It's been a long time since there's been any real traction on new Star Wars movies. Ever since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, Disney's focus has largely been on expanding its Disney+ series. Season 3 of their breakthrough hit The Mandalorian is about to come to its end, The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi series came and went, Season 2 of Andor is in development, and the animated adventures continue in various ways as well.
Previously announced movie projects - from Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron to a new trilogy from Rian Johnson to a movie from the Game of Thrones directing duo and even a Kevin Feige-produced feature - have either stalled or been outright cancelled. However, at the kickoff day for Star Wars Celebration Europe this year, Lucasfilm announced yet another slate of films that they seem determined to stick with, along with more series for Disney+. Check out the list of announcements below.
Episode X? A Rise of Skywalker Sequel
Daisy Ridley is officially returning as Rey in a new film that's set 15 years after the events of Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. It will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel) and written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders). They're not calling this one Episode X yet, but it'd be a bit strange if it wasn't. The story will follow Rey rebuilding the Jedi and training a new generation of Knights.
Dawn of the Jedi Movie
James Mangold has earned himself some serious credentials having directed films like 3:10 to Yuma, The Wolverine & Logan, Ford v Ferrari, and the upcoming legacy sequel Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. In addition to having a film centered on Bob Dylan and a feature-length Swamp Thing movie on his schedule, he'll now also be tackling a Star Wars film, and a rather important one at that. Mangold's film will be about the origins of the Jedi and even The Force itself, thousands of years in the past of the galaxy far, far away.
Dave Filoni Star Wars Movie
Dave Filoni is a savior and a mastermind for many Star Wars fans, having been mentored by George Lucas himself as he helped lead the franchise's many interconnected animated series. After making the jump to live action with The Mandalorian, Filoni will now get his chance to make his very own Star Wars movie. Fittingly, it will act as the culmination of the story he's helped craft on the small screen; a finale to what's been called the "Mandoverse".
Andor Season 2
The second and final season of Rogue One spin-off Andor has been given a release date of August 2024. Diego Luna will of course be returning with Ariel Kleiman (Yellowjackets) directing the bulk of the episodes. The first season was met with critical acclaim and has even become a surprise favorite among fans.
The Acolyte
Series creator and showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) confirmed that The Acolyte is told from the perspective of the bad guys this time around - the Sith – and is set in the High Republic Era long before the beginning of the prequel trilogy. Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game) has been confirmed to be starring as well as Amandla Stenberg (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Dafne Keen (Logan) and others.
Skeleton Crew
The director of all three Spider-Man movies for the MCU, Jon Watts, will be running this series that includes episodes directed by Everything Everywhere All at Once duo the Daniels, David Lowery (The Green Knight), Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Mandalorian), and Jake Shreier (Beef). Skeleton Crew will follow a group of 4 children who go on an adventure across the galaxy, with a little help from a Jedi played by Jude Law. The series is set to premiere by the end of this year.
Ahsoka
Dave Filoni brings his animated stories and characters to live-action realization before making the jump to the big screen. Ahsoka follows its titular warrior (played by Rosario Dawson) as she makes old connections with allies Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and more former rebels in the hunt for Grand Admiral Thrawn as remnants of the Empire and the dark side threaten to resurge in the era of the New Republic. This is the only project with a trailer!
What Star Wars movie or series are you most excited for?
