Kathleen Kennedy Lays Out the Future of ‘Star Wars’
At this particular juncture, the future of the Star Wars franchise is clouded at best. Over the past couple of years, Lucasfilm has announced dozens of projects that may or may not ever make it to theaters.
What we know for sure is that the next Star Wars feature film will be The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will hit theaters in May 2026. After that, it looks like Shawn Levy’s standalone film, which will star Ryan Gosling, will head to theaters.
Interestingly, neither The Mandalorian & Grogu nor Levy’s film were announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023. That distinction would fall to James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s New Jedi Order, and Dave Filoni’s Heir to the Empire. When those films will hit theaters is anybody’s guess.
Image: Disney
Also floating somewhere in the ether is Patty Jenkins’s Rogue Squadron, Donald Glover’s Lando film, and projects from Guillermo del Toro and Taika Waititi.
The Next Star Wars Trilogy
Finally, there is Simon Kinberg’s trilogy. Originally announced last November, the main Star Wars story will continue with Episodes X, XI, and XII.
Photo: Deadline
When asked by Deadline for an update on the project, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy revealed that work on the first film’s script is underway.
“We’re absolutely rolling fast and furiously. That has gone exceptionally well, and he’s literally going to script as we speak. We’ll see something probably around June,” she explained.
Photo: Hollywood Reporter
“Simon, if you remember, he did some work with us years ago with the animated show, which was a really wonderful collaborative experience. And he then got very, very busy with X-Men and then recently became available again, and he segued into this space beautifully. We’re really excited about where that’s headed.”
When Kennedy was pressed if Kinberg’s trilogy would advance the “core Star Wars story,” she confirmed that it would.
Photo: Star Wars
“This is the next iteration, the new saga that moves us into the future,” she stated.
Not Every Announced Film Will Hit Theaters
With so many potential films in the works, guessing where Star Wars will take fans next feels impossible. According to Kennedy, however, not all announced films will make it to theaters.
The Mandalorian & Grogu
“To play it safe, I’d say three or four right at the moment. And a large part of it, Mike, is who is the talent we’re attaching? And that’s a challenge in and of itself these days because people get really busy. So you find yourself having to wait with a lot of the top talent doing streaming and movies now. They’re juggling schedules,” she explained.
Photo: Variety
“And when you do Star Wars, you pretty much have to step into it and not have any other competing work going on. It’s a good two to three years minimum commitment, and that’s tough to get top talent to be able to carve out that kind of time. So that’s part of the challenge as well.”
Where We Stand
As things stand, it looks like fans can count on The Mandalorian & Grogu, Levy’s film, and Kinberg’s trilogy. Outside of that, New Jedi Order and Dawn of the Jedi seem to be furthest along.
Photo: whatsondisneyplus
With Star Wars Celebration 2025 just around the corner, we may get clarity soon. Hopefully, that is the case.
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