"The Force Is the Fans": Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling Hype Up 'Star Wars: Starfighter' at Star Wars Celebration

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Shawn Levy‘s upcoming Star Wars film, Star Wars: Starfighter, made a significant impact at the recent Star Wars Celebration held in Chiba, Japan. Levy and the film’s lead, Ryan Gosling, engaged with an enthusiastic audience, sharing their passion for the iconic space opera series. Collider’s own Maggie Lovitt was present at the event.

Levy, who achieved box office success with last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine, expressed his deep connection to Star Wars as a fan and emphasized the importance of crafting a fresh narrative within the beloved universe:

“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.”

Gosling, promoting his own film, The Fall Guy, added:

“Being here and seeing all of you is more inspiration 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.”

If Levy and Gosling remain true to their vision, this will mark the first Star Wars film that is neither a sequel nor a prequel since the original in 1977. Besides the prequel and sequel trilogies, Rogue One and Solo were essentially prequels, while the forthcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu film serves as a sequel to the three seasons of The Mandalorian. Audiences can expect to see Star Wars: Starfighter in theaters on May 27, 2027.

What Do We Know About ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’?

The film is set five years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, placing it forty years after the 1977 original. While details remain sparse, the title suggests a focus on starfighter pilots and the outer space dogfighting action that has been a hallmark of the franchise since Luke Skywalker piloted his X-Wing against TIE Fighters to destroy the Death Star. Unlike many other Star Wars films announced since the conclusion of the sequel trilogy in 2019, Starfighter is already in pre-production.

Other notable Star Wars projects highlighted at the Celebration include the upcoming seasons of Andor, Ahsoka, and Star Wars: Visions, along with The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is scheduled for a summer release. This marks the second Celebration in Japan, the first being in 2008.

Star Wars: Starfighter is set to premiere on May 27, 2027. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.