it was met with high praise, generally speaking, and was a huge hit at the box office. For many, it is arguably the best of the Disney era entries in the franchise. While it certainly seems feasible that Edwards could have hopped onto another franchise after the fact, there is undoubtedly less pressure, or at least a different kind of pressure, in delivering something original that isn't burdened by great expectations. We'll be sure to keep you posted as further details on the project are made available. This news comes to us via Vareity.