Arriving on Disney+ on April 6 with the first two episodes (and six more to follow on a mostly weekly schedule) is ‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’, the latest step in Dave Filoni’s animated adventures set in the galaxy far, far away.
While his recent promotion to joint chief of Lucasfilm means he won’t have quite as much time to play in the ‘Star Wars’ sandbox, Dave Filoni is still enjoying the chance to expand the reach of George Lucas’ creation, this time continuing the story of the former Darth Maul.
By layering in crime thriller genre tropes and adding more to Maul himself, Filoni has delivered another smaller-scale animated success.
Working with Matt Michnovetz to develop the series, Filoni blends the likes of ‘Heat’ with the ‘Star Wars’ milieu for a fun mix that gives Maul fans (yes, we know you’re out there) plenty to enjoy.
And beyond the lead, there are several compelling characters contained within superior scripts.
On the directorial front, supervising director Brad Rau brings a stylish noir touch to the show, while also keeping it of a piece with previous animated outings.
Sam Witwer continues to find interesting new directions to take his character, and has really owned the role. Aside from him, Wagner Moura is good value as hard-bitten police detective Brander Lawson, aided by sidekick droid Two-Boots, voiced by a game Richard Ayoade.
On the villainous side, Filoni continues his obsession with comedy droids, with this show’s MVP being Spybot (David W. Collins), a cackling delight.
Even if you only know Maul from ‘The Phantom Menace’, chances are you will find something to enjoy here –– the action is intense, the characters compelling and the show as a whole fits well into the ‘Star Wars’ universe while also feeling fresh.
‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ receives 75 out of 100.
What’s the plot of ‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’?
Set after the events of ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars,’ this pulpy adventure finds Maul plotting to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire. There, he crosses paths with a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan who could be the apprentice he is seeking to aid him in his relentless pursuit for revenge.
The latest trailer for new release ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ reveals that Scorsese is among those lending his voice to a character from the movie.
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Jon Favreau directs ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’, which expands on the TV series he created with Dave Filoni (essentially, this is a new season of the show adapted into a big-screen adventure featuring Pedro Pascal’s stoic warrior and his diminutive, pop cultural icon of a sidekick.)
Set in the chaotic period following ‘Return of the Jedi,’ the movie continues the show’s story: the evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.
Who is Martin Scorsese voicing in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’?
Scorsese voices a CG-crafted Ardennian shopkeeper who Mando approaches to seek information. But upon learning he’s searching for a Hutt gangster (specifically, Jabba’s son), he’s quick to close up shop.
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ will fly on to screens on May 22.
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ opens in theaters on May 22, 2026.
(Left) ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’s Dave Filoni at Lucasfilm Animation’s 20th Anniversary at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Chiba, Japan. Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images for Disney. (Right) President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Preview:
Kathleen Kennedy is officially stepping down as president of Lucasfilm.
Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan will become co-presidents.
The next ‘Star Wars’ movie, ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu,’ is due in May.
There is big news coming from Lucasfilm, the company that produces the ‘Star Wars’ movies and TV shows.
After plenty of speculation across the last year or so, company president Kathleen Kennedy, who has run it for 14 years, has confirmed she’ll step down.
The new President/Chief Creative Officer is ‘The Mandalorian’ co-creator Dave Filoni, who has been Lucasfilm EVP and Chief Creative Officer. Serving as Lucasfilm’s new Co-President is Lynwen Brennan, the longtime President & GM of Lucasfilm Business.
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Filoni, of course, has long been involved with ‘Star Wars,’ having been recruited by Lucas to work on animated adventures, but earning his stripes working alongside Jon Favreau on the expanding small-screen universe.
Kennedy, who turns 73 this year, is likely looking to work on projects that don’t generate the ire that more recent developments in ‘Star Wars’ fandom have (let’s be honest here –– Filoni and Brennan are unlikely to stop hearing from dissatisfied fans) and instead return to working more as a producer alongside husband and business partner Frank Marshall.
After all, she had a long-established career producing a variety of movies before Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as co-chair alongside ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas.
Shortly after, Lucas exited his post as Disney acquired the company for $4 billion, and Kennedy was elevated to president.
Since then, she has steered the franchise ship through highs (the $2 billion success of ‘The Force Awakens,’ the small screen universe-building of ‘The Mandalorian’) and lows (‘Solo: A Star Wars Story,’ lesser-performing Disney+ series such as ‘The Acolyte’).
Who is Lynwen Brennan?
(L-R) Ron Howard, Lynwen Brennan, Phil Tippett, Rose Duignan, Joe Johnston and Dennis Muren attend the “Light & Magic” presentation at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California on May 27, 2022. The ILM documentary series premieres exclusively on Disney+ July 27, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney).
Brennan joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1999, rising through the ranks to become ILM President in 2009 (including Skywalker Sound), Lucasfilm EVP/General Manager in 2015, and President & General Manager, Lucasfilm Business, in 2024.
She leads Lucasfilm’s business strategy and franchise and production operations and has overseen ILM’s expansion into several studios worldwide, establishing it as the industry’s preeminent VFX studio at the forefront of production technology.
The new join initiative sounds a lot like the DC Studios split in duties between James Gunn, who handles the creative side and Peter Safran, who tackles business issues.
What’s happening in the on-screen ‘Star Wars’ universe?
Big screen Mando spin-off ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is first among ‘Star Wars’ equals right now, having shot last year and now speeding through post-production for a release on May 22. That will be followed by Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’, which stars Ryan Gosling and is scheduled for May 28 next year.
Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film (though that might be on hold given the new gig unless he goes the Gunn route and keeps writing and directing projects), and there are a variety of others in different stages of development.
(L to R) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
The movie would have been Ben (AKA Kylo Ren) secretly surviving the events of ‘Skywalker’ and going on a quest for redemption.
Here’s what Driver said about a potential return:
“I always was interested in doing another ‘Star Wars.’ I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen Kennedy had reached out. I always said: ‘With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second.’ I loved that character and loved playing him.”
(L to R) Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley in ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.’ Photo: Lucasfilm.
As Driver tells it, he, Soderbergh, Blunt (who helped rough out the story) and Burns (who wrote a draft) came up with the idea –– no word on how Solo survives after seemingly dying in ‘Skywalker,’ but if Palpatine can return, who knows? –– and took it to Kennedy, Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck at Lucasfilm, who all loved the idea.
But the space-buck doesn’t stop with them, and the group then had to sell Disney on the idea.
Here’s Driver on how that went:
“We took it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.”
And this is what Soderbergh told the AP of his regrets for the unmade movie:
“I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it.”
What’s the story of Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’?
(L to R) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
With the official news out there, we now have a proper, if basic bit of detail for the movie. It’s described as “a standalone adventure taking place approximately five years after the events of 2019’s ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.’ It is an entirely new adventure featuring all-new characters set in a period of time that has not been explored on screen yet.”
Gosling is reportedly playing a character that must protect a young charge against evil pursuers.
Goth will play one of the pursuers.
We do know that Levy, despite being seemingly busy with 500 different projects at once has been developing his untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie since at least 2022, and cameras should be rolling this fall in the UK.
Jonathan Tropper, who collaborated with Levy on films such as ‘This is Where I Leave You’ and ‘The Adam Project,’ has been working on a script for over a year. Levy is also producing the feature via his 21 Laps banner, joining ‘Star Wars’ steward Kathleen Kennedy.
What else is in development for big screen ‘Star Wars’?
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal, director Jon Favreau and Grogu at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Jon Favreau’s ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is first among ‘Star Wars’ equals right now, having shot last year and now speeding through post-production.
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Favreau and Filoni introduced a new clip from the movie and a sizzle reel at the Celebration event.
The main scene was action packed, with Snowtroopers inside an AT-AT preparing to engage in battle. Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian cuts open into the hull of the AT-AT, then, in one continuous take, blasts, stabs, pyros, and fights his way through the Snowtroopers, making his way through the hull and then hallway, ending at the door of the cockpit, which quickly closes.
The sizzle reel, meanwhile, offered a glimpse at Sigourney Weaver’s character –– for whom Mando apparently works –– plus battle scenes (including an AT-AT tumbling off a snowy cliff), Grogu using his powers and swimming. It ended with Jeremy Allen White-voiced Rotta the Hutt, the son of the crime lord Jabba the Hutt, raising his hands in triumph in some sort of fighting arena, and then cut to Grogu in the stands and eating what passes for the Star Wars version of popcorn.
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
‘Mandalorian’ co-creator and fellow steward Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, while one that continues the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is in development from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy but appears to keep hitting stumbling blocks and has been removed from the schedule for now.
And then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
We’d guess that while Filoni (who promoted earlier this year to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out a second season of ‘Ahsoka.’
Here’s what he said about that:
“I’m so well into that as well… I’ve been writing it, and I’m still the single writer on it, and so I’ve been enjoying doing that, but it’s a challenge, of course, and working some of these arcs through has been a challenge and making sure it’s all going to come out in a way that I think is exciting for fans. I know that they’re interested in where some of the things I developed in Season One. I’m pretty happy with it… Love working with Rosario [Dawson], so I can’t wait to get back to that.”
Beyond those, there are several movies (and potential trilogies) which don’t seem to be moving forward and may have been scrapped altogether, including new potential movies from ‘The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson (who is busy with his ‘Knives Out’ movies and may not wish to dip back into the toxic stew of ‘Star Wars’ fandom after the divisive reaction to his first effort) and ‘Wonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins, who had a much-touted ‘Rogue Squadron’ story of rebel pilots that appears to have had trouble leaving the development hanger.
When will ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ be in theaters?
(L to R) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s director Shawn Levy, Ryan Gosling, Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
With ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ boasting a confirmed release date of May 22nd, 2026, we now have a second ‘Star Wars’ movie on the calendar.
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ is now due to arrive on May 28th, 2027. Looks like Lucasfilm is finally ready to ramp back up to one movie a year from the galaxy far, far away.
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s Ryan Gosling at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Sam Witwer as Darth Maul in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Preview:
Darth Maul is getting his own ‘Star Wars’ animated series.
Sam Witwer is back to voice the character.
‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ will be on Disney+ next year.
Despite being sliced in half and falling down a shaft following his defeat at the hands of Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, the spiky-headed, devil-faced Darth Maul has enjoyed a long post-movie life, resurrected more than once (and dying again a few times, including a comic book rematch with Obi-Wan that ends with Maul’s horns cut off and a blaster bolt to the head from Owen Lars).
Indeed, Witwer has made quire the career of providing the growly tones for the character, voicing him in animated series ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ and ‘Star Wars Rebels.’
So we should perhaps not be too surprised that he’s now scored his own series, set to be a variety show format where he introduces musical acts from across the galaxy far, far away. All right no, it’s not that. But we would watch that.
Instead, Witwer took the take at Star Wars Celebration 2025 Japan to announce the new series, which will be called ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ and follows the further adventures of the character’s dodgy dealings in the criminal underworld.
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What’s the story of ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’?
Sam Witwer as Darth Maul in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’. Photo: Lucasfilm.
The new show is set in the wake of the events of the final season of ‘The Clone Wars.’ Maul tries to rebuild his defunct Shadow Collective criminal syndicate into what will eventually become ‘Solo’s Crimson Dawn on a planet unknown to the Empire, while taking an apprentice, Talon.
A somewhat deep pull from the wider ‘Star Wars’ mythology, George Lucas featured the Twi’lek Darth Talon in his unused treatments of the sequel trilogy that were put aside when Disney went in its own direction for the new movies.
She was to have been the apprentice of Darth Maul, the two serving as the new trilogy’s primary two villains.
As reported in a ‘Star Wars’ Archives tome, Lucas reportedly commented:
“She was the new Darth Vader and most of the action was with her. In early versions, she would have corrupted the character who became Kylo Ren, and in later versions they were combined into the same character.”
And that wasn’t the only Lucas idea for the character –– he briefly considered revealing that wheezing ‘Revenge of the Sith’ cyborg General Grievous was secretly a resurrected Darth Maul in disguise.
What else is happening with small-screen ‘Star Wars’?
On stage at Celebration, Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni confirmed that production on ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’s second season is gearing up, with Carrie Beck, Lucasfilm’s Vice President of Animation and Live-Action Development, currently in the UK preparing for filming to begin.
We can expect a third season of animated series ‘Star Wars: Visions’ this year (word on a release date might be coming soon at Celebration) and we’re still hoping for a second run of ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,’ though nothing has been announced about that yet.
‘Maul: Shadow Lord’s Sam Witwer at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
In addition to his duties with the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy, including supplying additional voices to several of the main ‘Star Wars’ sequel trilogy movies, the aforementioned ‘Skeleton Crew’ and ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka,’ and a host of other animated ‘Wars’ work, Witwer has forged quite the career in front of the camera and as a voiceover artist.
It’s certainly a bold move for the company, which has not released a movie since December 2019’s ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ and has ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ in theaters on May 22nd, 2026.
Here’s the tweet that Lucasfilm put out at the same time as Kennedy and Filoni were on stage:
What’s the story of Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’?
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s director Shawn Levy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
With the official news out there, we now have a proper, if basic bit of detail for the movie. It’s described as “a standalone adventure taking place approximately five years after the events of 2019’s ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.’ It is an entirely new adventure featuring all-new characters set in a period of time that has not been explored on screen yet.”
We do know that Levy, despite being seemingly busy with 500 different projects at once has been developing his untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie since at least 2022.
(L to R) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s director Shawn Levy, Ryan Gosling, Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Jonathan Tropper, who collaborated with Levy on films such as ‘This is Where I Leave You’ and ‘The Adam Project,’ has been working on a script for over a year. Levy is also producing the feature via his 21 Laps banner, joining ‘Star Wars’ steward Kennedy.
Gosling’s deal has closed and production on the new movie will kick off in the fall, which means Levy will likely press pause on working on the planned boyband comedy that his usual Ryan –– that would be Reynolds –– has been developing. Still, given Levy’s work ethic, we wouldn’t be surprised if he knocked that out this summer before diving into ‘Star Wars.’
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s Ryan Gosling at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Gosling, who was one of the key elements in 2023’s monster hit ‘Barbie’ had a slightly less successful 2023, as romantic action comedy ‘The Fall Guy’ –– which was perfectly entertaining in our opinion –– failed to land at the box office and only earned $181 million from a $125 budget.
That one errs more towards the sci-fi than space opera, featuring an astronaut who has to try and save the planet. It’ll arrive on May 20th, 2026, and a first look was teased by Amazon MGM Studios at the company’s CinemaCon presentation this month.
Behind the camera, Gosling is an executive producer on a Donald E. Westlake adaptation called ‘The Actor,’ though that movie has yet to land a release date.
And oddly, Gosling’s name has been linked with ‘Star Wars’ in the past, when rumors spread online in 2013 that he and Zac Efron were being eyed by ‘The Force Awakens’ filmmaker J.J. Abrams for a part that may have eventually become Kylo Ren (as played in the sequel trilogy by Adam Driver).
Who else has been rumored for ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’?
But the same day, Variety reported that Madison had decided to pass on the role. While it seems as though she’s passing up a big opportunity, it’s not like the actor is exactly short of offers at the moment –– she is very much in demand, including by Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ reboot.
What else is in development for big screen ‘Star Wars’?
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal, director Jon Favreau and Grogu at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Jon Favreau’s ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is first among ‘Star Wars’ equals right now, having shot last year and now speeding through post-production.
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Favreau and Filoni introduced a new clip from the movie and a sizzle reel at the Celebration event.
The main scene was action packed, with Snowtroopers inside an AT-AT preparing to engage in battle. Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian cuts open into the hull of the AT-AT, then, in one continuous take, blasts, stabs, pyros, and fights his way through the Snowtroopers, making his way through the hull and then hallway, ending at the door of the cockpit, which quickly closes.
The sizzle reel, meanwhile, offered a glimpse at Sigourney Weaver’s character –– for whom Mando apparently works –– plus battle scenes (including an AT-AT tumbling off a snowy cliff), Grogu using his powers and swimming. It ended with Jeremy Allen White-voiced Rotta the Hutt, the son of the crime lord Jabba the Hutt, raising his hands in triumph in some sort of fighting arena, and then cut to Grogu in the stands and eating what passes for the Star Wars version of popcorn.
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
‘Mandalorian’ co-creator and fellow steward Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, while one that continues the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is in development from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy but appears to keep hitting stumbling blocks and has been removed from the schedule for now.
And then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
We’d guess that while Filoni (who promoted earlier this year to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out a second season of ‘Ahsoka.’
Here’s what he said about that:
“I’m so well into that as well… I’ve been writing it, and I’m still the single writer on it, and so I’ve been enjoying doing that, but it’s a challenge, of course, and working some of these arcs through has been a challenge and making sure it’s all going to come out in a way that I think is exciting for fans. I know that they’re interested in where some of the things I developed in Season One. I’m pretty happy with it… Love working with Rosario [Dawson], so I can’t wait to get back to that.”
Beyond those, there are several movies (and potential trilogies) which don’t seem to be moving forward and may have been scrapped altogether, including new potential movies from ‘The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson (who is busy with his ‘Knives Out’ movies and may not wish to dip back into the toxic stew of ‘Star Wars’ fandom after the divisive reaction to his first effort) and ‘Wonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins, who had a much-touted ‘Rogue Squadron’ story of rebel pilots that appears to have had trouble leaving the development hanger.
When will ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ be in theaters?
(L to R) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s director Shawn Levy, Ryan Gosling, Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
With ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ boasting a confirmed release date of May 22nd, 2026, we now have a second ‘Star Wars’ movie on the calendar.
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ is now due to arrive on May 28th, 2027. Looks like Lucasfilm is finally ready to ramp back up to one movie a year from the galaxy far, far away.
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Preview:
Kathleen Kennedy will reportedly leave Lucasfilm this year.
She’s been the main guiding hand for Star Wars for more than a decade.
The news is, however, not official.
If this news pans out, we could, to paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi in ‘Star Wars,’ feel a great disturbance in the fandom force, as if millions (well, thousands) of voices that cried out in anger were suddenly silenced.
Because according to Puck, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy, who has been overseeing the galaxy far, far away on screens big and small, is reportedly ready to step down.
We’ll caution at this point, that the news is still within the realm of speculation, though the Puck article mentions that Kennedy has been doing plenty that suggests she’s ready to switch her focus away from leading Lucasfilm, including selling property in Malibu, near Los Angeles, and collecting a host of career awards.
(L-R) Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Deborah Chow, Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm, Ewan McGregor, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Hayden Christensen attend the studio showcase panel at Star Wars Celebration for “Obi-Wan Kenobi” in Anaheim, California on May 26, 2022. The series streams exclusively on Disney+. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney).
Kennedy, who turns 72 this year, is also likely looking to work on projects that don’t generate the ire that more recent developments in ‘Star Wars’ fandom have (let’s be honest here –– whoever takes over the job assuming she departs is unlikely to stop hearing from dissatisfied fans) and instead return to working more as a producer alongside husband and business partner Frank Marshall.
After all, she had a long-established career producing a variety of movies before Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as co-chair alongside ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas.
Shortly after, Lucas exited his post as Disney acquired the company for $4 billion, and Kennedy was elevated to president.
We’ll have to wait for Kennedy to truly announce whether she’s leaving the company –– the Puck story makes mention of her looking to go last year, even going so far as to set up an exit interview with a journalist, before opting to stay longer.
Transitioning to someone else this year makes some sense since it’s a relatively quiet period for ‘Star Wars’ –– only ‘Andor’ season 2 and some shows for younger viewers are scheduled, and it won’t be back on the big screen until Jon Favreau’s ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ in 2026.
As for who might succeed her? Dave Filoni surely seems like the logical person since he ascended to chief creative officer in 2023. But he may want to stay more closely involved with writing and directing projects himself and leave the business side to someone else.
‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is first among ‘Star Wars’ equals right now, having shot last year and now speeding through post-production for a release next year.
‘Mandalorian’ co-creator and fellow steward Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, and more recently, we learned that one with Shawn Levy in the director’s chair took a leap towards hyperspace thanks to Ryan Gosling entering talks to star.
Jonathan Tropper, who collaborated with Levy on films such as ‘This is Where I Leave You’ and ‘The Adam Project,’ has been working on that script for over a year. Levy is also producing the feature via his 21 Laps banner.
The time period for the potential new offering is unknown, though it reportedly charts its own course and doesn’t feature anyone from the Skywalker saga, with the emphasis on this being a standalone adventure.
Then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
(L to R) Director James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
While Filoni is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out a second season of ‘Ahsoka.’
Here’s what he said about that:
“I’m so well into that as well… I’ve been writing it, and I’m still the single writer on it, and so I’ve been enjoying doing that, but it’s a challenge, of course, and working some of these arcs through has been a challenge and making sure it’s all going to come out in a way that I think is exciting for fans. I know that they’re interested in where some of the things I developed in Season One. I’m pretty happy with it… Love working with Rosario [Dawson], so I can’t wait to get back to that.”
‘Andor’s second season, meanwhile, premieres on April 22nd, and it’ll be divided into four three-episode chapters.
Beyond those, there are several movies (and potential trilogies) which don’t seem to be moving forward and may have been scrapped altogether, including new potential movies from ‘The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson (who is busy with his ‘Knives Out’ movies and may not wish to dip back into the toxic stew of ‘Star Wars’ fandom after the divisive reaction to his first effort) and ‘Wonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins, who had a much-touted ‘Rogue Squadron’ story of rebel pilots that appears to have had trouble leaving the development hanger.
When will the next ‘Star Wars’ movie be in theaters?
So far, only ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ has a confirmed release date, that being May 22nd, 2026.
Disney and Lucasfilm do have an untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie on their release calendar for December 17th, 2027, though the companies have yet to reveal which of the developing projects will take that spot.
(Left) ‘Elevation’ director George Nolfi. (Right) Daisy Ridley as Rey in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Preview:
George Nolfi is the newest writer aboard ‘New Jedi Order.’
The movie aims to continue Rey’s –– played by Daisy Ridley –– story.
Documentarian Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is aboard to direct.
A new week, a new writer for the ‘Star Wars’ movie that seems to be stuck in a Sarlacc’s gut of development hell.
Yes, the movie currently known as ‘Star Wars: New Jedi Order,’ which was confirmed with much fanfare at Star Wars Celebration a long time ago (well, April 7th, 2023) in a galaxy far, far away (er, London), has found yet another write to work on its script.
Daisy Ridley as Rey in ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’. Photo: Lucasfilm.
The new story is said to take place 15 years after the events seen in 2019’s ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ with Ridley’s character now a mentor to a new crop of Jedis.
You can imagine that it won’t be an easy task fraught with danger, but it might be easier than actually getting the movie made.
‘Lost,’ ‘The Leftovers’ and ‘Watchmen’ writer Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson were the initial duo on the project, working on it before Obaid-Chinoy was brought on.
By the time Ridley was revealed as returning, ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight was tapping away at the keyboard. But by October 2024, he was no longer on the project.
What else has George Nolfi written?
(L to R) Morena Baccarin and Anthony Mackie in ‘Elevation’. Photo: Vertical.
Nolfi is known for writing elevated thrillers across a variety of genres.
He worked on two ‘Bourne’ action thrillers with Matt Damon (who, of course, was also a lead in Ocean’s Twelve’), before going on to make his directorial debut with ‘The Adjustment Bureau,’ a 2011 sci-fi thriller that starred the actor alongside Emily Blunt.
Nolfi also directed and co-wrote 2020’s ‘The Banker,’ a period drama of race and finance that starred Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson, and then reunited with Mackie for 2024’s ‘Elevation,’ a postapocalyptic thriller.
What else is in development for big screen ‘Star Wars’?
(L to R) Dave Filoni, Chief Creative Officer, Lucasfilm and Jon Favreau appears at the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California on August 09, 2024. Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney.
Jon Favreau’s ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is first among ‘Star Wars’ equals right now, having shot last year and now speeding through post-production for a release next year.
‘Mandalorian’ co-creator and fellow steward Dave Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, and more recently, we learned that one with Shawn Levy in the director’s chair took a leap towards hyperspace thanks to Ryan Gosling entering talks to star.
Jonathan Tropper, who collaborated with Levy on films such as ‘This is Where I Leave You’ and ‘The Adam Project,’ has been working on that script for over a year. Levy is also producing the feature via his 21 Laps banner, joining ‘Star Wars’ steward and Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy.
The time period for the potential new offering is unknown, though it reportedly charts its own course and doesn’t feature anyone from the Skywalker saga, with the emphasis on this being a standalone adventure.
(L to R) Director James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
We’d guess that while Filoni (who promoted earlier this year to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out a second season of ‘Ahsoka.’
Here’s what he said about that:
“I’m so well into that as well… I’ve been writing it, and I’m still the single writer on it, and so I’ve been enjoying doing that, but it’s a challenge, of course, and working some of these arcs through has been a challenge and making sure it’s all going to come out in a way that I think is exciting for fans. I know that they’re interested in where some of the things I developed in Season One. I’m pretty happy with it… Love working with Rosario [Dawson], so I can’t wait to get back to that.”
Beyond those, there are several movies (and potential trilogies) which don’t seem to be moving forward and may have been scrapped altogether, including new potential movies from ‘The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson (who is busy with his ‘Knives Out’ movies and may not wish to dip back into the toxic stew of ‘Star Wars’ fandom after the divisive reaction to his first effort) and ‘Wonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins, who had a much-touted ‘Rogue Squadron’ story of rebel pilots that appears to have had trouble leaving the development hanger.
When will the next ‘Star Wars’ movie be in theaters?
So far, only ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ has a confirmed release date, that being May 22nd, 2026.
Disney and Lucasfilm do have an untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie on their release calendar for December 17th, 2027, so we’ll see which one of the other projects secures that berth –– right now, our guess is Levy’s.
Rory McCann is joining the cast of ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka.’
He’ll inherit the role of Baylan Skoll from the late Ray Stevenson.
Rosario Dawson plays the title role.
Fans of genre actors and anyone who enjoyed the work of charismatic Northern Irish actor Ray Stevenson were stunned at his untimely death last year at the age of 58.
Stevenson, who appeared in movies such as ‘Punisher: War Zone’ and the first three ‘Thor’ outings, had been busy promoting his role as former Jedi Baylan Skoll in ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka,’ including an appearance at Star Wars Celebration in April that year.
His role as Baylan Skoll went on to receive great acclaim, the praise tinged with sadness that he wouldn’t be able to return should ‘Ahsoka’ score a second season.
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Executive producer Dave Filoni said this about Stevenson’s role:
“I think he would’ve been over the moon. The big regret here is that he didn’t get to experience that. I’m glad he was at Star Wars Celebration with us, that he got to see the trailer and get a taste of that from the fans. And they’ve been nothing but wonderful about Ray and the character.”
‘Ahsoka’ was indeed renewed for a second batch of episodes and naturally, speculation has been whether Skoll –– who had been set up to play a key role in the story going forward would be re-cast, or if some way would be found to change the plotline.
Now, according to reporter Jeff Sneider, the plan is for someone to step into the role. That someone is ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Rory McCann, who became known for playing the hulking Sandor Clegane (AKA the Hound), one of Westeros’ most lethal fighters.
Though McCann stands three inches taller than Stevenson did, it’s not hard to imagine him playing the role of the conflicted, ambitious warrior.
What else is in development for ‘Star Wars’ on big and small screens?
(L to R) Director James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
While ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ movie is flying into first position, we do know that Dave Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, while one that continues the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is in development from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy but appears to keep hitting stumbling blocks and has been removed from the schedule for now.
And then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
“The Star Wars movie would be taking place 25,000 years before any known ‘Star Wars’ movies takes [sic] place. It’s an area and a playground that I’ve always [wanted to explore] and that I was inspired by as a teenager. I’m not that interested in being handcuffed by so much lore at this point that it’s almost immovable, and you can’t please anybody.”
We’d guess that while Filoni (who promoted earlier this year to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out this second season of ‘Ahsoka.’
Here’s what he said about that:
“I’m so well into that as well… I’ve been writing it, and I’m still the single writer on it, and so I’ve been enjoying doing that, but it’s a challenge, of course, and working some of these arcs through has been a challenge and making sure it’s all going to come out in a way that I think is exciting for fans. I know that they’re interested in where some of the things I developed in Season One. I’m pretty happy with it… Love working with Rosario [Dawson], so I can’t wait to get back to that.”
