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 first 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. A Star Wars logo reminiscent of Ben-Hur's logo suggested to some that the film might be a biblical epic, which again seemed to point to a film about the first 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 penciling 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.

Except... At the recent Star Wars Celebration Europe event, it was announced that James Mangold was working on a Star Wars film about... the Dawn of the Jedi (described as being similar to Ben-Hur). Does that mean Waititi is no longer on that film? Or that he never was, and the previously seen concept art didn't mean what people thought it did? According to Kennedy at least, Waititi is still working on his film, whatever it ends up being about. It's since been announced that Waititi will be adapting Klara and the Sun, but is apparently committed to directing his Star Wars film first, ideally in 2024.

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. Or, at least, that was the general assumption: at the Star Wars Celebration Europe event in April 2023, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy revealed the film would follow Rey fifteen years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker as she rebuilt the Jedi Order, introducing Daisy Ridley on stage in front of hundreds of fans.

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 (and has since suggested he was in fact asked to leave rather than deciding to himself). The next day, it was announced that Steven Knight of Peaky Blinders fame had joined the project.

Dave Filoni's Mandalorian finale

What's it about? A sort of Avengers-style team-up film that will draw together various strands of the Star Wars television universe - specifically The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka - into one concluding narrative. It's unclear if this will act as essentially the finale to these series, or if they'll continue after the crossover itself.

Who's involved? Dave Filoni, the key creative figure involved in each of these shows and a former protege of George Lucas, will direct the film. It'll be his first feature.

When's it expected to release? It's said to be around 6-7 years away at the moment.

James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi

What's it about? A film about the first Jedi. Talking to Variety, James Mangold explained that he sees the film as "a ‘Ben-Hur’ or ‘The 10 Commandments’ about the birth of the force. The force has become a kind of religious legend that spans through all these movies. But where did it come from? How is it found? Who found it? Who was the first Jedi?"

Who's involved? James Mangold, best known as the director of Logan and Ford v Ferrari, is set to write and direct. He's recently finished work on the fifth and final Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

When's it expected to release? This could still be a while away yet: James Mangold is currently also contracted to write and direct as Swamp Thing superhero movie for James Gunn's new DC regime, which will presumably take precedence.

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+.

You can read more of our Star Wars coverage here, and sign up for Disney+ here.

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