Five years after the last Star Wars movie hit theaters, Disney and Lucasfilm are ready to return to the beloved galaxy far, far away.
Speculation About the Trilogy’s Direction
Lucasfilm has signed a deal with Simon Kinberg to develop a new Star Wars trilogy. Kinberg will write the scripts and produce the films alongside Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.
While initially suggested the trilogy will continue the Skywalker Saga with episodes 10-12, starting from the original 1977 film by George Lucas, insiders have denied this, claiming the new films will launch a completely new saga. The films will align with ongoing Star Wars projects being developed by James Mangold, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Taika Waititi, and Donald Glover. As usual, both Lucasfilm and Disney have declined to comment.
Kinberg previously worked with Lucasfilm as a co-creator alongside Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck for the Emmy-nominated animated series Star Wars Rebels, which ran for four seasons from 2014 to 2018. He also served as a consultant for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), which helped revitalize the franchise.
The Star Wars Franchise Moving Forward
While Disney has been actively producing Star Wars content for its streaming service Disney+, there hasn’t been a wide-release film since Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
Plans for a new trilogy were announced in 2017 with Rian Johnson, the writer and producer of Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. However, there has been little news about the project since then. In April 2023, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy stated the project was still in active development, but many believe it has since stalled, especially since Johnson and his production partner Ram Bergman signed a deal with Warner Bros. in March to work on two films together.
The next Star Wars movie to hit theaters will be The Mandalorian & Grogu, scheduled for releaseon May 22, 2026, continuing the story from the popular Disney+ series starring Pedro Pascal.
