For the past handful of years, the Star Wars franchise has been absent from movie theaters, but Lucasfilm is getting the pieces in place for its next film slate. The studio kicked off Star Wars Celebration Japan with a panel billed as a showcase for next year’s The Mandalorian & Grogu, though it ended up being a tease for Star Wars’ upcoming future on the big screen. While much attention was given to 2027’s Star Wars: Starfighter, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed a full slate of Star Wars movies in active development. Projects from James Mangold, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Taika Waititi, and a trilogy from Simon Kinberg are in the works. Dave Filoni’s New Republic movie is also still happening, but he is tackling Ahsoka Season 2 first.
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Specific details on these films were not shared, but various reports over the years have shed light on what’s in store. Mangold is helming a movie about the origins of the Jedi, Obaid-Chinoy is directing the Rey/New Jedi Order film. Filoni’s movie is billed as a culmination of New Republic era storylines that have unfolded on TV shows like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. The stories for Waititi and Kinberg’s films remain mysteries. None of these projects received release dates at Celebration.
Back in February, Kennedy shared updates on some of these films. She revealed Mangold had to pause Dawn of the Jedi while he made the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. With that film out of the way, he’s busy working on his Star Wars script now. Waititi, who always seems to be juggling multiple commitments, has turned in a first act Kennedy loves, but that script isn’t finished either.
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As these projects round into shape, Star Wars will be returning to theaters over the next couple of years. May 2026 sees the premiere of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu, while Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter (starring Ryan Gosling) debuts the following May. The plan is for Starfighter to begin production at some point this fall.
One of the big takeaways here is that Obaid-Chinoy and Kinberg’s projects are separate entities. At one point, it was believed that both could be about Rey and Lucasfilm would have to choose one or the other. In November 2024, the studio was said to be considering “several movies” featuring Rey, with Kinberg’s trilogy and Obaid-Chinoy’s standalone film listed as possibilities. It would appear those movies are no longer in conflict with each other. Perhaps Kinberg ironed out a fresh concept that didn’t need Rey, or maybe Obaid-Chinoy’s film helps set the stage for Kinberg’s trilogy. Another interesting nugget is Waititi’s movie is still on the table. Thanks to mixed receptions to Thor: Love and Thunder and Next Goal Wins, the director isn’t as acclaimed as he was when his Star Wars film was first announced back in 2020. But with hits like Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit under his belt (not to mention, the Mandalorian Season 1 finale), he’s still earned the benefit of the doubt that he can deliver an entertaining and emotional Star Wars movie.
Over the years, Lucasfilm has become rather infamous for announcing projects that never came to fruition. Even ones officially confirmed in press releases (see: Rian Johnson’s trilogy) didn’t move forward for one reason or another. It will be fascinating to see which of these films actually happen, but Lucasfilm seems to be making strides to get its film slate back on track. Hopefully, all of these projects cross the finish line. Disney+ has been a great outlet for Lucasfilm to explore various corners of the Star Wars galaxy, but the franchise is one of the most beloved film properties of all time for a reason. Star Wars spectacle belongs on the big screen.
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