Every Star Wars Project Currently In Development
We're coming up on the 10-year anniversary of Disney buying Lucasfilm from George Lucas in October 2012, and it's been quite the roller coaster ride for "Star Wars" since then. We've had "Star Wars" projects that just about everyone seems to love ("Star Wars Rebels"), ones that nobody can agree on ("Star Wars: The Last Jedi"), and ones that fans seem to think are, you know, okay, but definitely could've been better ("Solo: A Star Wars Story"). That's to mention nothing of all the off-screen drama, from numerous directors joining and then leaving "Star Wars" films over creative differences and "The Mandalorian" co-star Gina Carano's much-publicized firing in 2021.
Despite all that, there's no slowing down the biggest franchise on the planet this side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With "Obi-Wan Kenobi" less than two weeks away from premiering on Disney+ and the latest seasons of "The Mandalorian" and "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" slated to arrive sooner than later, there's plenty more to come from a galaxy far, far away in 2022. Not only that, we only just found out there are even more "Star Wars" projects in some stage of development than we previously thought. And no, Rian Johnson's new trilogy isn't one of them (nor is Kevin Feige's movie), but you probably already put that together on your own, right?
With that in mind, let's run through every "Star Wars" we know of that are, in fact, actively moving forward (officially, that is).
Andor
A prequel series to the 2016 prequel film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (it's prequels all the way down!), "Andor" has Diego Luna reprising his "Rogue One" role as rebel spy Cassian Andor. The show is being overseen by Tony Gilroy, who wrote and directed the acclaimed 2007 legal thriller "Michael Clayton" and was heavily involved with the reshoots on "Rogue One," snagging a co-writing credit for his efforts.
"Andor" will reveal how its namesake went from being (in Gilroy's words) "revolution-averse, and cynical, and lost, and kind of a mess" to being the selfless freedom fighter we first met in "Rogue One." Other returning cast members include Genevieve O'Reilly as Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma, whose story on the series will parallel that of Cassian's. Stellan Skarsgård ("Dune"), Adria Arjona ("Morbius"), Fiona Shaw ("Killing Eve"), and Denise Gough ("Under the Banner of Heaven") also co-star as members of the show's "huge, orchestral, Dickensian ensemble cast" (again, Gilroy's words, not mine).
Prequel jokes aside, "Andor" has the makings of a gritty war drama along the lines of "Rogue One." The hope is the show will delve deeper into the murky ethics and morality the Rebels were forced to embrace in their campaign against the tyrannical forces of the Galactic Empire, while at the same time fleshing out Cassian as a character in compelling ways. So long as it avoids the excess fan service that makes "Rogue One" a bit polarizing, this could be one of the more mature "Star Wars" projects to date.
"Andor" is slated to premiere on Disney+ in 2022.
Ahsoka
Created by George Lucas and the man with the hat himself, Dave Filoni, Ahsoka Tano is no doubt the most beloved character to emerge from the animated side of the "Star Wars" universe. Now, after making her live-action debut on "The Mandalorian" and popping up briefly in "The Book of Boba Fett," Ahsoka is gearing up to lead a live-action TV show of her own.
Rosario Dawson will reprise her role as Ahsoka for the spin-off series, with Natasha Liu Bordizzo co-starring as the live-action version of the Mandalorian rebel Sabine Wren from "Star Wars Rebels." The show looks to follow Ahsoka and Sabine on their continuing search for the nefarious Imperial officer Thrawn and, more importantly, their old friend and Jedi-in-training Ezra Bridger. (For those who haven't seen it: "Rebels" ends with Ezra defeating Thrawn, only for the pair to get dragged away to parts unknown aboard Thrawn's Star Destroyer.)
With Filoni onboard as head writer and executive producer, the expectation is "Ahsoka" will act as, more or less, a live-action sequel series to "Rebels" in terms of its plot. It should also carry over that show's rich spiritual themes and focus on nature, all the more so as it dives into Ahsoka's inner turmoil from losing her friend and mentor, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), to the Dark Side. The question is, can an introspective series about Ahsoka be just as meaningful to viewers who only know the character from other live-action shows as those who watched her grow up on "Rebels" and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars"?
"Ahsoka" will begin streaming on Disney+ in 2023.
The Acolyte
If you're ready for a break from prequel-era "Star Wars" series and "The Mandalorian" spinoffs, you're in luck! The upcoming live-action series "The Acolyte" is set a century before the events of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," back when Yoda was a scrappy 700-year-old going on 800 and Emperor Palpatine wasn't even an evil Sith Lord in diapers. At least, I assume we won't be getting a baby Palpatine on this show (but don't quote me on that).
"The Acolyte" was created by Leslye Headland (the co-creator of "Russian Doll") and will take viewers into "a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era," as the show's synopsis teases. According to Headland, the series will explore "the political and personal and spiritual things that came up in a time period that we don't know much about" in the "Star Wars" timeline. That makes it as much a mystery action-thriller as a political intrigue drama set in the distant past of a galaxy far, far away.
Part of what's exciting about "The Acolyte" is that it takes place far away from the events of the Skywalker Saga, enough so as to ensure the show can't go too overboard on nostalgia and fan service. It will also feature non-binary actor Amandla Stenberg ("The Hate U Give") in a lead role and is the first live-action "Star Wars" series to feature a woman as head writer, both of which are overdue but welcome steps forward for representation in the franchise. It's one to keep an eye on, for sure.
"The Acolyte" has yet to set a release date on Disney+.
Lando
Hello, what have we here? Yes, it's finally time for Lando Calrissian to get the spotlight to himself in a live-action "Star Wars" project. So far, however, all we know is that the "Lando" show is a limited series based on a story written by "Dear White People" filmmaker Justin Simien. Beyond that, it's unclear if the series will center on the adventures of a younger Lando (played by Donald Glover in "Solo: A Star Wars Story"), or pick up from the end of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," with the older Lando (Billy Dee Williams) helping Naomi Ackie's ex-stormtrooper, Jannah, find her family.
It's possible "Lando" will split the difference and include flashbacks to Lando's past, allowing both Glover and Williams to reprise their roles on the show. Either way, with everyone's favorite smooth-talking former con artist-turned Rebel hero leading the way, the series ought to have a lighter tone than some of the other "Star Wars" TV shows that are in the works. At the same time, Simien has proven quite skilled at blending comedy with drama, so, fingers crossed, "Lando" will have a big heart to go with all the intergalactic escapades.
"Lando" has yet to receive a premiere date.
Jon Watts' Star Wars show
Speaking of lighter-hearted "Star Wars" projects: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" filmmaker Jon Watts is now confirmed to be working on a live-action series set in a galaxy far, far away. The untitled show is said to be in the vein of an '80s Amblin kids-on-an-adventure coming-of-age film in the vein of "The Goonies," and even gets its working title, "Grammar Rodeo," from an episode of "The Simpsons" where Bart and his pals get into all manner of mischief.
Seeing as Watts only just stepped down as director on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "Fantastic Four" movie reboot, it's possible he's preparing to get production on his "Star Wars" TV series up and going sooner than you might expect. Be that the case or not, it's good to have "Star Wars" projects like this one — that is, those that are (by the sound of it) intended more for kids than adults, lest the franchise become limited in terms of the tones it embodies at any given point in time.
Jon Watts' "Star Wars" series has yet to receive a title or release date.
Star Wars: A Droid Story
Truly, droids are the unsung heroes of the "Star Wars" franchise. (Goodness knows R2-D2 alone has single-handedly saved the day more than anyone else in a galaxy far, far away ever has.) Now, they're finally getting a project all to themselves in the shape of "Star Wars: A Droid Story," an animated series that follows R2-D2, C-3PO, and a brand-new droid on "a secret mission known only to them," per the show's synopsis.
Okay, fine, I'm deliberately ignoring "Star Wars: Droids," an animated cartoon series that aired from 1985-86 and is now part of Star Wars Legends (aka the non-canon "Star Wars" projects that came out prior to Disney buying Lucasfilm). "A Droid Story" will probably have more in common with that show than anything else, complete with all the slapstick silliness you would expect. But it's like I said in the previous slide: kids deserve "Star Wars" projects that are geared more towards them than older fans, and a droids series ought to do the trick quite nicely.
"Star Wars: A Droid Story" has yet to receive a premiere date.
Taika Waititi's Star Wars movie
After the frustrating misfire that was 2019's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," Lucasfilm wisely put the "Star Wars" films on hiatus for a few years to figure out where to take things next. It now appears that Taika Waititi's as-yet-untitled "Star Wars" movie will be the first one out the gate, possibly taking the 2023 release date previously claimed for "Rogue Squadron" (more on that shortly).
While we've no idea what it's about, we know Waititi will direct the film from a script he's co-writing with "1917" and "Last Night in Soho" scribe Krysty Wilson-Cairns. We've already gotten a taste of what a Waititi "Star Wars" movie could be like, too, thanks to his work on "The Mandalorian" season 1 finale, in which he also played the droid IG-11. The episode very much has his trademark off-beat humor (leave it to Waititi to make stormtroopers punching Grogu funny), but also delivers some top-notch action scenes and the underlying pathos of his other work. Bring on the Waititi Star War, I say!
Taika Waititi's "Star Wars" film has yet to receive a concrete release date.
Rogue Squadron
Patty Jenkins' "Rogue Squadron" movie was meant to usher in a brand new era of "Star Wars" films, the Skywalker Saga now firmly in the rearview mirror. But, in what's become a troubling pattern in the Disney era of the franchise, it hit a snag and has since been delayed. So far, though, it seems creative differences aren't to blame so much as Jenkins' commitment to directing "Wonder Woman 3" before she takes to the stars.
"Rogue Squadron" is being written by Matthew Robinson ("Love and Monsters") and will "introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives." The Star Wars Legends "Rogue Squadron" books and video games were pretty dang good (though that may be the nostalgia talking) and are said to be influencing the film, which is also encouraging. I admit, I would probably be more enthused about this movie if Jenkins hadn't only just directed the disappointing "Wonder Woman 1984" (which has its merits, don't get me wrong). Still, every filmmaker is allowed a misstep, and a woman finally directing a "Star Wars" film is absolutely an occasion worth celebrating on its own.
"Rogue Squadron" was previously scheduled to reach theaters on December 22, 2023, but that's no longer expected to happen.