Star Wars movies: every planned and cancelled Lucasfilm movie - latest news and updates

There’s a Star Wars film slated for cinema release in December 2025. The film will arrive in the wake of four live-action Star Wars television shows, three animated series, and even a game show – and six years after The Rise of Skywalker. Where the galaxy far far away has thrived on the small screen, the rate of its cinematic outings has been far less than the Marvel-style output that was expected when Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012.

We don’t actually even know for sure which Star Wars film will arrive in December 2025 – if, indeed, one does at all, given how many Star Wars films have been delayed indefinitely or cancelled outright in recent years.

With that in mind, here’s a full guide to everything we know about every Star Wars film currently planned for the next few years, and those that have fallen off the schedule.

In Active Development

Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie

What’s it about? Little to nothing is known about the plot of the film. Notably, however, when Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy announced the film, she did so stood in front of concept art that resembled a large pyramid style spaceship from a Star Wars tie-in novel called Dawn of the Jedi. That has led some fans to speculate that Waititi’s film will adapt said novel, and chart the origins of the Jedi.

Who’s involved? Taika Waititi will direct, off the back of his work on Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, as well as an early episode of The Mandalorian. It’s also been revealed that Waititi is looking to star in the film too. Meanwhile, Oscar-nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917, Last Night in Soho) will co-write the script.

When’s it expected to release? This one has moved around a few times, with Kennedy at one stage pencilling the film in for a late 2023 release. The film won’t meet that target, but is possibly going to be the December 2025 release.

Obaid-Chinoy/Lindelof/Knight’s Star Wars movie

What’s it about? At the moment we don’t know – it’s said to be one of the most closely guarded secrets in Hollywood – but the general understanding/assumption is that this film will follow a new storyline with new characters.

Who’s involved? Damon Lindelof, previously of Lost and Watchmen, was co-writing the script with Justin Britt-Gibson (Counterpart). Oscar-winning documentary maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who made her live-action debut last year with two episodes of Ms Marvel, is attached to direct the film.

When’s it expected to release? There are conflicting reports as to whether this film or Waititi’s will make the December 2025 release date, so you might see this film sooner than you’d think.

But... about three weeks after this article was first published, it was reported that Lindelof and Britt-Gibson had left the project. It's unclear exactly why, but their departure comes not long after Lindelof alluded to the possibility of simply walking away if he felt unable to do it well enough. The next day, it was announced that Steven Knight of Peaky Blinders fame had joined the project.

On Pause

Rogue Squadron

What was it about? Rogue Squadron was conceived of as a one-off film, a little like 2016’s Rogue One, following a group of X-Wing pilots.

Who’s involved? Patty Jenkins – best known for directing the two Gal Gadot Wonder Woman movies – was set to write and direct the film.

What happened? Well, what indeed. It seems that internal enthusiasm for Rogue Squadron gradually petered out (possibly prompted by the lukewarm response to Jenkins’ second Wonder Woman movie), with the film pulled from the schedule in September 2022. In a December 2022 statement to Variety, Jenkins said she was still working on the film, but didn’t “know if it would happen or not”.

Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy

Who was involved? After production on Star Wars: The Last Jedi completed, it was announced that Rian Johnson would be writing and directing his own trilogy of Star Wars films, tackling a completely original story within that universe.

What happened? Technically, nothing. After The Last Jedi, Johnson went on to experience huge success with his Knives Out films and television series Poker Face; whenever he’s asked about his Star Wars trilogy, Johnson is enthusiastic and says it’s something he’d like to get to eventually. Kathleen Kennedy has made similar comments, but it’s clear the trilogy is neither Johnson nor Lucasfilm’s immediate priority.

Kevin Feige’s Star Wars movie

Who was involved? It was announced in September 2019 that Marvel Studios head Feige was working on a Star Wars film, prompting some speculation that he was being lined up to take over Lucasfilm. In May 2022, it was announced that Feige had asked Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron to start working on a Star Wars script.

What happened? It’s a little unclear if anything in particular happened, but with Feige shepherding the next decade of Marvel film and television series – and Waldron working on the script for Avengers 6 – it seems that this film has been postponed indefinitely due to their other commitments.

Have any Star Wars films been cancelled outright?

A handful, yes – most notably Stephen Frears’ planned Obi-Wan Kenobi movie and Josh Trank’s possible Boba Fett movie, both of which were reworked into television series for Disney+.

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