The Skywalker saga has come to an end, but there are still a lot more Star Wars movies on the way. When Disney purchased Lucasfilm back in 2012, they had one goal: to bring back George Lucas’ space opera. They’ve certainly succeeded in that regard, with five blockbuster movies having already released in theaters.

So far, Disney’s Lucasfilm has released three saga movies and two spinoff movies, most of which have performed remarkably at the worldwide box office. But just because the Skywalker saga has ended, that doesn’t mean Lucasfilm will cease making Star Wars movies, as there’s still plenty of story left to tell – whether that means expanding upon elements from the saga or exploring entirely new arenas.

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Ever since 2015, Lucasfilm has released a Star Wars movie every year, but that has temporarily ceased; after Star Wars 9 in December 2019, Lucasfilm began a three-year break, with the next Star Wars movie not arriving until 2023. After that, new Star Wars movies will release in December every two years up to 2026, alternating with the four Avatar sequels. Needless to say, there are a lot of Star Wars movies (and other projects) in development.

Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron Movie

Patty Jenkins will direct Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, which is a completely original story about a new generation of starfighter pilots as they begin their journey in the galaxy far, far away. The film is expected to be released in theaters in December 2023; in July 2021, Jenkins confirmed the script was almost complete.

Kevin Feige’s Star Wars Movie

Hot off the success of Avengers: Endgame, it was revealed in September 2019 that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was working with Lucasfilm on a new Star Wars movie. While little is known about the project, Feige has already talked to at least one actor about a possible role, suggesting it’s at least in some early stage of active development. Michael Waldron, the head writer behind the MCU’s Loki series, has signed up as screenwriter; he’s being every bit as secretive as Feige, simply confirming it’s still early days.

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Rian Johnson’s Star Wars Trilogy

Lucasfilm was clearly impressed by Rian Johnson’s work on Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In November 2017, they announced that he would launch a new Star Wars trilogy outside of the Skywalker saga. Remarkably, Johnson’s pitch didn’t even include a story; he’s still in the early stages of drafting a story, so there isn’t much news about this trilogy yet. Given the divisiveness of The Last Jedi, though, it was rumored that Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy had been canceled, but the writer-director stepped in to debunk those rumors on social media. In an interview conducted by Sarah Wilson, Johnson allegedly reported that, yes, his Star Wars trilogy was still happening, but there are currently no dates or timelines attached to the project.

Taika Waititi’s Star Wars Movie

In May 2020, Lucasfilm announced that Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi is set to helm a future Star Wars film. Waititi will direct and co-write the project with Oscar nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns. In December 2020, during Disney’s Investor Day presentation, it was confirmed that Waititi and Wilson-Cairns had begun work on the film’s script and an art concept showcased a diamond-like object in space. However, further details beyond that are unavailable so far.

Other Star Wars Movies In Development

In addition to the above four movies, there are a few other big screen Star Wars projects reportedly in development that remain mostly mysterious. In January 2020, reports hit suggesting that both the Knights of the Old Republic video game and the recently launched pre-prequel trilogy High Republic era are in line for the movie treatment. The KOTOR script is reportedly being written by Avatar producer Laeta Kalogridis. Finally, in February 2020, Sleight director J.D. Dillard and Luke Cage writer Matt Owens were said to be developing their own Star Wars movie.

Cancelled Upcoming Star Wars Movies

There have been several movies that were, at one point or another, reported on or officially announced by Lucasfilm that haven’t happened, mostly anthology films that appear to have been stopped following Solo: A Star Wars Story bombed.

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Boba Fett originally had Josh Trank as director back in 2014, but he left the project around the release of Fantastic Four. James Mangold was reported to be stepping in, but development was stopped a few months later.

Obi-Wan has been one of the most fan-anticipated Star Wars spinoff movies, with serious hopes Ewan McGregor would reprise the role. Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry was reportedly in talks to direct, but he left the project before Solo opened. This story will now be told on Disney+ (see below).

A third Star Wars anthology film, set in Mos Eisley, was reportedly in early development but cancelled following Solo. There’s also unverified rumors about a Yoda film as far back as 2013, and previous reports suggested Lucasfilm was toying with a film centered on Jabba the Hutt.

In February 2018, Lucasfilm announced that Game of Thrones‘ showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were developing a new Star Wars movie series. However, the duo left the project in October 2019, for reasons unclear.

Upcoming Star Wars TV Shows

It’s not just on the big screen that Star Wars has an exciting future. With the release of Disney+, there will be multiple live-action TV series set in a galaxy far, far away. These include:

  • The Mandalorian season 3, continuing the story of Din Djarin but presumably taking the Mandalorians in a very different direction.
  • The Mandalorian will see two spinoffs; Ahsoka, following Rosario Dawson as the live-action former Jedi, and The Book of Boba Fett focused on the bounty hunter and his ally Fennec Shand. The Book of Boba Fett will be released in December 2021.
  • A series starring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, a dark Rebel operative who played a key role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It’s been described as a “rousing spy thriller,” with Alan Tudyk returning as the droid K-2SO and The Americans‘ Stephen Schiff as showrunner.
  • An Obi-Wan Kenobi series set during his time in exile on Tatooine, with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader) reprising their roles.
  • The Acolyte will be set during the High Republic Era, some years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.  Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland serves as both writer and showrunner.
  • The animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch has been renewed for a season 2.

Next: Star Wars: Best Viewing Orders For All 15 Movies & TV Shows

Key Release Dates
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  • Rogue Squadron (2023)Release date: Dec 22, 2023
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About The Author


Thomas Bacon
(4894 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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