A long time ago, in a galaxy not so far, far away, there was only the original Star Wars movie trilogy for the sci-fi saga’s fans — no prequels, sequels, television series, animated shows, or tie-in projects to keep excitement high between big-screen adventures.
That fantastic universe created by George Lucas has expanded in some big ways in recent years with spinoff films, TV shows (both animated and live-action), and new chapters of the cinematic series. Keeping track of what’s on the horizon in the Star Wars universe can be a daunting task, so we’ve compiled a list of all the Star Wars movies and television series you can look forward to in the near future, beginning with the most recent news and announcements.
More Star Wars news:
- You’re doing it wrong! Here’s the best order to watch the Star Wars movies
- Here’s how to watch all of the Star Wars films and series online
- The best Star Wars movies, ranked from worst to best
Current and upcoming projects
The Book of Boba Fett
Rumors that began in 2015 pegged bounty hunter Boba Fett as a candidate for his own movie, with Logan director James Mangold initially attached before plans for a Boba Fett movie were scuttled in October 2018. It turned out that Disney still had plans for the bounty hunter, with the studio officially announcing the live-action series The Book of Boba Fett in December 2020.
A spinoff from The Mandalorian series on Disney+, The Book of Boba Fett has Temuera Morrison reprise his role as the iconic bounty hunter alongside Ming-Na Wen as the assassin Fennec Shand. The series will unfold in parallel with the other upcoming live-action series Rangers of the New Republic and Ahsoka. Lucasfilm recently released the first trailer for the series, which finds Boba Fett and Fennec Shand attempting to solidify their control over Jabba’s criminal empire. The Book of Boba Fett now has a Disney+ premiere date as well: Wednesday, December 29, 2021.
The Mandalorian
Andor
Another live-action Star Wars show for Disney+ streaming service, Andor, brings back Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actors Diego Luna and Alan Tudyk from the 2016 film.
Luna will once again play rebel spy Cassian Andor, while Tudyk will voice his droid sidekick, K-2SO. The series will be set five years before the events of Rogue One and will explore the characters’ early adventures during the formative years of the Rebellion. The series will premiere in 2022.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Plans for an Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff have been rumored since Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, but now it’s official: Old Ben will finally get the spotlight in a Disney+ miniseries.
Ewan McGregor will return with a “familiar mechanical co-star” at his side to reveal what happened to Obi-Wan during his time as a hermit on Tatooine. Deborah Chow, who directed episodes of Jessica Jones and Better Call Saul in addition to some of the most popular episodes of The Mandalorian, will direct the limited series from a script penned by King Arthur: Legend of the Sword screenwriter Joby Harold. The series is scheduled to premiere in 2022.
Rogue Squadron
Announced last year during thd Disney Investor Day, director Patty Jenkins’ Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie is now on indefinite hold. The primary culprit is Jenkins’ busy schedule, which includes a Cleopatra bio pic and Wonder Woman 3, both with Gal Gadot attached to star. Lucasfilm still hopes to make Rogue Squadron with Jenkins, when she is able to once again focus on the project. The film was an original story about the famous Rogue Squadron X-Wing pilots who were introduced in the very first Star Wars film. Now that this project is sidelined, there are no Star Wars films officially on Disney and Lucasfilm’s theatrical release schedule.
The Acolyte
Reports of a new series with a female-led cast first began circulating in April 2020, with Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland attached to write and serve as showrunner on the project. Disney and Lucasfilm confirmed the project on Star Wars Day, May 4, and indicated that the series will premiere on the Disney+ streaming service.
Additional details are scarce, but the Russian Doll creator’s Star Wars series is reportedly set in a part of the sci-fi saga’s timeline that hasn’t been explored yet (possibly the late High Republic Era, prior to the events of Episode I and the prequel films). There’s no premiere date set for the show yet.
Ahsoka
Rosario Dawson will reprise her role as the live-action version of Anakin Skywalker’s former apprentice and hero of The Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano. Dawson made her debut as Ahsoka, who was voiced by Ashley Eckstein in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels animated series, in season 2 of The Mandalorian. She’ll now headline the Ahsoka series, which doesn’t have a premiere date yet.
Lando
Infamous smuggler, gambler, and cape aficionado Lando Calrissian will also get his own live-action series on Disney+ at some point in the future, although it’s currently unknown if Donald Glover will reprise his role as the charismatic character from Solo: A Star Wars Story. What is known, however, is that Dear White People filmmaker Justin Simien will provide the story for the show.
Rangers of the New Republic
Little is known about the plot of Rangers of the New Republic, the live-action series announced by Disney in December 2020. The series will be developed by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni and will unfold alongside The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka , with all four shows coming together in a crossover event at some point — but that’s all we know for now.
Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie
After Academy Award winner Taika Waititi (above) directed the final episode of season 1 of The Mandalorian, the Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit filmmaker became the subject of some early reports suggesting he was in talks to direct a Star Wars movie. Those reports were confirmed on Star Wars Day (May 4), with Disney and Lucasfilm indicating that Waititi would not only direct an upcoming film but would also co-write the movie with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, the Oscar-nominated co-writer on war drama 1917. No further details about Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie or its release date have been given.
J.D. Dillard’s Star Wars movie
Little is known about the Star Wars movie announced in February that will pair Sleight director J.D. Dillard with Luke Cage and The Defenders writer Matt Owens. It’s unknown whether the project is intended for the big screen or for streaming service Disney+, but reports suggest J.D. Dillard’s Star Wars movie will involve the planet Exegol — the hidden planet used by the Sith that was introduced in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker.
Kevin Feige’s Star Wars movies
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, the architect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will bring his talents to the Star Wars universe for an upcoming movie — and possibly more.
The arrangement was announced in September 2019, and unconfirmed reports indicate that Feige already has a high-profile actor in mind for the “wave” of projects he’ll produce for Lucasfilm. There’s no word yet on when we’ll see Kevin Feige’s Star Wars projects or any details about what form those projects will take.
Rian Johnson’s Star Wars spinoff trilogy
Lucasfilm was so enamored with writer-director Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII — The Last Jedi that the studio tapped him to work on an entirely new trilogy outside the episodic Star Wars franchise. Little is known about the setting — or the expected release date — of Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy at this point, but it’s reported to focus on characters who have little or no connection to the Skywalker bloodline.
Given how polarizing The Last Jedi was, one thing seems certain: A full trilogy steeped in Johnson’s convention-defying take on the Star Wars universe will give audiences plenty to talk about.
Rumored Star Wars stories
Star Wars Detours
The 2012 Star Wars Celebration VI led to the announcement of a fascinating new animated series called Star Wars Detours, but the show never saw the light of day. It was intended to be a comedic take on the Star Wars universe, created by Robot Chicken‘s Seth Green and Matthew Senreich.
According to a Reddit AMA with Green in 2014, the duo did produce 39 full episodes and completed 62 scripts. However, the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm halted production and pushed the show to the back seat. A sliver of light appeared in June 2018, though, when Lucasfilm filed a trademark for Detours, which could indicate that the series may land on screens someday soon.
Canceled projects
The Game of Thrones creators’ series
In February 2018, Lucasfilm announced an ambitious and exciting new set of Star Wars movies that would reportedly involve a storyline separate from previous films. Game of Thrones TV series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss wrote and produced the new series, whose expected debut was set to land sometime in 2022.
The series was expected to fill the big-screen hole left after the end of Rise of Skywalker. Despite the creators signing a $250 million development deal with Netflix, the pair, unfortunately, announced the project’s cancellation in October 2019.
Recent Star Wars projects
Lego Star Wars Holiday Special
The mere mention of a Star Wars holiday special is likely to make some fans twitch nervously, but Disney erased many bad memories of the original, much-maligned 1978 TV special by giving fans a new holiday-themed Star Wars story — this time with a Lego spin. The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special premiered November 17, 2020, on streaming service Disney+ and featured characters and cast members spanning the entire saga.
Like the 1978 holiday special, the story brought several popular characters from the Star Wars films to Kashyyyk, the home world of the Wookiees, in order to learn about and celebrate the annual holiday known as Life Day. Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Rose, and of course, Chewbacca, all made the journey, which also involved an adventure that had Rey encounter Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and other famous Jedi throughout history.
