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Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' franchise involves multiple live-action and animated films. The series was initially created as a
trilogy A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...
set ''
in medias res A narrative work beginning ''in medias res'' (, "into the middle of things") opens in the chronological middle of the plot, rather than at the beginning (cf. '' ab ovo'', '' ab initio''). Often, exposition is initially bypassed, instead filled i ...
'' (partway through the plot) that was later expanded into a trilogy of trilogies, known as the "Skywalker Saga". The original 1977 film ''Star Wars'' (later subtitled ''A New Hope'') was followed by the sequels '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and '' Return of the Jedi'' (1983); these films form the original trilogy. Beginning twenty-two years later, the prequel trilogy was released, consisting of '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (1999), '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' (2002), and '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' (2005). Then, after creator George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
in 2012, a sequel trilogy consisting of ''Episodes VII'' through ''IX'' was released, namely '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (2017), and '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019). The first three spin-off films produced were the made-for-television '' Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), '' The Ewok Adventure'' (1984) and '' Ewoks: The Battle for Endor'' (1985). Following Disney's 2012 acquisition of the franchise, these earlier films were dropped from the official canon, but the theatrical animated film '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (2008) and its television series continuation retain their canonical status. Two standalone films were produced and released between the sequel trilogy films: '' Rogue One'' (2016) and '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'' (2018), both set between the original and prequel trilogies. A years long hiatus began in late 2019, during which numerous films were announced and often shelved. '' The Mandalorian and Grogu'', a continuation of the similarly titled television series, is being directed by
Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau ( ; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
and is planned for release in May 2026. The combined box office revenue of the films amounts to over US$10 billion, and it is currently the third-highest-grossing film franchise. The major live-action releases (including all of the films of the Skywalker Saga) were nominated for
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
. The original film was nominated for most of the major categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for
Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...
(who played
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...
), while all theatrical live-action films have been nominated for particular categories. Several official ''Star Wars'' television series have also been released, all now on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
.


Skywalker Saga

The main ''Star Wars'' film series is a trilogy of subtrilogies; as it neared completion, Lucasfilm began to refer to it as the "Skywalker Saga". It was released beginning with the original trilogy (Episodes ''IV, V'', and ''VI'', 1977–1983), followed by the prequel trilogy (Episodes ''I, II'', and ''III'', 1999–2005) and the sequel trilogy (Episodes ''VII, VIII'', and ''IX'', 2015–2019). The first film released, ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' (1977), is the fourth film chronologically and was later subtitled ''Episode IV – A New Hope'' in 1981. The saga begins chronologically with '' Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (1999) and concludes with '' Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019). The story follows each generation of the
Force In physics, a force is an influence that can cause an Physical object, object to change its velocity unless counterbalanced by other forces. In mechanics, force makes ideas like 'pushing' or 'pulling' mathematically precise. Because the Magnitu ...
-sensitive Skywalker family and their struggle against Palpatine, an evil Sith Lord known as Darth Sidious. The prequel trilogy focuses on Anakin Skywalker's time as a Jedi under
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...
, marriage to Padmé Amidala, and fall to the dark side as Darth Vader. The original trilogy follows Anakin and Padmé's children Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, who join forces with
Han Solo Han Solo () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars (film), Star Wars'', and later appeared in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''Star Wars: The F ...
and the Rebel Alliance against Vader and Palpatine's
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
. The sequel trilogy features Kylo Ren (Ben Solo)—Leia and Han's son—who fell to the dark side and seeks to rule First Order with Rey, Palpatine's granddaughter and the Skywalkers' last Jedi apprentice. Each episodic film begins with an opening crawl, accompanied by the main ''Star Wars'' theme by
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
, who composed each film's score. Following their initial theatrical releases, franchise creator George Lucas made multiple rounds of retroactive changes to the films of the original trilogy (and to a lesser extent, the prequels).


Standalone films

As Lucas was outlining a trilogy of trilogies, he also imagined making additional movies unrelated to the Skywalker Saga. The first theatrical films set outside the main episodic series were the
Ewok The Ewoks (singular: Ewok) are a fictional species of small, furry, mammaloid, bipeds in the ''Star Wars'' universe. They inhabit the forest moon of Endor and live in arboreal huts and other simple dwellings, being seen as primitive in com ...
spin-off films '' Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure'' (1984) and '' Ewoks: The Battle for Endor'' (1985), the first of which was screened internationally after being produced for television. After the conclusion of his then-six-episode saga in 2005, Lucas returned to spin-offs in the form of
television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
. An animated film, '' The Clone Wars'' (2008), was released as a pilot to a TV series of the same name. An anthology series set between the main episodes entered development in parallel to the production of the sequel trilogy, described by Disney
chief financial officer A chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization who is assigned the primary responsibility for making decisions for the company for projects and its finances; i.a.: financial planning, management of financial risks, ...
(CFO) Jay Rasulo as origin stories. The first entry, '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (2016), tells the story of the rebels who steal the Death Star plans directly before ''Episode IV''. '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'' (2018) focuses on Han's backstory, also featuring Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian.


Animated film


''The Clone Wars'' (2008)

Preceding the airing of the animated TV series in late 2008, the theatrical feature ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' was compiled from episodes "almost san afterthought." It reveals that Anakin trained an apprentice between ''Attack of the Clones'' and ''Revenge of the Sith''; the series explains padawan
Ahsoka Tano Ahsoka Tano (pronounced ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. She was introduced as the 14-year-old List of Star Wars species (P–T)#Togruta, Togruta Jedi Padawan of Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker in the animated film ''Star ...
's absence from the latter film. The film and series exist in the same level of canon as the episodic and anthology films.


Live-action films

Before selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, and parallel to his development of a sequel trilogy, George Lucas and original trilogy Lawrence Kasdan started development on a standalone film about a young Han Solo. In February 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger made public the development of a Kasdan film and ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' reported that it would focus on Han Solo. Disney CFO Jay Rasulo has described the standalone films as origin stories. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that there was "no attempt being made to carry characters (from the standalone films) in and out of the saga episodes." The standalone films are subtitled ''"A Star Wars Story"''.


''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (2016)

''Rogue One'' is set directly before ''Episode IV: A New Hope'' and focuses on the eponymous group of rebels who obtain the plans to the Death Star. Its laser was developed by scientist Galen Erso (played by
Mads Mikkelsen Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen (; born 22 November 1965) is a Danish actor. He rose to fame in Denmark as an actor for his roles such as Tonny in the first two films of the Pusher (film series), ''Pusher'' film trilogy (1996, 2004), Detective Sergea ...
) after the Empire forcibly abducted him, separating him from his daughter Jyn. Galen secretly sends a defecting Imperial pilot, Bodhi Rook, to deliver a message warning of the weapon's existence and revealing its weakness to his rebel friend Saw Gerrera. Under the false promise of her father's liberation, Jyn agrees to help Rebel Alliance intelligence officer Cassian Andor and his droid retrieve the message from Saw, now the paranoid leader of an extremist cell of rebels. The idea for the movie came from John Knoll, the chief creative officer of Industrial Light & Magic. In May 2014, Lucasfilm announced Gareth Edwards as the director of an anthology film, with Gary Whitta writing the first draft for a release on December 16, 2016. The film's title was revealed to be ''Rogue One'', with Chris Weitz rewriting the script, and Felicity Jones in the starring role. Ben Mendelsohn and Diego Luna also play new characters, with James Earl Jones returning to voice Darth Vader. Edwards stated, "It comes down to a group of individuals who don't have magical powers that have to somehow bring hope to the
galaxy A galaxy is a Physical system, system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar medium, interstellar gas, cosmic dust, dust, and dark matter bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek ' (), literally 'milky', ...
." The film was the first to feature characters introduced in animated ''Star Wars'' TV series, namely '' The Clone Wars'' Saw Gerrera, portrayed by Forest Whitaker in the film. The movie received generally positive reviews, with its performances, action sequences, soundtrack, visual effects and darker tone being praised. The film grossed over million worldwide within a week of its release.


''Solo: A Star Wars Story'' (2018)

''Solo'', the second anthology film, focuses on Han Solo about 10 years before ''A New Hope''. After an escape attempt from his Imperial-occupied home planet of Corellia goes wrong, a young Han vows to return to rescue his girlfriend Qi'ra. Han "Solo" joins the Imperial Academy; however, he is expelled for his reckless behavior. Han and his newfound Wookiee friend Chewbacca resort to a criminal life, mentored by veteran smuggler Tobias Beckett. After angering gangster Dryden Vos, for whom Qi'ra now works, Han and his company's lives depend on pulling a heist for him. Without a ship to travel, they hire Lando Calrissian, the captain and owner of the ''Millennium Falcon''. A twist ending acknowledges Maul's survival of ''The Phantom Menace'', as previously explored by animated series. Before selling Lucasfilm to Disney, George Lucas had hired ''Star Wars'' original trilogy veteran Lawrence Kasdan to write a film about a young Han Solo. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca (after serving as a double for the character in ''The Force Awakens'' and ''The Last Jedi''), Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra, and Woody Harrelson as Beckett. Lucasfilm originally hired Phil Lord and Christopher Miller to direct, but they were fired during
principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
, and replaced by Ron Howard.


Future

In mid-2018, Lucasfilm confirmed that multiple anthology films were in development, with their release following a hiatus after 2019's ''The Rise of Skywalker''. Various release dates were delayed or scrapped, in part due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. In May 2023, Kennedy said future ''Star Wars'' films would come out "when they're ready", citing the 3-to-4-year interim of more recent ''James Bond'' films. A December 2027 date has been reported with no known cancellation. In May 2020, Taika Waititi was officially announced to write and direct a live-action ''Star Wars'' film. Three further live-action films were officially announced at April 2023's ''Star Wars'' Celebration, to be helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Dave Filoni, and James Mangold. Kennedy said upcoming films would include the trademark opening crawl. In January 2024, a '' Mandalorian'' film from
Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau ( ; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
was announced. Additionally, Kennedy stated in May 2022 that "There's a couple of ilmmakersthat we've been in conversation with ... that I'm hoping will" oversee future films in the way that Favreau and Filoni have done for ''Star Wars'' television series.


= ''The Mandalorian and Grogu'' (2026)

= In 2019, then– Walt Disney Studios CCO Alan Horn stated that if ''The Mandalorian'' was successful, a feature film spin-off would be considered. A fourth season of the TV series was written from May 2022 to February 2023. Pre-production occurred in April 2023. Filming for the season was scheduled to begin in September, but was delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes. In January 2024, it was announced that series creator
Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau ( ; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
would write and direct a theatrical film based on the series (separate from Filoni's upcoming film), titled ''The Mandalorian and Grogu''. Filming was expected to begin later in 2024 as the first ''Star Wars'' film to enter production since ''The Rise of Skywalker''. In February 2024, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the film is aiming for a 2026 release, although specifics were not given at the time. In April 2024, it was announced that the film would be released on May 22, 2026.


= ''Star Wars: Starfighter'' (2027)

= In November 2022, ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
'' reported that Shawn Levy was in talks to direct a ''Star Wars'' film, following his work on '' Deadpool & Wolverine'' (2024) and the fifth and final season of '' Stranger Things''. In September 2023, Levy revealed that development had begun but had stalled due to the
2023 Writers Guild of America strike From May 2 to September 27, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA)—representing 11,500 screenwriters—went on Strike action, strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Lasting 148 days, ...
. In July 2024, it was reported that Jonathan Tropper (who wrote Levy's '' The Adam Project'') would write the film's screenplay. In January 2025, Ryan Gosling entered talks to star in the film. It was also reported that Gosling's interest in the project accelerated it to become the next ''Star Wars'' film to enter production after ''The Mandalorian and Grogu''. In February 2025, Kathleen Kennedy acknowledged the film's existence and development status, confirming it would be released after ''The Mandalorian and Grogu''. Kennedy also revealed that the film will take place "five to six years" after ''The Rise of Skywalker''.


= Untitled Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy film (TBA)

= In October 2022, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that after a two-week writers' room in July (which included Patrick Somerville, Rayna McClendon, Andy Greenwald, and maybe Dave Filoni), Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson were a ''Star Wars'' film, with '' Ms. Marvel'' director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attached as director. ''THR'' reported that according to its sources, "the project is intended as a stand-alone but in success could lead to more movies", taking place after the sequel trilogy and possibly featuring some of its characters. In March 2023, it was reported that Lindelof and Britt-Gibson had left the project in mid-February and that
Steven Knight Steven Knight (born 5 August 1959) is a British screenwriter, producer, and director for film and television. He wrote the screenplays for the films ''Closed Circuit (2013 film), Closed Circuit'', ''Dirty Pretty Things (film), Dirty Pretty Thi ...
was hired to replace them as screenwriter. Filming was reportedly set to begin in February 2024. At April 2023's ''Star Wars'' Celebration, Kennedy officially announced a Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed movie, with Daisy Ridley returning as Rey as she constructs a new Jedi Order 15 years after the events of ''The Rise of Skywalker''. She reportedly may be a supporting character in the vein of Jedi Masters
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...
and Luke Skywalker in the original and sequel trilogies, respectively. Steven Knight departed the project by October 2024 with filming not expected to start until late 2025. In January 2025, George Nolfi had been hired to write the screenplay.


= Untitled Dave Filoni film (TBA)

= In December 2020, it was revealed that ''The Mandalorian'' and its related series were planned to culminate in a "climactic story event". At ''Star Wars'' Celebration in 2023, it was announced that Dave Filoni would make his live-action feature directorial debut with a film set in the New Republic era, connecting storylines that began with ''The Mandalorian'', '' The Book of Boba Fett'', '' Ahsoka'', and '' Skeleton Crew''.


= Untitled James Mangold film (TBA)

= In April 2023, during ''Star Wars'' Celebration Europe IV, Lucasfilm announced that James Mangold would write and direct a ''Star Wars'' film whose story "will go back to the dawn of the Jedi" and explore the origins of
The Force The Force is a Metaphysics, metaphysical, mysterious, and Energy (esotericism), ubiquitous power in the ''Star Wars'' Universe of Star Wars, fictional universe. Characters refer to the Force as an energy that interconnects all things in the univer ...
, set around 25,000 years before the events of ''A New Hope''. It is set to be the start of a new era set within ''Star Wars'' timeline, dubbed ''Dawn of the Jedi''. The film has been described as a " Cecil B. DeMille-style biblical epic.", with Mangold citing '' The Ten Commandments'' as a major inspiration for the film. Mangold was offered the project during production of ''
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ''Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny'' is a 2023 American action-adventure film directed by James Mangold and written by Mangold, David Koepp, Jez Butterworth, Jez and John-Henry Butterworth. It is the fifth and final installment in Indiana_ ...
''. Mangold confirmed shortly afterwards that he had begun developing the film alongside his screenplay for the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...
Swamp Thing film, and was uncertain which project would move forward first following his
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
biopic '' A Complete Unknown''. In April 2024, it was reported that Beau Willimon (who had written episodes of '' Andor'') would co-write the film alongside Mangold. During an interview in May 2024, producer Simon Emanuel seemingly revealed the film's title, ''Jedi Prime''. In September 2023, David S. Goyer revealed that he had written a treatment for an unproduced ''Star Wars'' film about the origins of the Jedi Order.


= Untitled Taika Waititi film (TBA)

= On May 4, 2020, Taika Waititi (who directed the first-season finale of ''The Mandalorian'' and voiced IG-11) was officially announced to direct a ''Star Wars'' film from a screenplay he was with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. As of May 2022, his film was expected to be released before ''Rogue Squadron'' (originally scheduled for December 2023 prior to its delay), with Kennedy asserting that Waititi's film may be released in late 2023. In June 2022, Waititi agreed with Kennedy's view that the films should move into new territory instead of origin stories, and stated he would continue writing the project while filming other projects. The movie was reportedly expected to be shot in Los Angeles. By March 2023, Waititi was also likely to appear in the film. The next month, Kennedy stated that Waititi was now writing the film alone. In early May, ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
'' reported that Waititi may begin filming the project in 2024. In September 2023, amidst rumors of the film's cancellation, it was revealed that it was still in development and that Waititi would resume writing the script after the conclusion of the
2023 Writers Guild of America strike From May 2 to September 27, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA)—representing 11,500 screenwriters—went on Strike action, strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Lasting 148 days, ...
. In February 2025, Kathleen Kennedy revealed that Waititi was still working on the script with a new co-writer.


= ''Lando'' (TBA)

= In 2018, while promoting ''Solo'', Kathleen Kennedy expressed interest in making a spin-off film focusing on Lando Calrissian. Though it was specified that a project of that sort was not a priority at Lucasfilm. Around the same time, Donald Glover expressed similar interest in a Lando-centric film, suggesting it could take inspiration from the
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
film '' Catch Me If You Can''. At Disney Investor Day 2020, a Lando series was announced to be in development for
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
, with Justin Simien acting as showrunner. In 2023, it was revealed that Simien would be replaced as showrunner by Donald Glover and his brother Stephen. Nearly two months later, Stephen Glover stated in an interview that the project was being redeveloped as a feature film. Donald Glover confirmed his involvement as a writer on the film in September 2024.


= ''Rogue Squadron'' (TBA)

= On December 10, 2020, during Disney Investor Day, ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
'' (2017) director Patty Jenkins was announced as the director of a film titled ''Rogue Squadron'', initially set to be released on December 22, 2023. According to the official ''Star Wars'' website, the film would "introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy." According to Jenkins, the film would be an original story "with great influence from the games and the books". A script was being worked on as of December 2020, at which time, '' Wonder Woman 3'' story was still being worked on. Matthew Robinson was hired to write ''Rogue Squadron'' in May 2021; late the next month, Jenkins revealed that the script was almost finished. On November 8, the film's production was delayed from 2022 due to Jenkins' busy schedule. A month later, Jenkins had left her planned
Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...
film as director in order to focus on ''Rogue Squadron'' and ''Wonder Woman 3''. Disney announced in April 2022 that the film was still set to be released in December 2023. Kathleen Kennedy stated in May that the film has been "pushed off to the side for the moment", with the script still being worked on and Waititi's film expected to be released first. On September 15, 2022, the film was confirmed to be taken off from Disney's release schedule, although in December Jenkins said she was actively working on it amid the apparent cancellation of ''Wonder Woman 3''. In April 2023, Kennedy said the project could still happen either as a film or a television series. On March 13, 2024, Jenkins stated that she had signed a new contract with Lucasfilm to write and direct ''Rogue Squadron''.


Other future films

Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick (film), Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget ...
, the writer/director of ''The Last Jedi'' (2017), is confirmed to write and direct the first film of a new trilogy he was outlining as of early 2019 with Ram Bergman producing alongside Kennedy. It was said to differ from the Skywalker-focused films in favor of focusing on new characters and possibly a different era than the main film franchise. The project was considered to have been "back-burnered" by May 2022 due to Johnson's involvement with other projects, including the ''
Knives Out ''Knives Out'' is a 2019 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Daniel Craig leads an eleven-actor ensemble cast as Benoit Blanc, a famed private detective who is summoned to investigate the death of the bestselling autho ...
'' franchise. Johnson indicated that he would make at least one more film in that series following '' Glass Onion'' before returning to ''Star Wars''. In May 2025, Johnson stated that if he makes another Star Wars, he will be the happiest person. In January 2024, it was reported that the fourth season of ''The Mandalorian'' would be reworked into theatrical sequel films if ''The Mandalorian and Grogu'' (2026) was a box-office success. In November 2024,
Simon Kinberg Simon David Kinberg (born August 2, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He wrote and produced a number of films in the X-Men (film series), ''X-Men'' film franchise for 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Fox, and had produced a number of other projec ...
was reported to be writing and producing a new ''Star Wars'' trilogy with Kathleen Kennedy also to help produce the films. In March 2025, Kathleen Kennedy confirmed the trilogy was in development and revealed Lucasfilm was expecting completed drafts by June 2025. Kennedy also referred to Kinberg's trilogy as "the next saga".


Produced for television

The first spin-off film (also the first sequel to be released) was a holiday TV special aired in 1978. Two live-action TV films created in the mid-1980s feature the Ewoks.


''Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978)

Produced for CBS in 1978, the '' Star Wars Holiday Special'' was a two-hour television special, in the format of a
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...
. Stars of the original film and archive footage from the original ''Star Wars'' film appeared alongside celebrity guest stars in plot-related skits, musical numbers, and an animated segment, all loosely tied together by the premise of Chewbacca's family waiting for his arrival for the "Life Day" celebration on his home planet, Kashyyyk. The special is notorious for its extremely negative reception and was aired only once. Only the 11-minute animated sequence, which features the debut of bounty hunter Boba Fett, was positively received.


Ewok films

The Ewoks from ''Return of the Jedi'' were featured in two spin-off television films, '' The Ewok Adventure'' and '' Ewoks: The Battle for Endor''. Both aired on ABC on the Thanksgiving weekends of 1984 and 1985, respectively, with at least the first also being given a limited international theatrical release. Warwick Davis reprised his debut role as the main Ewok,
Wicket In the sport of cricket, the term wicket has several meanings: * It is either of the two sets of three Stump (cricket), stumps and two Bail (cricket), bails at each end of the Cricket pitch, pitch. The Fielding (cricket), fielding team's playe ...
, in both. They are set between the events of ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi''. Both films were released on VHS, LaserDisc, and on a double-feature DVD. Although based on stories written by George Lucas, they do not bear ''Star Wars'' in their titles, and were considered to exist in a lower level of canon than the episodic films. Following Disney's acquisition of the franchise, they were excluded from the canon. ''The Battle for Endor'' would be the last live-action ''Star Wars'' television project produced by Lucasfilm until 2019's ''The Mandalorian''.


''The Ewok Adventure'' (1984)

In a story by Lucas and a screenplay by Bob Carrau, the Towani family spaceship shipwrecks on the forest moon of Endor. While trying to repair their ship, the castaway family is split, when a giant creature known as the Gorax kidnaps the parents. Taking pity on the kids, a group of native Ewoks led by Wicket decides to help little Cindel Towani and her older brother Mace, rescue their parents. Among other stylistic choices making the film unique from the ''Star Wars'' episodes is the inclusion of a narrator.


''Ewoks: The Battle for Endor'' (1985)

The sequel focuses on the Ewoks protecting their village from marauders led by the evil Lord Terak, who killed all the members of the Towani family except for Cindel, in search of a power battery. It was followed by the TV series '' Ewoks'' (1985–1987).


Produced for Disney+


''A Droid Story''

In December 2020, ''A Droid Story'', an animated adventure film for Disney+ was announced. According to the official ''Star Wars''
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, the "epic journey will introduce us to a new hero guided by R2-D2 and ."


Reception


Box office performance

The ''Star Wars'' films are the third-highest-grossing film franchise of all time worldwide, behind the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
and ''
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
'', having grossed over $10 billion at the global box office.


Critical response


Accolades


Academy Awards

The eleven live-action films together have been nominated for 37
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
s, of which they have won seven. The films were also awarded a total of three Special Achievement Awards. ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi'' received Special Achievement Awards for their visual effects, and ''Star Wars'' received a Special Achievement Award for its alien, creature and robot voices.


Grammy Awards

The franchise has received a total of fifteen
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nominations, winning six. ;Notes


Library of Congress

In 1989, the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
selected the original ''Star Wars'' film for preservation in the U.S.
National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...
, as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." ''The Empire Strikes Back'' was selected in 2010, while ''Return of the Jedi'' was selected in 2021. 35 mm reels of the 1997 Special Editions were the versions initially presented for preservation because of the difficulty of transferring from the original prints, but it was later revealed that the Library possessed a copyright deposit print of the original theatrical releases. By 2015, ''Star Wars'' had been transferred to a 2K scan which can be viewed by appointment.


Emmy Awards

''Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure'' was one of four films to be juried-awarded Emmys for Outstanding Special Visual Effects at the 37th Primetime Emmy Awards. The film was additionally nominated for Outstanding Children's Program but lost in this category to an episode of '' American Playhouse''. At the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards, ''Ewoks: The Battle for Endor'' and the CBS documentary '' Dinosaur!'' were both juried-awarded Emmys for Outstanding Special Visual Effects. The film additionally received two nominations for Outstanding Children's Program and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Special.


Unproduced and abandoned projects

;Untitled Zack Snyder film In the 2000s
Zack Snyder Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with ''Dawn of the Dead (2004 film), Dawn of the Dead'', a remake of the 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead (1978 film), of the same name ...
had pitched an adult-oriented film to Lucasfilm, but conversations ceased by the time Disney acquired the company in 2012. The project was redeveloped as '' Rebel Moon'' (2023). ;Spin-off films centered on Boba Fett and Yoda In early 2013, Bob Iger announced the development of spin-off films focusing on Han Solo, Boba Fett, and Yoda. Simon Kinberg was announced to be the screenwriter of the Boba Fett film shortly afterward. In mid-2014, Josh Trank was officially announced as the director of an undisclosed spin-off film, but had left the project a year later due to creative differences, causing a teaser for the film to be scrapped from ''Star Wars'' Celebration. Though it was later revealed that Trank was removed from the project following behind the scenes issues on ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
''. In May 2020, Trank confirmed that his planned ''Star Wars'' film was the Boba Fett film. In May 2018, it was reported that James Mangold would direct the Boba Fett movie, with Kinberg still attached as screenwriter. Five months later, the film was announced to be cancelled, with Lucasfilm instead focusing their attention on ''The Mandalorian'', which utilized a similar character to Fett. Mangold confirmed his brief involvement in 2023, revealing he wrote a "borderline R-rated" script. He cited the poor commercial performance of ''Solo'' as the main reason for the film's cancellation. ;''Obi-Wan: A Star Wars Story'' In 2017, it was announced that an anthology film focused on Obi-Wan Kenobi was in development with
Stephen Daldry Stephen David Daldry Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 2 May 1960) is an English director and producer of film, theatre, and television. He has won three Tony Awards for his work on Broadway theatre, Broadway and an Olivie ...
set as director and writer. In May 2018, the film was reportedly titled ''Obi-Wan: A Star Wars Story'', with a plot involving Kenobi protecting a young Luke Skywalker on the planet Tatooine during tensions between local farmers and Tusken Raiders. Production on the film was expected to take place in Northern Ireland under the working title ''Joshua Tree'' in 2019. The film was cancelled in 2018, later being re-developed as a TV series for Disney+, which aired in 2022. ;Potential sequels to ''Rogue One'' and ''Solo'' ''Rogue One'' and ''Solo'' actors Felicity Jones, Alden Ehrenreich and Emilia Clarke all stated that their contracts also included future installments. ''Solo'' director Ron Howard said that while no sequel was in development, it was up to the fans to decide. Although critics noted that ''Solo'' left room open for sequels, in 2022, Howard confirmed that the studio had no plans to make one. ;Untitled Jabba the Hutt film In August 2017, it was rumored that a film focused on Jabba the Hutt was in the works. In June 2018, a rumor circulated that a movie taking place in Mos Eisley was in the works as well. In September 2023, David S. Goyer confirmed that he had written a script treatment for an unproduced Jabba-centric film that was intended to be directed by
Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born 9 October 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and artist. His work has been characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales, Gothic fiction, gothicism and horror fiction, horror often blending the genres ...
. It was also revealed that this was the same project as the rumored Mos Eisley film, with Alden Ehrenreich expected to reprise his role as Han Solo. The film was cancelled due to ''Solo''s poor commercial performance. ;Untitled D. B. Weiss & David Benioff series In 2018, Lucasfilm announced that ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
'' showrunners D. B. Weiss & David Benioff would develop a series of ''Star Wars'' films, often believed to be a trilogy. In 2019, Kathleen Kennedy revealed the studio's intention of planning the next decade of films, with Weiss, Benioff, and Rian Johnson working together to map out the franchise's future. A month later, Bob Iger announced that the first ''Star Wars'' film released after a brief hiatus following the release of ''The Rise of Skywalker'' would be directed by Weiss & Benioff, set to be released in 2022. In October 2019, it was revealed that Weiss & Benioff had departed their trilogy after making an overall deal with
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. Though Kathleen Kennedy expressed interest in working with the duo in the future. Weiss & Benioff's films would have focused on the origins of the Jedi. ;Untitled ''Knights of the Old Republic'' film In April 2019, Kathleen Kennedy was asked by '' MTV News'' about a potential ''Knights of the Old Republic'' adaption and stated, "Yes, we are developing something to look at. Right now, I have no idea where things might fall." The following month, ''
BuzzFeed News ''BuzzFeed News'' was an American news website published by BuzzFeed beginning in 2011. It ceased posting new hard news content in May 2023. It published a number of high-profile scoops, including the Steele dossier, for which it was strong ...
'' reported that Laeta Kalogridis had been hired in the spring of 2018 to write a film based on the 2003 video game, and that she was close to completing the first script of a potential trilogy. ;Untitled Kevin Feige film In September 2019,
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
producer
Kevin Feige Kevin Feige ( ; born June 2, 1973) is an American film and television producer. He has been the president of Marvel Studios and the primary producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise since 2007. The films he has produced have a co ...
reportedly began developing a ''Star Wars'' film with Kennedy; Michael Waldron was later announced to write the screenplay. In May 2022, Waldron confirmed the project was moving forward and that it would more or less stand alone, however in a separate interview the same month Kennedy denied that the film was in active development. By March 2023, the film was confirmed to no longer be in development. Contrary to earlier comments, Kennedy clarified the following month that the project was more something conflated through the media, that "nothing ever got developed. We never discussed an idea... If eigedid come up with something, I would be all ears. But, that's never really happened, so it's not an abandoned project. It just never really happened." In May 2023, Anthony and Joe Russo (who collaborated with Feige on multiple films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) revealed that they had conversations with Feige about potentially directing the film. ;Untitled J. D. Dillard and Matt Owens film J. D. Dillard and '' Luke Cage'' writer Matt Owens were reportedly involved in the early stages of developing a ''Star Wars'' film in February 2020, which may have taken place on the Sith planet Exegol. In November 2022, Dillard announced that he was no longer involved in the project, which was purportedly to take inspiration from the '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' video game.


Documentaries

Documentary films about ''Star Wars'' released by Lucasfilm include: * '' The Making of Star Wars'' (1977) * '' SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) * '' Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi'' (1983) * '' From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga'' (1983) * ''The Beginning: Making 'Episode I (2001) * ''From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II (2002) * ''The Story of Star Wars'' (2004) * '' Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy'' (2004) * ''Star Wars: Heroes & Villains'' (2005) * ''Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III'' (2005) * ''Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed'' (2007) * ''Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey'' (2016) * ''The Force of Sound'' (2018) * ''The Director and the Jedi'' (2018) * ''The Skywalker Legacy'' (2020) * ''Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett'' (2021) * ''Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return'' (2022)


See also

* List of ''Star Wars'' television series * List of ''Star Wars'' cast members * List of ''Star Wars'' characters


Parodies

* '' Hardware Wars'' (1978) * '' Spaceballs'' (1987) * '' Thumb Wars'' (1999) * '' Robot Chicken: Star Wars'' (2007) * '' Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy'' (2010) * '' The Lego Movie'' (2014) * '' Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars'' (2014)


Notes


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Star Wars films *
Films A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of Visual arts, visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are gen ...
Lists of films by franchise