Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Lucasfilm

  • Power! Unlimited Power! Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan Set to Replace Kathleen Kennedy Atop Lucasfilm

    Power! Unlimited Power! Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan Set to Replace Kathleen Kennedy Atop Lucasfilm

    Everything is proceeding as many have forseen. Following an extended period of speculation and rumors, a new report claims that the heir to George Lucas’ empire, Lucasfilm’s creative Grand Admiral Dave Filoni, will soon be named co-President of the company alongside Lynwen Brennan as Kathleen Kennedy steps down from the role.

    The news comes from Matt Belloni who reports that Lucasfilm will confirm the moves in “the next week or two.”

    Filoni, the creator behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka, has served as Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Office since November 2023 and will remain in command of the “creative direction of the franchise in film, television, and any other platforms in the galaxy.” Brennan, who was named Executive Vice President and General Manager of Lucasfilm by Kennedy in 2015, is expected to continue coordinating the business side of things for the studio.

    Kennedy‘s career at Lucasfilm began in 2012 when she was handpicked by George Lucas to serve as co-chair before the company’s acquisition by The Walt Disney Company. Following the sale, she was promoted to President, overseeing Lucasfilm’s primary divisions, including Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Skywalker Sound. Under her leadership, the studio revitalized the Star Wars franchise, launching a sequel trilogy that began with the record-breaking The Force Awakens (2015) and continued with The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Beyond the Skywalker Saga, Kennedy shepherded standalone “anthology” films such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) as well as the return of another iconic Lucasfilm property with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).

    In addition to her work in feature films, Kennedy spearheaded Lucasfilm’s expansion into streaming through Disney+. She served as executive producer on critically acclaimed and award-winning live-action series, most notably The Mandalorian, which debuted in 2019, and the Emmy-winning Andor.

    As Kennedy prepares to step away, Lucasfilm has rough 7,813,212 Star Was projects in development, none of which a large segment of fans believe will actually be made.

  • Rumored Synopsis for ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Teases Another Deep Dive into Legends Lore

    Rumored Synopsis for ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Teases Another Deep Dive into Legends Lore

    Star Wars fans were thoroughly underwhelmed by the first teaser for The Mandalorian and Grogu; however, to be fair, Star Wars fans are thoroughly underwhelmed by anything Star Wars-related. The pulpy teaser gave almost nothing away, showing only glimpses of new characters and a few solid looking action sequences but it was also accompanied by a first synopsis which teased the idea of Din Djarin and Grogu tracking down the Shadow Council in the film.

    The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.

    -Official synopsis for The Mandalorian and Grogu

    The Shadow Council made its first canonical appearance in Chuck Wendig‘s 2017 novel Aftermath: Life Debt where, led by Admiral Gallius Rax, they planned to overthrow the New Republic. The machinations of the Shadow Council, which consisted of Rax, Rae Sloane, Brendol Hux, Ferric Obdur, Grand Moff Rand and Hodnar Borrum, were thought to be thwarted with their defeat at the Battle of Jokku, however, as seen in Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian, it has been reformed and included Moff Gideon.

    The Shadow Council

    Gideon has since been incinerated and the council has scattered but with Grand Admiral Thrawn making his way back from Peridea, they will still pose a major threat to the galaxy. Interestingly, a rumored new synopsis, discovered on a German Blu-ray site, explains that Din Djarin and Grogu will be hunting down the Imperial remnants, leading them to an powerful ancient artifact.

    The Empire has been defeated and the remnants of its force scattered to the far corners of the galaxy. Yet some of the former commanders of this dark era cling to their power and have become dangerous warlords. Din Djarin together with his apprentice Grogu track down and neutralize these cells. Several clues lead them to Khar’Zuun where they not only manage to infiltrate an almost forgotten imperial facility but Grogu also discovers an ancient artifact that functions as an amplifier of his abilities.

    -Rumored synopsis for The Mandalorian and Grogu

    While there’s been no confirmation of the recently found synopsis being official, the idea that Grogu discovers an “ancient artifact that functions as an amplifier of his abilities” is incredibly interesting and does remain consistent with the type of Legends lore that Jon Favreau has consistently mined in crafting The Mandalorian. From Dark Troopers to lightsaber-proof Beskar, Favreau has incorporated concepts from what was previously known as the expanded universe into the streaming series and, if he’s doing it yet again, there are plenty of options for what the artifact discovered by Grogu might be, including holocrons, the Great Crystal of Aantonaii or something else entirely. Whatever the case, it’s likely Favreau will use The Mandalorian and Grogu to once again dive deep into Legends lore.

    Source: bluray-disc.de

  • Lucasfilm Rumored to Be Repackaging Long-Delayed Star Wars Project for Streaming

    Lucasfilm Rumored to Be Repackaging Long-Delayed Star Wars Project for Streaming

    During Disney’s 2020 Investor Day presentation, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced that Patty Jenkins had signed on to direct Rogue Squadron. At the time, the film was slated for a Christmas 2023 release but following a production delay in 2021, the film was removed from Lucasfilm’s slate in September 2022 leading fans to believe the film had been canceled. In early 2023, trade reports confirmed that the project was dead in the waters of Dagobah but somehow, Rogue Squadron returned.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, Lucasfilm has provided a new hope for Rogue Squadron, choosing to redevelop the long-delayed project as a streaming series for D+.

    While this isn’t the dead project fans are  currently wishing will come together (that honor goes to The Hunt for Ben Solo), the project has always sounded relatively exciting and D+ might be the perfect place for it. Set to introduce a “new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy,” Rogue Squadron is believed to be set AFTER the sequels and could serve as a companion piece to Star Wars: Starfighter.

    With the New Republic Mando-verse projects nearing their narrative conclusion in the not too distant future, Lucasfilm is certainly looking for its next batch of stories and Rogue Squadron could have survived uncertainty and become part of the future.

  • Rumor: Ryan Gosling’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ to Launch New Trilogy

    Rumor: Ryan Gosling’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ to Launch New Trilogy

    Production is underway on director Shawn Levy‘s Star Wars: Starfighter and while little has officially been revealed about the film outside of the main cast, there are plenty of reason for fans of the galaxy far, far away to get excited about the project, which is due in theaters in 2027.

    Ryan Gosling was confirmed as the film’s star during Star Wars Celebration Japan, making good on months of rumors that the A-lister was set to join the franchise. Matt Smith, who joined the cast in August as “the next great villain in the Star Wars universe,”and Mia Goth, who was cast in June, are set to antagonize Gosling‘s character, who is rumored to be protecting his Force-sensitive nephew, played by Flynn Gray.

    Billed as”an all-new standalone adventure,” Star Wars: Starfighter has been described as “an entirely original story set in a period of time never before explored in Star Wars.” Despite that description, there’s a growing belief online that Gosling‘s character will be tasked by Amy Adam‘s character with safely delivering his nephew to someone who can train him to use the Force and now a pair of new rumors have renewed hope that he’ll be delivered to a very familiar face.

    According to My Time To Shine Hello, despite Lucasfilm’s designating Star Wars: Starfighter as a stand alone project, the film will include a “big cameo” and is meant to launch a new trilogy.

    Given the rumors about the project, it’s easy to imagine that Gosling‘s mission in the film is to safely deliver his nephew to Rey Skywalker’s New Jedi Academy, which would allow Daisy Ridley to cameo, setting up a New Jedi Order trilogy.

    After being announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm’s Daisy Ridley-led New Jedi Order era film seemed to quickly gather momentum, at one point being the favorite to launch the studio’s plans to bring its galaxy far, far away back to theaters. Set to “tell the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down,” the Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy-directed project was reportedly far enough along that Lucasfilm considered a 2025 release. Things changed quickly, however, as creative teams came and went and by November 2024, the film’s release was delayed indefinitely despite reports that the studio believes Ridley is its “most valuable cinematic asset.” By mid-2025, the film was reportedly pushed even further down the queue, with Starfighter and James Mangold‘s Jedi Prime film being proritized.

    Connecting the available dots, it begins to seem very reasonable that Starfighter might serve as a Rogue One-esque prequel to Ridley‘s trilogy, setting the stage for the New Jedi Order era. Of course, as Star Wars fans continue to grow increasingly frustrated with the franchise’s inability to bring ideas to fruition, nothing on that front will truly matter until production begins on Ridley’s project.

  • ‘Andor’ Creator Comment Sparks Canon Controversy

    ‘Andor’ Creator Comment Sparks Canon Controversy

    Tony Gilroy unquestionably created something singular and exceptional in Andor. Only after watching both seasons in their entirety  can the full weight of what Andor truly is be felt: it is the most important project in the overall mythos of the Star Wars universe. And by and large, it stands as one of the most well-received projects in the expansive Star Wars universe; however, there’s nothing a growing sect of Star Wars fans hate more than Star Wars–especially if it’s made by Disney–and that even applies to something otherwise universally recognized as epic as Andor.

    Following a set-up in Season 1, the sophomore season of Andor dove deep into the canonically pre-established Ghorman Massacre. During a top secret Imperial retreat at the Maltheen Divide, Ben Mendelssohn‘s Orson Krennic lays bare the Empire’s plan to destabilize Ghorman through any means necessary to allow Emperor Palpatine to establish energy independence. As is Gilroy’s way, some of the time spent on Ghorman also serves to establish the planet’s culture, including the ghorlectipod silk industry that allowed it to become the center of the Galaxy’s fabric and fashion industries. The investment into details about the planet’s history and its people by Gilroy made the massacre by the Empire that much more impactful and in a new interview with Titan Magazine’s Star Wars Insider, Gilroy revealed another such detail that amplifies the evil of the Emperor.

    Tony Gilroy and Genevieve O’Reilly on the set of Lucasfilm’s ANDOR Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    According to Gilroy, after eventually strip mining Ghorman and turning it into a virtual hellscape, Sleepy Sheev Palpatine had his black robes made of Ghorman twill. It’s a small detail, to be sure, but a disgustingly evil one. And it riled up some fans.

    After Star Wars Holocron shared the detail on X, fans expressed their problems with the new detail. The gist of the grief seems to stem from the obviously incredibly well-known fact that Palpatine’s robes were made from Zeyd cloth and/or that someone other than George Lucas dared to make an official statement about something in the Star Wars universe.

    https://twitter.com/LocalElfKiller/status/1958073289005293954?t=XmkR9Nss2pTBhfwMQRUjjg&s=19

    Concerning himself with Palpatine’s robes is the kind of thinking that allowed Gilroy to make Andor into foundational Star Wars. Even if his statement retcons the fabric from which the Emperor’s new clothes are made, it isn’t as if Lucas himself hasn’t retconned countless things for far less interesting reasons. But, as they say, haters gonna hate…hate…hate…hate.

  • Lucasfilm’s CCO Addresses the Future of Animated Star Wars Projects

    Lucasfilm’s CCO Addresses the Future of Animated Star Wars Projects

    Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels have arguably done as much to build the Star Wars mythology and fandom as any projects made since George Lucas‘s original trilogy. Created by Dave Filoni—who has since become Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer–the series introduced original characters and have become springboards for stories set in the New Republic Era. Lucasfilm’s latest ongoing series, The Bad Batch, came to an end after its third season, leaving fans without an ongoing series to look forward to and with a mandate issued by Disney President Bob Iger that slowed the company’s major production studios down significantly, there were plenty of concerns that the end of the animated era was near. Fortunately, Filoni sees it differently.

    While speaking at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, Filoni told fans that animation has hand and will continue to have the support of Lucas, stating that the studio was to produce animated projects for “20 more” years.

    I thought my job at Lucasfilm Animation would last about two years – it has now been 20. This is truly possible because of the incredible dedication and hard work of the many talented people who have worked at Lucasfilm Animation. Fans have embraced our work in a way that no one could have predicted – well, maybe one person did. George Lucas always believed in animation and believed in our team. He said, ‘Dare to be great,’ and that’s what we’ve done for the last 20 years. I hope we do it for 20 more.

    -Lucasfilm CCO Dave Filoni

    The next 20 years of animated action will kickoff in 2026 with Star Wars: Maul- Shadow Lord, which was announced at Star Wars Celebration Japan earlier this year. Set after the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the new series will follow Maul as he “rises again to lead the underworld factions,” and “rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire.”

    Beyond that, always in motion, the future is but with Filoni serving as its curator, fans have reason for new hope.

    Source: Games Radar

  • Lucasfilm Reportedly Developing a Full Slate of ‘New Jedi Order’ Films

    Lucasfilm Reportedly Developing a Full Slate of ‘New Jedi Order’ Films

    After a seven year hiatus, Lucasfilm will bring Star Wars back to theaters next May with The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Mandoverse architect Jon Favreau. The studio has at least another half dozen theatrical projects in development, including director Shawn Levy‘s Star Wars: Starfighter, which will star Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth and Matt Smith and is set to debut on May 28, 2027. Further down the road, a new trilogy being created by Simon Kinberg, a “Jedi Prime” project by director James Mangold, a long-gestating film from Taika Waititi and a New Jedi Order film starring Daisy Ridley from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy are all set to expand they mythology of the galaxy far, far away created by George Lucas. Now, a new report indicates that the studio intends to take a page from Favreau’s Mandoverse book and use one of those projects to launch a series of connected projects all intended for theaters.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, Lucasfilm is reportedly developing a full slate of films, set in the New Jedi Order era, beginning with Obaid-Chinoy’s film which is still being written by The Bourne Ultimatum and The Banker scribe George Nolfi. Richtman’s report claims that the film will launch a series of movies which will ultimately culminate in a event film that will see a number of familiar Star Wars characters share the screen.

    Set 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, the Ridley-led project has struggled to come together, however. Originally developed by Damon Lindelof, the film began to lose steam almost immediately after it was announced as the Lost creator, and his co-writer, Justin Britt-Gibson, bailed. Steven Knight quickly  boarded the project and just as quickly left, forcing Lucasfilm to pull the film from its 2026 release calendar. With Star Wars: Starfighter and Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi project reportedly moving ahead in the queue, Nolfi has been able to carefully curate his script since joining the project in January 2025.

    I know the storyline for one film. That’s not to say that that’s all it is, but that’s what I was told about. And I imagine it will be the next film, I think. I mean, again, I don’t know, post strikes and everything, how quickly everything will start up again. But yes, so far, I know the story of one film and I think people will be very excited.

    -Daisy Ridley

    Richtman’s report aligns with reports that Lucasfilm views Ridley as its “most valuable cinematic assest” and comments from the actress which have indicated multiple projects were in the works.

  • Lucasfilm Reportedly Force Pushes Once-Prized Star Wars Project Down the Queue…Again

    After being announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm’s Daisy Ridley-led New Jedi Order era film seemed to quickly gather momentum, at one point being the favorite to launch the studio’s plans to bring its galaxy far, far away back to theaters. Set to “tell the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down,” the Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy-directed project was reportedly far enough along that Lucasfilm considered a 2025 release. Things changed quickly, however, as creative teams came and went and by November 2024, the film’s release was delayed indefinitely despite reports that the studio believes Ridley is its “most valuable cinematic asset.” Now a new report indicates that the project may be facing another delay.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, Ridley’s film has been bumped down the queue again “as both the Shawn Levy and James Mangold Star Wars films are moving forward first.“

    Levy’s film, Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, was announced at Star Wars Japan in April and is expected to  begin production this Fall ahead of a 2027 release. In many ways, Starfighter seems to be on the path Lucasfilm once hoped the New Jedi Order film would follow.

    Mangold’s film, like the Ridley-led project, was announced at SWCE ’23 and will also take place in an all-new era of stories, set 25,000 years before the “present day” era of The New Republic. The film, referred to by fans as the “Jedi Prime” project, will tell “the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.”

    As it stands now, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter are the only two films with set release dates, hitting theaters on May 22, 2026 and May 28, 2027, respectively.

  • Lucasfilm Confirms Development of Several Star Wars Theatrical Projects

    Lucasfilm Confirms Development of Several Star Wars Theatrical Projects

    The official announcement that Ryan Gosling was on board to lead Shawn Levy‘s Star Wars: Starfighter rightfully stole the show at Star Wars Celebration Japan. As A-list as it gets, Gosling‘s casting is a bit of an oddity for a franchise that looks to create stars, not cast them, so the repoers of Lucasfilm targeting him caught fans off guard and with so many projects going by the wayside, it seemed possible–even likely–that Levy’s film may never get made.  With production set to kick off thos fall ahead of a May 28, 2027 release, it seems Starfighter is indeed happening and it won’t be alone.

    As part of an official release via StarWars.com, Lucasfilm has confirmed that sic additional theatrical projects remain in active development at the studio.

    One of several theatrical projects still in development from Lucasfilm, including films by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, Taika Waititi and a new trilogy by Simon Kinberg, Levy’s film — Star Wars: Starfighter — will star Gosling and go into production starting this fall.

    First announced at Star Wars Celebration Europe in 2023, the Daisy Ridley-led New Jedi Order era film set to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was once expected to launch Star Wars back into theaters before experiencing some difficulties getting off the ground and being pulled from the release schedule. In January, The Bourne Ultimatum and The Banker scribe George Nolfi became the film’s third known lead writer and there’s been no news since, making the film’s inclusion in the official release a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

    Like the Obaid-Chinoy film, director James Mangold‘s Dawn of the Jedi era/Jedi Prime project was first announced at Star Wars Celebration Europe. Referred to as “Star Wars Zero” by Mangold, the project will be set in “the deep past, telling the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.” It’s been over a year since it was revealed that Andor co-writer Beau Willimon had come on board to co-write the film, which fans had begun to fear had made its way down the chute and into the trash compactor.

    Taika is on Taika time. I’ve just continually said to him, look, when you feel that you’re ready and you can really devote the time, we’re going to do it. We’ll be waiting. I’m just hoping we get there. That will be a great Star Wars movie.

    –Kathleen Kennedy on the status of Taika Waititi’s Star Wars film

    While nothing official has been revealed about the project, a Star Wars film written and directed by Taika Waititi has been in development since May of 2020. The film was originally expected to begin production in 2023 but was pushed back as Waititi continued to work on other projects such as Thor: Love and Thunder and Klara and the Sun. Star Wars boss Kathleen Kennedy also revealed that Poor Things scribe Tony McNamara is working on the script for the film she says will ultimately be “a great Star Wars movie.”

    We’re absolutely rolling fast and furiously. That has gone exceptionally well, and he’s literally going to script as we speak. We’ll see something probably around June. Simon, if you remember, he did some work with us years ago with the animated show, which was a really wonderful collaborative experience. And he then got very, very busy with X-Men and then recently became available again, and he segued into this space beautifully. We’re really excited about where that’s headed.

    -Kathleen Kennedy on Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars Saga trilogy

    Finally, the press release confirmed that work remains ongoing on the trilogy in the works from Star Wars Rebels co-creator Simon Kinberg. In February 2024, Kennedy explained that the new trilogy would be “the next iteration, the new saga that moves us into the future” of the Star Wars franchise.

    Source: Deadline, Screen Rant, StarWars.com

  • SWC Japan: Fan-Favorite Baddie Set for 2026 Return in ‘Maul-Shadow Lord’

    SWC Japan: Fan-Favorite Baddie Set for 2026 Return in ‘Maul-Shadow Lord’

    Sith apprentice Darth Maul was the face of Lucasfilm’s marketing for 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace. The vengeful Dathormirian lined the shelves of Toys “R” Us and was prominently featured in the studio’s posters and trailers, giving fans the idea that he’d become the trilogy’s Darth Vader. And then he was cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi in what was nothing short of one of the cruelest twists George Lucas has ever deployed.

    When Lucas’ plan to bring Maul back from what seemed like certain death in Star Wars Episode II-Attack of the Clones didn’t work out, the character found new life in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars Rebels, becoming one of the studio’s most well-developed and tragic characters. With Lucasfilm deciding not to follow up on Solo and with Maul finally put to rest by Obi-Wan Kenobi, it seemed as though the studio had finally put a bow on the fan-favorite character’s story but as revealed at Star Wars Celebration Japan, more Maul is on the way.

    Now in production and headed to D+ in 2026, Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord, set after the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will follow Maul as he “rises again to lead the underworld factions.”

    Sam Witer will return to voice Maul in the new Lucasfilm animated series which looks to make good on The Creator’s original plan to make Maul “the godfather of crime in the universe.” According to StarWars.com, Maul-Shadow Lord will tell the story of Maul as he attempts to “rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire.” In that way, the new series should serve as a prequel to Solo: A Star Wars Story, which revealed Maul as the head of Crimson Dawn.