Star Wars Celebration Japan is underway, and during The Mandalorian and Grogu panel it was confirmed that Ryan Gosling will be starring in Shawn Levy’s Star Wars film. Not only that, we actually got a title and date, with Star Wars: Starfighter set to hit theaters on May 28, 2027.
The movie will be set five years after The Rise of Skywalker and the events of the Battle of Exegol, but Levy said that the film is not a prequel or a sequel, but a brand new standalone adventure with brand new characters. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy had previously mentioned both the timeline and this being a standalone project, but also left the door open for some familiar characters to appear.
Gosling was also on hand at Celebration to talk about the movie and his love for Star Wars. He praised the script, and they also showed a photo that his mother sent of his childhood bedroom and his Star Wars bedsheets. It had previously been reported that Gosling was in talks to star in the film, and that his casting was fast-tracking the project. That is certainly the case, as Starfighter will go into production this fall. As Levy made sure to emphasize at Celebration, the film is no longer just “in development” – they’re in pre-production, with filming starting later this year.
This means that there will be a Star Wars movie releasing in back-to-back years in May, which is a bit surprising given that Disney is also releasing an Avengers film both years in the same month. But it does make sense for Star Wars to target a Memorial Day Weekend release in 2027, since it will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the franchise. A New Hope released on May 25, 1977, so Starfighter will release on May 28, 2027 – almost five decades to the day.
At the panel, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni also confirmed that, in addition to The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter, the previously announced movies from James Mangold (the beginnings of the Jedi), Dave Filoni (a culmination of The Mandalorian storyline), Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (starring Daisy Ridley’s return as Rey), and Taika Waititi are still in development, as is the previously reported trilogy from Simon Kinberg. Not much information was given about these projects, but they were confirmed to still be in the works.
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