Despite following The Mandalorian, one of Disney+'s biggest streaming hits, The Mandalorian and Grogu is shaping up to be a box office flop. Now, the pressure is on next May's Star Wars: Starfighter to help prove that this franchise still belongs in theaters.
It's an original story, and the first to take place (roughly five years) after 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, no stranger to crowd-pleasing blockbusters, is at the helm, while Ryan Gosling leading the cast is arguably the movie's biggest advantage.
Star Wars: Starfighter will be the final project set in this Galaxy Far, Far Away, produced under Kathleen Kennedy's watch. From here, it's down to new Lucasfilm co-President Dave Filoni to figure out how to get fans back in theaters.
The movie's plot has been kept under wraps, but we now have some significant potential story details from leaker @FivesWalker (via SFFGazette.com). For context, they previously revealed accurate plot details for multiple Star Wars movies and TV shows in advance, along with a few movie scoops that were later confirmed by the Hollywood trades.
"Mia Goth will be playing a force-senstive, lightsaber using character," they reveal. "She will be working for a warlord/arms dealer (Matt Smith) who is infamous across the galaxy. And yes, she is on the hunt for Ryan Gosling's nephew."
"There have been various rumors saying she is a Sith cultist. Those are false. I would describe her more [as] a mercenary (think of Baylan and Shin). While she has ties to Matt Smith's character, she has her own agenda and plans. Plans that might involve training a certain someone."
The leaker continues, "His mother (Amy Adams) is force-sensitive, and so is he. At the beginning of the film, she is killed, but in her dying moments, gives her son her lightsaber and tells him to go find his uncle, who he's never met. The kid's pretty smart, and manages to get off-world, finding his uncle in a cantina, a washed-up pilot and war hero haunted by ghosts of his past."
"The two don't exactly get along at first, but in classic Star Wars fashion, I think you can imagine how it's going to go," they conclude.
This lines up with claims that Gosling's character is travelling across the Galaxy to deliver his nephew to someone who can train him as a Jedi: Rey Skywalker. It would be a neat tie-in, potentially setting the stage for the long-delayed movie starring Daisy Ridley.
Star Wars: Starfighter's cast is led by Project Hail Mary star Ryan Gosling. Joining him are Flynn Gray (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2), Matt Smith (House of the Dragon), Mia Goth (Infinity Pool), Aaron Pierre (Lanterns), Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners), Jamael Westman (Hedda), Daniel Ings (Lovesick), and Amy Adams (Man of Steel).
Directed by Shawn Levy, the film is produced by Levy and Kathleen Kennedy. Executive producers are Ryan Gosling, Dan Levine, Mary McLaglen, and Josh McLaglen. The script is by Jonathan Tropper.
Star Wars: Starfighter will be released theatrically on May 28, 2027.