There’s a new face in the galaxy far, far away. Production on Lucasfilm’s newest adventure, Starfighter, has officially started in the United Kingdom under director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Gosling. In addition to Matt Smith and Mia Goth, the cast includes Amy Adams, Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge), Flynn Gray (Wednesday), Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners), Jamael Westman (Good Grief), and Daniel Ings (The Gentlemen).
Jonathan Tropper (The Adam Project) wrote the script, and Levy and Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, are producing it. Star Wars fans are already giddy about a first-look image that Lucasfilm posted to commemorate the start of filming.
Fans of the chronology will be intrigued by the film’s location. Starfighter takes place five years after the events of Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, as was announced during the Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo. The Skywalker saga was put to rest in that movie, creating a void in the Force and paving the way for a new chapter. Lucasfilm has clarified that “Starfighter will be an entirely original story set in a period of time never before explored in Star Wars” before fans begin to conjecture about Skywalker family ties.
Although the plot is yet unknown, Gray’s appearance in the first glimpse indicates that his character will be crucial to Gosling’s role. This image suggests a new beginning, one that is not bound by the Skywalker legacy but instead carries on its spirit, much like Luke’s gaze upon the twin suns of Tatooine.
Starfighter is slated to debut on May 28, 2027, one year after The Mandalorian and Grogu, which were released in 2026 and represent the franchise’s first theatrical outing since The Rise of Skywalker. Executive producers include Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Dan Levine, and Ryan Gosling.
With Levy at the helm, a fresh ensemble cast, and Gosling going into unexplored Star Wars terrain, Starfighter might be the hyperspace jump the series needs to wow a new generation of fans.
