The Mandalorian & Grogu ends the prolonged Star Wars movie hiatus when it opens in theaters next summer, but Star Wars: Starfighter might be the franchise’s most intriguing big-screen project. Directed by Shawn Levy, Starfighter tells an original story and boasts a star-studded cast that includes the likes of Oscar nominees Ryan Gosling and Amy Adams. With Lucasfilm looking to implement a new Star Wars movie strategy moving forward, Starfighter takes on a great deal of importance for the studio’s future plans. For his part, Levy is doing everything he can to ensure his film will be a memorable experience, and that includes working with a great cinematographer to put a fresh spin on action.
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Speaking with Collider, Levy praised the work of Star Wars: Starfighter director of photography Claudio Miranda, who previously collaborated with Joseph Kosinski on blockbuster hits Top Gun: Maverick and F1. “He likes to design camera platforms that don’t exist. He likes to think about lenses and format in ways that are innovative. And so the rigor of his innovative thinking is a huge gift to a Star Wars movie that wants to break some new ground visually and be a visceral kinetic ride, which is the other thing he brings,” Levy said. “Claudio, in both Top Gun: Maverick and F1 showed this. His sense of how to put people in the action in a visceral way, not just in an observational way, but a subjective and participatory way, in that cockpit, in that driver’s seat. He does it like no one else does it, and I wanted that superpower for Starfighter.”
What Shawn Levy’s Comments Mean for Star Wars: Starfighter
Dating back to the Death Star trench run in Star Wars: A New Hope, thrilling action has been a staple of the franchise. It sounds like Starfighter could bring about the next stage of evolution on that front. Top Gun: Maverick and F1 were renowned for their immersive set pieces that found unique ways to put audiences right in the middle of the action. For both productions, there was an emphasis on doing as much practically as possible, adding a tangible element to the already impressive spectacle. We’ve already seen that Levy is shooting on real locations for Starfighter, so recruiting Miranda is part of his larger vision for the project.
Starfighter plot details are being kept under wraps for the time being, but considering the title, it stands reason to believe that there could be a space battle or two. Seeing a Star Wars aerial dog fight in the style of Top Gun: Maverick is an exciting proposition; it would be Levy’s way of elevating an established franchise trope to the next level. Rather than look to replicate the classic aesthetic, he’s looking for ways to do things a little differently — giving today’s audiences the same invigorating rush that the trench run did back then. Miranda could also bring his expertise from F1 to depict a speeder chase.
Based on Miranda’s track record, Star Wars: Starfighter will sport visuals that demand to be seen on the biggest of screens, which is a welcome development. After the first trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu was released earlier this year, one critique people had was that it did not feel as “cinematic” as previous Star Wars movies. The sentiment was it felt closer to feeling like an extended episode of The Mandalorian as opposed to a summer tentpole. The Mandalorian & Grogu should still feature plenty of great action in its own right, but it sounds like Starfighter could be a step up in that department. Sadly, it’ll be a long time before we see some Starfighter footage (the film doesn’t come out until 2027), but when that first preview arrives, there will be a lot of attention paid to the look of the movie.
Having been around for nearly 50 years, Star Wars needs to keep evolving to remain one of the industry’s premier film franchises. Starfighter is looking to accomplish that, and not just in the storytelling. While it’s important for Star Wars to continue to find new narrative ground to cover, it’s also great to see the franchise look to push itself forward in terms of filmmaking craft. George Lucas used Star Wars as a way to push technology forward and innovate the medium with methods still used today. The next generation of Star Wars directors need to continue that legacy.
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