There are major film franchises, and then there's the Star Wars movies. George Lucas' galaxy (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) continues to expand thanks to upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows. The franchise has been missing from the big screen since the end of The Rise of Skywalker, but that'll change thanks to a few forthcoming films. Chief among them is Shawn Levy's Starfighter, and his latest comments about the project are exciting (and I hope will extend to other movies).
Star Wars: Starfighter started filming back in June, and fans are eager for any information about what's to come. While Lucasfilm is keeping its cards close to the chest, Levy spoke to EW about his work on the project, teasing:
It is surreal and awesome every day walking onto this set, to have made up a new and original Star Wars story that is neither a sequel nor a prequel to anything. I have deep respect and love for this historic legacy, but a chance to do something fresh and original and to do it with Jonathan Tropper, the writer of The Adam Project, and with Gosling. Every day it's hard as hell, but it's dream-come-true territory every day.
It really sounds like Starfighter is a dream gig for Shawn Levy. He's seemingly able to put his own spin on the Star Wars franchise, without worrying about it being part of a larger trilogy. He doesn't have to do any set ups for the future, and can just tell a singular story. And I'm hoping that this isn't the exception to the property as a whole.
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm, it quickly started pumping out new content. In addition to Star Wars' sequel trilogy, a few standalone projects were also released: Rogue One and Solo. But after the latter failed to resonate with audiences, plans for more of these movies were put on pause. At least, until now.
Shawn Levy has had a ton of success with genre work, so he seems like the perfect person to bring back Star Wars standalone movies. Deadpool & Wolverine broke box office records, and his efforts on Stranger Things has also been acclaimed. He's got goodwill from audiences, and it should be fascinating to see what he does with the galaxy far, far away.
I personally loved both Rogue One and Solo, and appreciated being able to see a Star Wars movie with a more contained story. Solo's ending set up future stories, but they never actually came to fruition. We'll just have to see what Starfighter will bring to the table.
Star Wars: Starfighter is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 28, 2027. Since its not part of the 2026 movie release list, we'll have to be patient ahead of getting any footage or more information.
