Daisy Ridley denies wanting to leave Star Wars movies

Daisy Ridley has denied reports that she wants to give up the role of Rey at the end of the current series.

Daisy will be in the latest movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi and is due to be in the ninth episode.

"When I did sign up, I did sign up for three films and that's where I sort of saw the story ending," she said.

"I think everyone has perhaps taken that as me going, 'I don't want anything to do with it' which is vastly untrue because this is awesome."

Daisy said it was meaningful that Rey features as the leading female role in a film produced by a major firm, Walt Disney Studios.

She also hailed director JJ Abrams who introduced Rey in the first instalment of the new era, The Force Awakens.

Earlier this year, it was announced that JJ would return to direct Star Wars: Episode IX which is expected to be released December 2019.

"JJ has always put brilliant females in his things," Ridley said. "So I think it was wonderful and then the fact it came from a big studio says a lot too, and I think there's a big change already.

"Obviously there's still a long way to go."

According to research by the Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film, women account for just 29% of lead solo roles and 37% of major roles in the top 100 grossing Hollywood films of last year.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will debut in cinemas on the 15 December.

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