Shawn Levy Promises Fresh Story with Star Wars: Starfighter: “New Characters, New Timeline”

Shawn Levy is taking the Star Wars universe in a completely new direction with his upcoming film Star Wars: Starfighter.

Unlike previous entries, this movie will not be a sequel, prequel, or spin-off. It is set five years after The Rise of Skywalker and promises a fresh story with new characters and a new timeline. The film stars Ryan Gosling in the lead role, joined by Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.

The project has been in development since 2022, when Levy first entered talks to direct. Progress slowed during the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, and Jonathan Tropper was hired as the screenwriter in mid-2024.

The film’s title and Gosling’s casting were revealed in April 2025, and by August, the full cast was confirmed as filming began in the United Kingdom. Additional scenes were shot in Sardinia, Italy. Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled for release in the United States on May 28, 2027.

Levy spoke to Collider about the film while promoting the final season of Stranger Things, sharing his excitement about the new direction. “We’re really trying to sort of take that tone as a North Star every day.”

“My crew, my DP, Claudio Miranda, Gosling is my kind of central collaborator in the lead role. It’s certainly been a dream come true. My 10-year-old self is on set with me every day… But it’s a huge invigorating opportunity because Lucasfilm has been so encouraging of me doing something new. There’s no pressure to be derivative or limited by an obligation to what came before. There’s just a love of what came before.”

Levy also praised cinematographer Claudio Miranda, calling him “a huge gift to a Star Wars movie.” He added, “Claudio is — I call him the Professor because he loves the nerdy figuring out of prep. He likes to design camera platforms that don’t exist. He likes to think about lenses and format in ways that are innovative…”

“His sense of how to put people in the action in a visceral way, not just in an observational way, but a subjective and participatory way, in that cockpit, in a driver’s seat. He does it like no one else does it, and I wanted that superpower for Starfighter.”

Although plot details are being closely guarded, the film is set several years after the fall of the First Order and the defeat of Palpatine’s Sith cult. With Levy at the helm and Gosling leading the ensemble cast, Star Wars: Starfighter promises to bring a fresh and exciting energy to the franchise, blending action, adventure, and cutting-edge visuals.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!