George Lucas changed the film world forever when A New Hope hit theaters back in 1977, and the Star Wars franchise remains a vital part of pop culture to this day. While the property has continued to expand with live-action shows on Disney+ like The Mandalorian, no movies have hit theaters since the release of J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker. But that's about to change, as Star Wars finally revealed its movie plans. And there are some very exciting titles coming down the line.
This weekend is the annual Star Wars Celebration, which brings fans together and usually debuts some vital information about the property. This year was no exception, as Kathleen Kennedy and company shared thrilling updates about its live-action shows, as well as the future of the property in theaters. Lucasfilm revealed a three movies that are on the way, each focused on a different part of the galaxy's timeline.
So what are these projects? One movie is being helmed by James Mangold, which will reveal the dawn of the Jedi long before the events of Episode I. The second will come from Dave Filoni and will be New Republic-set story which is connected to Disney+'s various live-action shows. Finally, there's a movie coming from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be set after The Rise of Skywalker, and will follow Daisy Ridley's Rey as she builds a new Jedi Order.
Is anyone else's head spinning? While the generations of Star Wars fans have been not-so-patiently waiting for updates about the space opera's future in theaters, we've finally been given some answers. And the next saga of the franchise will span three movies across centuries of time in-universe. Clearly, Lucasfilm isn't singularly focused on TV shows for Disney+ anymore.
The information about these upcoming projects is super limited, but it's thrilling to learn just how ambitious the plans for the future are. The upcoming Star Wars movies sound exciting in their own ways, although their release dates are currently a mystery.
While the previous three movie trilogies are separated into specific moments of time, the next slate of movies will cover adventures through the entire timeline of the franchise. And it should be fascinating to see how these stories ultimately impact the property as a whole.
This exciting announcement is sure to inspire countless new questions about Star Wars, but we do know which movie is going to be the first post-Skywalker Saga project. Namely Dawn of the Jedi which will be set 25,000 years before the first movies. That developing blockbuster will be helmed by none other than Logan director James Mangold. Considering his Oscar-nominated success with that Hugh Jackman-led superhero flick he seems like the perfect talent to usher in this new age of Star Wars movies. Since Mangold is also the man behind the camera for the upcoming Indiana Jones sequel, it's clear that he's got a great working relationship with Lucasfilm. Another massively exciting bit of news is that Daisy Ridley is going to be back as Rey, this time as a Jedi Master who is training her own Padawans.
Considering the various Star Wars movie projects that were previously announced, smart money says fans are still going to be eager for more information. I'm still curious about if Taika Waititi is still going to direct his own movie, or if the Thor director scrapped those plans. Only time will tell, but the galaxy far, far away suddenly feels much closer.
While we wait for more details like the release dates of the new Star Wars movies, the franchise continues to provide new content thanks to shows on Disney+. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
