Quickly-to-be former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has revealed which Star Wars motion pictures are “nonetheless considerably alive” as she prepares at hand over the reins to Chief Artistic Officer Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm Govt Vice President Lynwen Brennan. Kennedy, who has been president of Lucasfilm since 2012, has overseen the return of Star Wars to the massive display screen and its Emmy-nominated foray into live-action TV.
There isn’t any denying Star Wars’ continued monetary success. Even so, the franchise has confronted a variety of artistic criticism over time, with the Star Wars sequel trilogy dividing Star Wars’ fervent fanbase. Now, as Kennedy prepares her exit, it stays to be seen what number of of Star Wars’ beforehand introduced tasks are nonetheless on the desk, and whether or not those caught in growth limbo may be resurrected.
Rian Johnson was set to steer a brand new Star Wars trilogy; Simon Kinberg was extra just lately tapped for one as properly. Then there’s James Mangold’s Daybreak of the Jedi movie, introduced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Taika Waititi’s script, Donald Glover’s ever-languishing Lando undertaking, and extra. When Deadline requested how sure ideas have been progressing throughout her exit interview, Kennedy mentioned, “I’ve acquired to tread fastidiously right here.”
“Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon wrote an unbelievable script, however it’s undoubtedly breaking the mildew and it’s on maintain. Taika has turned in a script that I feel is hilarious and nice. It’s not simply my resolution, particularly once I’ve acquired a foot out the door. Donald Glover has turned in a script. And as you could have learn, Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns. It was simply nice. Something’s a risk if anyone’s prepared to take a threat.”
In October 2025, Adam Driver revealed that he, Steven Soderbergh, and Scott Burns had developed a script titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, set after the occasions of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The information brought about an avalanche of help for the undertaking, with followers establishing campaigns and billboards to persuade Star Wars and Disney of the necessity for a Ben Solo movie, following his sacrificial dying to save lots of Rey.
Kennedy confirmed that The Hunt for Ben Solo, in addition to Mangold’s Daybreak of the Jedi undertaking — a film set to discover the origins of the Jedi 25,000 years earlier than the Skywalker saga — have been each “actually on the again burner,” whereas the scripts written by Thor: Ragnarok‘s Taika Waititi and Solo‘s Donald Glover are “nonetheless considerably alive.”
“That’s going to essentially be as much as the brand new crew to determine,” Kenney mentioned.
Surprisingly, there was no point out of Daisy Ridley’s return as Rey Skywalker. The tentatively titled New Jedi Order film was introduced alongside Mangold’s movie at Star Wars Celebration 2023, with Sharmeen Obaid-Choy set to direct. In December, Ridley advised IGN that the film will probably be “well worth the wait” and that she trusts the creatives creating it.
Johnson’s trilogy was placed on the again burner some time in the past, following his funding within the Knives Out franchise. Nonetheless, Kennedy additionally believes he was “spooked” by the web negativity following Star Wars: The Final Jedi.
“I feel Rian made the most effective Star Wars motion pictures,” Kennedy advised Deadline. “He’s a superb filmmaker and he acquired spooked. That is the tough half. When folks come into this area, I’ve each filmmaker and actors say to me, ‘What’s going to occur?’ They’re slightly scared.”
Throughout the interview, Kennedy confirmed that Kinberg’s (X-Males: The Final Stand, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) trilogy remains to be in growth, with the author and producer at present engaged on edits.
“He’s working proper now. He wrote one thing that we learn in August, and it was excellent, however not there. We’ve just about upended the story, after which spent an excessive amount of time on the therapy, which he completed actually about 4 weeks in the past. And it’s a really detailed therapy, like 70 pages. And so he’s anticipated to offer us one thing in March.”
The Lucasfilm President revealed that Filoni and Brennan are fascinated by Kinberg’s work (Filoni and Kinberg beforehand labored collectively on Star Wars Rebels). “I do know that Dave and Lynwen are very a lot on board with what Simon’s doing, and that may be a brand new trilogy. Within the timeline of issues, that takes you properly into 2030 plus. In order that’s actually what’s up subsequent.”
Kennedy’s ardour for all these ideas is apparent, however she defined why some have been held again or canceled altogether:
“I bear in mind once I got here into this job, the very first thing Bob Iger mentioned to me was, ‘Be daring.’ I’ve at all times favored that as a result of I feel it’s a must to be daring and it’s a must to be prepared to take dangers with folks and with concepts. In any other case you’re simply doing the identical factor. Proper now we’re in an period the place corporations are so risk-averse, and I get it. I hear all of the conversations. They’ve acquired Wall Road to please, and I get it, however I additionally imagine that that’s what contributes to issues disappearing, in the end. I simply suppose it’s a must to take these possibilities.
Every little thing I simply reeled off to you is taking a little bit of an opportunity as a result of none of these filmmakers are simply strolling in making an attempt to do standard, standard. I’m excited by that, however the studio’s nervous about that, and that’s type of the place it sits in the meanwhile.”
Star Wars returns to cinemas for the primary time in seven years this Could, as The Mandalorian and Grogu make their leap to the massive display screen. The second season of Filoni’s Ahsoka is predicted to reach on Disney+ later this 12 months. Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling’s Star Wars: Starfighter premieres in 2027, the primary Star Wars story set after the occasions of the sequel trilogy.
Clearly, there’s loads of Star Wars to look ahead to. As for what the long run holds, as Kennedy mentioned, “Something’s a risk if anyone’s prepared to take a threat.”
The Mandalorian and Grogu premieres on Could 22, 2026. Star Wars: Starfighter is slated for launch on Could 28, 2027.
- Solid
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Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Buddy, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
- TV Present(s)
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The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Guide of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Unhealthy Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Younger Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Film(s)
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Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Assault of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Again, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Pressure Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Final Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Daybreak of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
- Character(s)
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Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren