‘Star Wars‘ is returning to theaters for the first time since 2019, and it’s not coming back quietly. What Lucasfilm is building right now is the most ambitious theatrical expansion the franchise has ever attempted, and the pieces are finally starting to click into place.
For years, the post-‘The Rise of Skywalker’ era felt like a holding pattern. Announcement after announcement, director after director, most of it going nowhere. That’s changing fast. With Din Djarin and Grogu returning to theaters soon, Lucasfilm has finally started building a clear roadmap. A major ensemble film arrives in 2027, while Rey’s comeback leads a growing multi-film universe.
The Mandalorian and Grogu And Starfighter: The Near-Term Slate
Atop the near-term agenda stands the theatrical release of ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ on May 22, 2026. Jon Favreau directs ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ from a screenplay he wrote with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor. The movie reunites Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin, Jeremy Allen White as Cara Dune, and Sigourney Weaver as Ahsoka Tano.
The story follows the hunt for remaining Imperial warlords after the fall of the Galactic Empire. It also explores the early days of the New Republic.
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Hot off the heels of that film comes ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ slated for a release date of May 28, 2027. Shawn Levy directs ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ from a screenplay by Jonathan Tropper. The movie stars Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Amy Adams, Aaron Pierre, and Matt Smith as the antagonist.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said the story takes place five or six years after ‘The Rise of Skywalker.‘ Production is currently underway in the UK.
The larger restructuring process at Lucasfilm centers around Rey’s future in the movies. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy directs the standalone film, which centers on Daisy Ridley’s character as she attempts to restore the Jedi Order using Luke Skywalker’s ancient writings and the promises she made to him. George Nolfi is currently writing the script after Damon Lindelof and Steven Knight decided to leave.
However, the standalone film is only one piece of the puzzle. Reports circulating in May 2026 suggest Lucasfilm sees Rey’s return as part of a larger cinematic franchise. The studio reportedly wants an interconnected structure similar to the Mandoverse on Disney+.
The Obaid-Chinoy movie is expected to launch multiple theatrical installments that lead into a crossover event. Simon Kinberg is also writing and producing a trilogy that could serve as Episodes 10, 11, and 12 of ‘The Skywalker Saga,’ with Rey at the center.
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Dawn Of The Jedi, The Mandoverse Crossover, and Taika Waititi’s Wild Card Project
In addition to the aforementioned projects, there are three more projects under consideration, all very different from each other in tone, scale, scope, and ambition.
James Mangold is helming Dawn of the Jedi, a standalone project that focuses on the origins of the Force and the earliest iterations of the Jedi Knights by going back millennia into the past of the franchise.
At the other end of the timeline is the Mandoverse crossover event film that Dave Filoni is directing, bringing together the various strands left hanging in ‘Ahsoka,’ ‘The Book of Boba Fett,’ and ‘The Mandalorian.’
Finally, Taika Waititi still plans to develop his own standalone project, which sits outside both the Skywalker saga and every timeline the franchise has established so far.
Lucasfilm’s upcoming theatrical slate is slowly taking shape. Instead of isolated films or an anthology series, Lucasfilm is building a multi-timeline interconnected universe, with its own distinct entry points and conclusions. Star Wars in the next few years is poised to move into entirely new territory.
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