The galaxy far, far away has a new face — and it belongs to Ryan Gosling. Lucasfilm’s next feature film is officially on its way. Lucasfilm confirmed that Ryan Gosling will lead a new Star Wars installment, titled Star Wars: Starfighter, with Shawn Levy directing, and Disney has set a theatrical release date of May 28, 2027. The announcement has sent the Star Wars fandom into overdrive, with the galaxy’s latest chapter set to arrive on one of cinema’s most storied weekends.
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An Announcement Made for the Fans
After numerous reports on Gosling and Levy’s attachment to a Star Wars project, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and chief creative officer Dave Filoni officially unveiled plans for Starfighter at the banner’s annual Star Wars Celebration event in Tokyo.
Director Shawn Levy said: “I am so honored to release this film on the same weekend that the original film opened 50 years earlier.” The May 28 date aligns with the Memorial Day weekend — the same window in which the original Star Wars movie transformed cinema in 1977.
Star Wars: Starfighter also touched down at D23, as Disney showed off first footage from the film during its Entertainment Showcase.
Film Details at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Film Title | Star Wars: Starfighter |
| Studio | Lucasfilm / 21 Laps Entertainment |
| Distributor | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| Director | Shawn Levy |
| Screenplay | Jonathan Tropper |
| Lead Star | Ryan Gosling |
| Character Name | Kade Auberon |
| Cinematography | Claudio Miranda |
| Editor | Adam Gerstel |
| Music | Thomas Newman |
| Release Date | May 28, 2027 |
| Film Type | Standalone — Not a Sequel or Prequel |
| Setting | ~5 Years After The Rise of Skywalker |
Meet Kade Auberon: Ryan Gosling’s Star Wars Character
At D23 2026, Gosling finally gave fans what they had been waiting for — a name and a glimpse into his character. Switching into a new jacket inspired by his Starfighter character Kade Auberon, Gosling offered hints at Kade’s journey, saying: “Kade is a guy from the wrong side of the galaxy, whose fate is intertwined with the fastest starfighter ever built.”
Like Star Wars creator George Lucas, Levy was inspired by American car culture, and films like The Outsiders and Lucas’s American Graffiti when working on the film.
Levy described the film: “Starfighter embodies the themes of hope, family and adventure that have always been core to Star Wars, but our story takes place in a period of time that has never been seen before which has been a privilege to create and explore.”
What Is Star Wars: Starfighter About?
The standalone film focuses on new characters in the Star Wars universe and is set roughly five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker, which concluded the Skywalker saga and currently stands as the final feature chronologically on the Star Wars timeline.
Levy confirmed: “This is a stand-alone. It’s not a prequel, not a sequel. It’s a new adventure. It’s set in a period of time that we haven’t seen explored yet.”
While many cast names have bubbled up only to prove incorrect, there does seem to be a search for a teenage actor to play opposite Gosling’s mystery man and for a male and female villain.
In the first-look footage, Gosling’s Kade enters and says, “Didn’t I tell you not to touch anything?” before revealing a “decommissioned G17 — the fastest starfighter ever built.”
The Full Cast
Joining the previously announced Ryan Gosling, the film stars Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.
| Actor | Role / Status |
|---|---|
| Ryan Gosling | Kade Auberon — Lead |
| Flynn Gray | Supporting Lead — Newcomer |
| Matt Smith | Supporting Cast |
| Mia Goth | Supporting Cast |
| Aaron Pierre | Supporting Cast |
| Amy Adams | Supporting Cast |
| Simon Bird | Supporting Cast |
| Jamael Westman | Supporting Cast |
| Daniel Ings | Supporting Cast |
The Creative Team
The film is directed by Shawn Levy and produced by Levy and Kathleen Kennedy. Executive producers are Ryan Gosling, Dan Levine, Mary McLaglen, and Josh McLaglen. The script is by Jonathan Tropper.
Variety confirmed that Jonathan Tropper has written the screenplay. Tropper has written prior features for Levy, including The Adam Project and This Is Where I Leave You, and is the creator of the Apple TV+ series Your Friends & Neighbors.
Production & Creative Team Overview
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Director | Shawn Levy |
| Screenplay | Jonathan Tropper |
| Producers | Shawn Levy, Kathleen Kennedy |
| Executive Producers | Ryan Gosling, Dan Levine, Mary & Josh McLaglen |
| Cinematographer | Claudio Miranda |
| Editor | Adam Gerstel |
| Composer | Thomas Newman |
The Development Road: From Talks to the Big Screen
Levy entered talks to direct a new Star Wars film in November 2022. Development was delayed by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, and was in early stages in October 2023. Tropper was hired to write the film in July 2024.
The title and Gosling’s casting were announced in April 2025, with the full cast announced in August when filming began in the United Kingdom.
Starfighter is set to hit theaters on May 28, 2027, after it wrapped filming at the end of 2025.
The Box Office Battle Ahead
The May 28, 2027 release is just three weeks after fellow mega-Disney title Avengers: Secret Wars, which bows May 7, 2027. Interestingly, both titles sit under the same Disney umbrella, meaning the studio’s summer of 2027 is shaping up to be a box office juggernaut of historic proportions.
Disney’s June 16, 2027 release of Incredibles 3 and the December 18 arrival of Dune: Part Three will further define a monumental year for the big screen, but Starfighter is undoubtedly the conversation starter — a fresh Star Wars face, a beloved filmmaker, and a Memorial Day tradition finally restored.
Star Wars Cinematic Timeline
| Film | Year | Saga Era |
|---|---|---|
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 2015 | Sequel Trilogy |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | 2016 | Standalone |
| Star Wars: The Last Jedi | 2017 | Sequel Trilogy |
| Solo: A Star Wars Story | 2018 | Standalone |
| Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 2019 | Sequel Trilogy (Final) |
| The Mandalorian and Grogu | 2026 | Post-Sequel |
| Star Wars: Starfighter | May 28, 2027 | Post-Sequel / Standalone |
Ryan Gosling: The Star Wars Fan Who Became the Star
Gosling said from the stage: “The reality is that this script is just so good. It has such a great story with great and original characters. It’s filled with so much heart and adventure, and there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn.”
Gosling told the screaming audience at Star Wars Celebration: “It’s such a great reminder of how much movies can mean to us, specifically how much these movies mean to us. The force is a mysterious thing, but, as I’m here, the force is the fans. All we can hope for is, ‘May the fans be with us.'”
Read More: Dune: Part Three to Begin IMAX Screenings on December 14 — Four Days Before Official Release
FAQs
What is the release date of Star Wars: Starfighter?
Starfighter will be released theatrically May 28, 2027. It arrives on Memorial Day weekend — the same iconic slot in which the original Star Wars debuted back in 1977, exactly 50 years earlier.
Who plays the lead character in Star Wars: Starfighter?
Ryan Gosling plays Kade Auberon, switching into a character-inspired jacket at D23 and describing him as “a guy from the wrong side of the galaxy, whose fate is intertwined with the fastest starfighter ever built.”
Who is directing Star Wars: Starfighter and who wrote the screenplay?
The film is directed by Shawn Levy, produced by Shawn Levy and Kathleen Kennedy, and written by screenwriter Jonathan Tropper.
Is Star Wars: Starfighter connected to the Skywalker Saga?
The film is a standalone movie unconnected to the Skywalker Saga. The events of Starfighter take place approximately five years after the events of 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Who else is in the cast of Star Wars: Starfighter?
Joining the previously announced Ryan Gosling, the film stars Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.