"We're one of them," say Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling on Star Wars: Starfighter

Star Wars: Starfighter is officially in the works with Shawn Levy directing and Ryan Gosling starring. The pair was present at the Star Wars Celebration in Japan on April 18, 2025, and were surrounded by ardent fans. Levy and Gosling acknowledged their love for the franchise. They also admitted that they came from the same place as the fans gathered at the convention.

"This is the perfect place to start this journey for us because it's such a great reminder of why we're going to make this movie and who we're going to make this movie for."

Shawn Levy chimed in by saying:

"We're one of them. We're one of them. You know, there's obviously a relationship between these stories and the audience, but we've spent our lives in the audience, and we know how meaningful it is. As Ryan said, it's a big galaxy. It's a big galaxy, and it feels like there's an opportunity to do a movie that's not a prequel, that's not a sequel and gives us the Star Wars DNA that we love, but with an adventure that's all new."

Ryan Gosling further added,

"Being here and seeing all of you is more inspiring to do it, because there's so much creativity and imagination in this room, and there's so much love...it's such a great reminder of why we're making it, and how much movies can mean to us, and specifically how much these movies mean to us. And I think, you know, the Force is a mysterious thing, but I think as I'm here, the Force is the fans. I think all we can hope for is...may the fans be with us."

Gosling also admitted that he had some Empire Strikes Back-themed bedsheets as a kid. While speaking about his love for this franchise, he added,

"I think [Star Wars] framed by idea of what a movie even was."

Star Wars: Starfighter - Everything we know so far about this Star Wars movie

Star Wars: Starfighter is being directed by Shawn Levy, who came out last year with Deadpool & Wolverine, which became the second-highest-grossing movie of the year. Ryan Gosling, who starred in David Leitch's The Fall Guy, plays a central role in the cast. Deadline notes that the film is being written by Jonathan Tropper, who has written for television projects like Cinemax's Banshee and Warrior.

Based on Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy's comments at the fan convention, Star Wars: Starfighter is a standalone movie, not a prequel or a sequel, and not connected to what some call the Skywalker Saga.

Ryan Gosling added a few insights into the script:

“This script is just so good. The story has so much adventure, so much heart, and original character. It's an opportunity to shine a light into a universe that we may not have seen, and there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn.”

Shawn Levy also offered a peek into what he is planning to explore in Star Wars: Starfighter:

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"The movie is a new adventure, it's a new adventure. It takes place in a new period of time after the Battle of Exegol, after [Star Wars] Episode IX [-The Rise of Skywalker]. So, there are so many opportunities to tell a story that has all the heart and action, and fun of Star Wars, but do it in ways that are new and original."

Levy further added that Star Wars: Starfighter is currently in the pre-production stage. Based on his comments, the cast and crew plan to start shooting in the fall of 2025, and the film is scheduled for a May 28, 2027, release.

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