Every Star Wars Project Confirmed or Rumored in Development
Confirmed: Rian Johnson Trilogy
Before writer/director Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi even hit theaters, Lucasfilm was so excited by what the filmmaker brought to the saga that they solidified plans to allow the filmmaker to head into uncharted waters with his new trilogy of films.
Lucasfilm's initial slate of sequels and standalone films all involved familiar characters or events, while also delivering audiences brand-new characters and creating fresh journeys. From the initial announcement of Johnson's films, fans knew that he would be telling a story that was almost completely disconnected from anything we found familiar with the franchise, other than his stories taking place in the same galaxy.
In the more than two years since this trilogy was announced, no official word has emerged on when the series will move forward, despite Johnson regularly confirming the project was still on the table and that it was up to Lucasfilm to determine where it would fit into their schedule.
Confirmed: Three Big-Screen Adventures
As recently as earlier this year, Disney had secured release dates for unannounced Star Wars films on December 16, 2022, December 20, 2024, and December 18, 2026.
Back in 2019, Game of Thrones co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were reportedly developing a series of films, the first of which would occupy that first release date. Since those talks, the pair have left Lucasfilm entirely, with no hints emerging about what film could potentially take any of those dates. In addition to no official update about those release dates being shared, the coronavirus pandemic has seen all movie and TV productions be put on an indefinite hold, leading fans to wonder not only what projects were intended to take those dates, but if any project could be completed in time, possibly forcing Disney to update its plans.
Confirmed: Kevin Feige Film
Dating back to the origins of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it has been clear that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige loves the Star Wars franchise, whether it be a tonal embrace of installments in that series or direct references to that franchise's mythology. Feige himself regularly professed his love for the series during interviews, so it would only make sense that, with Disney owning both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, Feige would dip his toe into the Star Wars series.
It's currently unknown what project Feige will be developing or what his involvement would be, whether he would direct, produce, write, or potentially just oversee the project, but with his immense success at crafting an interconnected universe at Marvel Studios, whatever Feige's influence might be with Lucasfilm will surely help ensure Star Wars' success going forward.
Confirmed: Taika Waititi Film
Taika Waititi pulled off the impossible by reviving the Thor franchise, which had become the outlier in the successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Thor: Ragnarok, leading to a directing gig on The Mandalorian. It's clear that the filmmaker has many more ideas on how to explore the galaxy far, far away, with Lucasfilm confirming that he would be directing an untitled movie from a script he will write with Krysty Wilson-Cairns.
While this news largely excited fans, some can't help but be apprehensive, knowing that Waititi has a penchant for blending action and adventure with self-referential humor, similar to the style of filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller. With that pair departing Solo: A Star Wars Story due to conflicts over the film's tone, the announcement of a Waititi film seems like it will inevitably lead to him departing the project, but having proven himself with both Ragnarok and The Mandalorian, as well as vocal frustrations from fans regarding Star Wars films over the last few years, likely means Waititi wouldn't have signed on without ensuring a set amount of creative control or without Lucasfilm being interested in supporting his ambition, even if it might deviate from their traditional narrative formula.
Confirmed: The Mandalorian Seasons Two and Three
Some would think that a live-action Star Wars series would be a risky endeavor, but as proven by The Mandalorian, the mythology of the franchise lends itself perfectly to episodic storytelling.
While the first six films were ultimately the vision of George Lucas, The Mandalorian is largely guided by creator Jon Favreau, though one of the keys to its success has been his enlistment of a diverse group of filmmakers to helm various episodes. That trend is set to continue with Season Two of the series, which is currently in post-production with a planned October debut, while Favreau has reportedly been writing Season Three for quite some time.
Confirmed: Cassian Andor Series
Ahead of the launch of The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm revealed that its next series would be a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story focusing on Cassian Andor and K-2SO, with Diego Luna and Alan Tudyk reprising their roles from the film.
Few updates have been given on the project, with one of the latest being that Luna claimed he was in London earlier this year working on the series. This isn't to say he was already shooting the project, but that it was at least gearing up to move forward. Additionally, word came earlier this year that Tony Gilroy, who helmed Rogue One's reshoots, was taking over showrunner duties on the series.
Confirmed: Obi-Wan Series
Since Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, fans have hoped to see Ewan McGregor return to the role of Obi-Wan, resulting in rumors swirling for years that a new project would actually move forward. At D23 Expo in August of 2019, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy brought McGregor on stage to announce that the Jedi Master would be getting his own TV series, set years after the events of Revenge of the Sith and before Star Wars: A New Hope.
In the months since that project was announced, it has undergone changes behind the scenes in regards to its writers and showrunner, leaving audiences to speculate when production could actually begin. Earlier this year, McGregor noted that the hope was to shoot early next year, though these comments were before the series changed its creative direction.
Confirmed: "Female-Centric" Series
Likely based on the risks vs. rewards of its feature-film output in recent years and Lucasfilm's success with The Mandalorian, it only makes sense that it would be more heavily investing in content that is exclusive to Disney+.
Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland is confirmed to be developing a series, which the studio claims is "female-centric." Other than that, no other details about the project have been released, though this announcement coming after those regarding a Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi series would lead us to believe that this project might not be moving forward until late 2021, if not later.
Rumored: Ahsoka Tano Series
Earlier this year, reports emerged that Ahsoka Tano was joining Season Two of The Mandalorian, played by Rosario Dawson. Neither Lucasfilm nor Dawson have confirmed these reports, though they have come from a number of reputable sources, with the studio likely wanting to reserve this surprise for as long as possible.
While most outlets are claiming that Tano will appear, some even claim that her appearance in the series is meant to serve as a backdoor pilot for a series focusing on the character. These reports emerged prior to the news that Leslye Headland would be developing a female-centric series, leading some fans to assume her project will be focusing on the fan-favorite character.
Rumored:J.D. Dillard Film
There's an old adage among Star Wars fans that you shouldn't believe anything until you read it on StarWars.com. This strategy sometimes proves accurate, as rumors and reports have been debunked by waiting for official updates from the studio, but a number of outlets confirmed earlier this year that Sleight and Sweetheart director J.D. Dillard was in talks to develop a project for the studio.
With no updates on those plans having emerged in recent months, it's unclear if those plans weren't as concrete as trade outlets had us believe, if those plans may have fizzled out behind the scenes, or if Dillard and Lucasfilm are keeping a tight lid on whatever those plans might be.
Rumored: Animated Project
Whether it be Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, or Star Wars Resistance, the franchise has a long legacy of delivering audiences animated adventures, so with the conclusion of Clone Wars, it leaves a large opening in animated storytelling, which has resulted in rumors emerging that other animated projects were on the way.
As compared to other rumored projects, a new animated series has the fewest reliable resources about what a new series would explore, as some rumors claim it could be a Star Wars Rebels sequel series while others think it could somehow be a continuation of Clone Wars. Currently, there are no new TV series or movies on the way until Season Two of Mandalorian this fall, leaving us to wonder if an animated series could debut in the coming months to hold fans over.
Rumored: 'Star Wars Detours'
The animated Star Wars Detours is a unique example of what could be in store for Lucasfilm, as the only rumor about it is whether or not it will ever be released.
Originally announced at Star Wars Celebration VI in 2012, Detours comes from the minds of the creators of Robot Chicken and offers audiences a more humorous take on Star Wars mythology. The acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney months later and the announcement of new films led to the series being put on hold indefinitely, as the studio didn't want young viewers' first exposure to the series being a humorous perspective.
What makes Detours so interesting is that, during a Reddit AMA, co-creator Seth Green confirmed that 39 episodes had been completed with more than 60 scripts having been finished.
While there have been no hints or teases that Detours will ever see the light of day, we can't help but wonder if the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga and series like Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures skewing towards much younger audiences debuting online could result in this comedic series being unveiled online as opposed to alongside its various other Disney+ offerings.
High Republic, Project Luminous, and More
2commentsA major initiative is coming from the publishing corner of Lucasfilm, with Project Luminous set to explore an era set hundreds of years before any other canonical Star Wars adventures. While it's possible that these stories will merely be offering fans captivating stories set in a fresh timeline, some fans can't help but wonder if Project Luminous is meant set the stage for new movies and TV series.
The passion surrounding Star Wars and breadth of its mythology means that, while only a handful of projects have been confirmed or rumored from reliable sources, there could be dozens of projects that Lucasfilm is developing that audiences are unaware of. When Benioff and Weiss were developing a series of films, some rumors claimed that this would be an adaptation of the beloved Knight of the Old Republic narratives, with their departure leaving us to wonder if a different filmmaker could continue those plans or if they will be scrapped entirely.