The Star Wars fanbase has seen a turbulent last few days with reports first emerging regarding Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy’s alleged plans to retire before the year’s end. However, these reports were later debunked, with Kennedy confirming in an interview that she wasn’t retiring but the studio was looking to find a successor for her role as President.
In the same interview, Kennedy also teased what the future holds for the franchise, discussing the plans for the upcoming Shawn Levy-directed Star Wars movie. As a result, we now know five key details regarding the movie, which has been rumored to be eyeing Ryan Gosling to play the lead role. Here is everything we know about Levy’s untitled Star Wars project so far.
5. A standalone Star Wars movie
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy recently chatted with Deadline, where she discussed the studio’s plans and her future with the company. Kennedy confirmed that she would be producing director Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars movie.
At the same time, Kennedy shed additional light on the mysterious project, confirming that it would be a standalone film, unrelated to any other projects currently in development, including the upcoming trilogy that is being written and co-produced by Simon Kinberg.
4. It is set after the sequel trilogy
In the same conversation, Kennedy also revealed the timeline for the upcoming project helmed by Levy. Kennedy confirmed that the standalone movie would take place in the post-sequel trilogy era.
As a result, the project would be separate from Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau’s post-original trilogy projects. She also added that Levy’s film would be set roughly five to six years after the conclusion of the sequel trilogy, which might make some fans extremely skeptical of the choice.
3. It might bring back the sequel trilogy characters
Given just how divisive the sequels were, setting Levy’s standalone film less than a decade after it ended already seems like a monumental task. Therefore, it is surprising that Kennedy hinted that several sequel trilogy characters had the potential to appear in the upcoming movie.
In the interview, Kennedy confirmed that the film would focus on new characters, suggesting it was separate from the Skywalker saga. However, Kennedy also added that the film could bring back some of the sequel saga characters, but they likely won’t be the focus, which is an encouraging sign.
2. Shawn Levy’s movie is next in production
The biggest update Kennedy gave regarding the project is arguably the confirmation that the Levy-helmed film would be the next to head into production following The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, which is currently slated for release next year. Hence, it is safe to say that Lucasfilm is more committed to the movie compared to other projects in development.
1. Ryan Gosling is in negotiations to star
The biggest news regarding the Levy-directed project did not come from Kennedy but from trades earlier this year. According to reports, Barbie star Ryan Gosling is in talks to be on board the movie to allegedly star in the lead role.
In January 2025, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Gosling was in preliminary discussions to join the project. However, it is currently unconfirmed whether a deal has been struck with the Oscar-nominated actor. Kennedy also did not comment on the rumored casting, so fans will likely just have to wait for an update.
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