A new Star Wars movie has been officially announced. Titled Star Wars: Starfighter, the upcoming film will star Ryan Gosling and be directed by Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine).
The confirmation came on stage during Star Wars Celebration Japan, where Lucasfilm revealed that the film will hit cinemas on May 28, 2027 — landing smack in the middle of Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. and firmly planting its flag as the next big-screen chapter in Disney’s ever-expanding Star Wars universe.
Levy and Gosling surprised fans in Tokyo by appearing in person to make the announcement, joining Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and chief creative officer Dave Filoni. The story is set five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and will introduce Gosling as a brand-new character — one that’s still under wraps, for now.
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“All the Heart and Action and Fun of Star Wars”
“This movie is a new adventure, it’s new characters, it takes place in a new period of time — after the Battle of Exegol, after Episode IX,” Levy said in an on-stage interview that followed (you can watch that in full below). “There’s so many opportunities to tell a Star Wars story that has all the heart and action and fun of Star Wars, but to do it in ways that are new and original.”
Acknowledging the scale of the franchise, Levy added, “You take on Star Wars, you take on something that’s this beloved. It’s intimidating… You’re scared, you’re nervous, you want to get it right. But we have a feeling that with this story, with this collaboration, we can get it right.”
Gosling, clearly thrilled to be stepping into the galaxy far, far away, said: “I was dreaming about Star Wars before I ever saw it. It’s always been there… I think it framed my idea of what a movie even was.”
He also praised the screenplay, written by Jonathan Tropper (whose credits include Levy-directed films The Adam Project and This Is Where I Leave You): “The script is just so good,” Gosling continued. “The story has so much adventure, so much heart, and original characters. It’s an opportunity to shine a light into a side of the universe that we may not have seen. And there’s just no one more perfect to do that than Shawn. Shawn is the best at that.”
“It’s a Big Galaxy Out There”
What sets Starfighter apart? According to Levy, the film is firmly outside the Skywalker saga — and that’s by design. “We’re fans too,” he said. “We’ve spent our lives in that audience, and we know how meaningful it is… But as Ryan said, it’s a big galaxy. And it feels like there’s an opportunity to do a movie that’s not a prequel, that’s not a sequel, and gives us the Star Wars DNA that we love — but with an adventure that’s all new.”
Star Wars: Starfighter joins a growing slate of Star Wars films in the works at Lucasfilm, which also includes upcoming titles from James Mangold, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Taika Waititi, and a trilogy from Simon Kinberg.
Production on Star Wars: Starfighter is set to begin this fall. That release date, again: May 28, 2027.
