Tag: Star Wars

  • Ahsoka Season 2

    Ahsoka Season 2

    Premiere: TBD 2026

    Following some uncertainty about whether or not it would be renewed, a second season of the streaming series was announced on January 9, 2024. Star Wars chief creative officer, Dave Filoni, remains the curator of the series.

    Production on Season 2 is expected to begin on the UK in April of 2025.

    On January 9, 2025, Rory McCann was cast as Baylan Skoll, filling the role originally played by the late Ray Stevenson.

    Cast

    • Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano
    • Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren
    • Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader
    • Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger
    • Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla
    • Rory McCann as Baylan Skoll
  • The Mandalorian and Grogu

    The Mandalorian and Grogu

    Premiere: May 22, 2026

    After 3 seasons of the streaming series The Mandalorian, Din Djarin and Grogu are headed to the big screen. On January 9, 2024, the feature film The Mandalorian and Grogu was announced though no release date for the project was given.

    The film will be directed by Jon Favreau, who co-wrote the script with Dave Filoni. In April 2024, Lucasfilm revealed that The Mandalorian & Grogu was slated to hit theaters on May 22, 2026.

    On January 13, 2025, insider Kristian Harloff revealed that Embo, a Kyuzo bounty hunter who first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, was set to be one of the film’s primary antagonists.

    Cast

    • Pedro Pascal as the voice of Din Djarin
    • Sigourney Weaver as New Republic Colonel Bishop
    • Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt
    • Dave Filoni as Embo
    • Johnny Coyne as Imperial Warlord
  • Lucasfilm’s 2024 Streaming Slate Officially Revealed

    Lucasfilm’s 2024 Streaming Slate Officially Revealed

    As Hollywood prepares to slow down for the holiday season, studios have begun rolling out information about their 2024 slates. With so many high-profile brands under its umbrella and its own streaming service, Disney is always one of the busiest studios in the business. Following an extended work stoppage in Hollywood, 2024 won’t be quite as busy as expected for the studio but there’s still quite a bit to look forward to, especially if you’re a Star Wars fan.

    Lucasfilm will roll out four Star Wars streaming series on Disney Plus over the course of 2024. While Disney did not reveal release windows, they officially revealed that The Acolyte, Season 3 of The Bad Batch, Season 2 of Tales of the Jedi and Skeleton Crew will hit the streaming service at some point.

    Recently, The Bad Batch and Tales of the Jedi were left off an official release by Disney UK, prompting reports that the two animated series might end up being delayed until 2025. While that’s not the case, it does seem that Season 2 of Andor, one of Lucasfilm’s most well-received Star Wars streaming series, will not release in 2024. Release slates rarely hold true, however, so anything from cancellations to delays to projects not currently listed ending up in 2024 is on the table.

    About Star Wars: The Bad Batch

    Star Wars: The Bad Batch follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army— each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable
    crew.

    Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone WarsStar Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars RebelsStar Wars Resistance), Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars ResistanceNCIS) and Carrie Beck (The MandalorianStar Wars Rebels) with Josh Rimes (Star Wars ResistanceStar Wars: Visions) and Alex Spotswood (Star Wars: The Clone WarsStar Wars Rebels) as producers. Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer and Matt Michnovetz as story editor.

    About Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi

    Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is an anthology of six all-new animated shorts produced by Lucasfilm Animation and created by Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone WarsStar Wars Rebels). Based on Star Wars and characters created by George Lucas, the series is set during the prequel era and spotlights important moments in the lives of fan-favorite characters Ahsoka Tano and Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Count Dooku as they embark on respective paths toward heroism and villainy. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi features the voices of Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano; Corey Burton as Count Dooku; Janina Gavankar as Ahsoka’s mother, Pav-ti; Micheál Richardson as young Qui-Gon Jinn; TC Carson as Mace Windu; Ian McDiarmid as Darth Sidious; Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn; Phil
    Lamarr as Bail Organa; Clancy Brown as Inq.

    Dave Filoni is the creator, supervising director, executive producer, and writer of five of the six shorts: “Life and Death”; “Justice”; “The Sith Lord”; “Practice Makes Perfect”; and “Resolve.” Charles Murray and Élan Murray are the writers of “Choices.” Nathaniel Villanueva directs “Life and Death”; Charles Murray directs “Choices”; Saul Ruiz directs “Justice”; “The Sith Lord”; “Practice Makes Perfect”; and “Resolve.” In addition to FiloniAthena Yvette Portillo and Carrie Beck are executive producers; Alex Spotswood and Josh Rimes are producers.

  • Dave Filoni on What’s Next for Thrawn

    Dave Filoni on What’s Next for Thrawn

    As the Season 1 finale of Ahsoka wrapped up, Grand Admiral Thrawn found his way back from his exile. Thrawn’s return from Peridea to the familiar confines of the galaxy far, far away comes at a time when the Imperial Remnant’s Shadow Council’s plans are coalescing and Thrawn’s long-awaited homecoming will likely provide them enough confidence to emerge from the shadows. Of course, when they do there will be a group of heroes ready to oppose their efforts which means a war is coming to the Star Wars universe.

    Lucasfilm’s Disney + Star Wars streaming series The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka have nicely set up the coming war under the watchful eye of the studio’s newly named Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni. That war is expected to unfold on screen in Filoni’s “Heir to the Empire” film but there’s still plenty of work to do before then with the live-action series Skeleton Crew (streaming sometime in 2024) and a fourth season of The Mandalorian (likely streaming in 2025) likely to continue to set the stage for Thrawn’s strategic strike. In an interview with Empire, Filoni teased what’s ahead for Thrawn and who will likely take the lead in opposing him.

    We set up Captain Pellaeon in The Mandalorian, and that’s a character that goes with Thrawn, so I’d love to see the two of them together,” said Filoni, referring to a character from Star Wars Legends that was introduced into canon in 2018 in Star Wars Rebels and made his live-action debut, played by Xander Berkeley, in Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian. Pellaeon was Thrawn’s right-hand man, remained loyal to him for years after he disappeared aboard the Chimaera and will certainly be by his side as the Heir to the Empire attempts to reestablish Imperial rule across the galaxy. But as teased in the closing moments of Ahsoka, one of Thrawn’s craftiest opponents will be ready to stand in his way.

    While Ahsoka and Sabine were trapped on Peridea in the Ahsoka finale, Ezra Bridger was able to escape and reunite with the members of the Rebels crew now working with the New Republic, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead‘s Hera Syndulla who has proven to be a thrown in Grand Admiral Thrawn’s side. From what Filoni says, it sounds like that’s something that’s going to continue in the New Republic era stories yet to unfold. “His foil throughout Rebels was Hera“, said Filoni. “Pitting the two generals against one another is something that I find interesting.” And something Thrawn will no doubt enjoy.

  • RUMOR: Lucasfilm Contemplating Major Changes to the Release of Season 4 of ‘The Mandalorian’

    RUMOR: Lucasfilm Contemplating Major Changes to the Release of Season 4 of ‘The Mandalorian’

    Following Star Wars Celebration 2023, it was clear that Lucasfilm wanted Star Wars to make a triumphant return to theaters. The studio announced three new theatrical releases set to debut in three different era of the Star Wars timeline. Of those, it was widely believed that director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s film–which will be set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker and see Daisy Ridley‘s Rey found a new Jedi Order–is Lucasfilm’s top choice to kick off their return to theaters. And right up until a pair of Hollywood work stoppages, that seemed to remain the case. However, a new report from insider Jeff Sneider indicates that Lucasfilm may have quickly pivoted to a project even further along in development as the one to get Star Wars back in theaters on May 22nd, 2026.

    According to Sneider, Lucasfilm is making moves to reframe the fourth season of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian as a film and have it ready to make the 2026 date. “I think we’ve all been operating under the impression that the Daisy Ridley movie was going to be the next Star Wars movie, I know I certainly was,” said Sneider. “They announced like three movies and it was like, ‘okay, the Daisy Ridley one is the furthest along I think.’ It has a director and all that. Anyway, it doesn’t sound like that may be the next one,” he teased before revealing the news from his source.

    (L-R): Grogu and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) with stone crabs in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    A couple of months ago I shot this one down, that there were rumours that season four of The Mandalorian could be turned into a movie. I think at the time I didn’t think that was necessarily the case. However, that is now what I am starting to hear. That the odds are in that projects favour, whatever season four of The Mandalorian turns out to be, whoever is in it, what it turns out, whatever shape it takes, it is looking like that could be the next Star Wars movie and that might be the thing that’s announced before the end of the year.

    Sneider’s Star Wars source has proven to be fairly informative in the past, specifically around the Ridley-led film, and if it’s correct again here, fans may get news in the next couple of weeks. Favreau completed work on the scripts for Season 4 of The Mandalorian well before the WGA strikes and until the SAG strike backed up the production pipeline, principal photography was expected to begin this past fall. Given all those factors and where the current plot of the New Republic era stories have left off and the popularity of the ongoing series, it does seem possible Lucasfilm is making those moves.

    However, with leading daddy Pedro Pascal heavily rumored to portraying Reed Richards in Marvel Studios Fantastic Foursaid to be filming in the spring of 2024–and also set to be tied up on production of Season 2 of The Last of Us, it’s hard to imagine he’d have time to fulfill his duties as Din Djarin. Fortunately, it’s fairly widely known that Pascal mostly does voice work for the series while the Beskar suit is filled by Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder. With all the in mind, this sounds very much like a rumor worth paying attention to. Perhaps this is the way for Star Wars to get back to theaters!

    Source: Hot Mic Podcast

  • Season 2 of Lucasfilm’s Best Reviewed Live-Action Star Wars Series Looks to Be Delayed Until 2025

    Season 2 of Lucasfilm’s Best Reviewed Live-Action Star Wars Series Looks to Be Delayed Until 2025

    2023 was a full year for Star Wars fans. The third season of The Mandalorian delivered some killer episodes and left a power vacuum set to be filled by the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn as teased in the season finale of Ahsoka. A trio of animated series also hit Disney Plus with Tales of the Jedi joining the second seasons of The Bad Batch and Visions. Rumors had Lucasfilm increasing the volume of Star Wars projects in 2024 but an official preview of the studio’s Disney Plus slate listed only two projects set for release…and neither of them was the second season of one of the most beloved live-action projects yet.

    Andor took Star Wars fandom by storm when it debuted in 2022. Creator Tony Gilroy carefully crafted the first season of the Rogue One prequel to be the antithesis of Disney+’s other, popular live-action Star Wars series such as The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Rather than loading Andor with fan-favorite character cameos, Gilroy set up shop in a grimy corner of the universe inhabited by a plethora of brand-new characters. Akin to Game of Thrones, each of these new characters had their parts to play in the first twelve episodes of Andor. So dedicated to developing this corner was Gilroy that he often pushed Diego Luna’s title character to the periphery of the story to provide room for gems like Stellan Skarsgård’s Luthen Rael to have their stories told as well. However, the season finale put Cassian on track to where he needs to be to help save the galaxy far, far away in Rogue One.

    Coming out of Star Wars Celebration 2023, it seemed Andor was on track to debut sometime late in the Summer of 2024; however, with Disney UK’s 2024 Disney+ preview only listing The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew as streaming releases, it now seems fans may be waiting until 2025 to catch the second season of Andor.

    While production on Season 2 of Andor was paused due to the WGA and SAG strikes, it was believed there were only a few weeks left of filming to be done, so it’s unlikely that’s the major driving factor behind the apparent move to 2025. It’s more likely that Andor is in a line of falling dominos related to Bob Iger’s return to Disney and his mandate that their biggest studios have a renewed focus on the quality of their streaming efforts. With Skeleton Crew moving into 2024 from an expected 2023 release, it seems there’s simply no room on the slate for a third live-action series and so Andor falls into 2025.

    About Andor

    The Andor series explores a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It is an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.

    The series is a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It rewinds back five years from the events of Rogue One to follow Cassian Andor on his journey to get to the movie. We’ve
    done twelve episodes for the first season. The twelve episodes that we’ve done cover one year in time. We’re going to do another twelve that are going to take us over
    the next four years into Rogue One.

    Tony Gilroy on Season 1 of Andor

    Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Narcos: Mexico) returns as Cassian Andor, and Genevieve O’Reilly returns to her role of Mon Mothma. O’Reilly has a history with Star Wars, having first appeared in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and then Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as voicing the character in Star Wars Rebels. They are joined by Stellan Skarsgård (Dune, Chernobyl), Adria Arjona (Morbius, Father of
    the Bride
    ), Denise Gough (Under the Banner of Heaven, Too Close), Kyle Soller (Poldark, Brexit), Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve, Baptiste) and Faye Marsay (Game of Thrones, Deep Water).

    The creator and showrunner for the series is Academy Award® and BAFTA-nominated
    writer/director/producer Tony Gilroy, who also wrote Episodes 1, 2, 3, 11 and 12. Gilroy, who co-wrote Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed feature films Michael Clayton and The Bourne Legacy and wrote the first three Bourne Films: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum.

  • Lucasfilm Leaves a Pair of Animated Series Off of Their 2024 Disney Plus Slate

    Lucasfilm Leaves a Pair of Animated Series Off of Their 2024 Disney Plus Slate

    Since Bob Iger returned to Disney in late 2022, the studio has made some changes to the way it manages Disney Plus. A renewed emphasis has been placed on the quality of the productions being rolled out on the streaming service and in 2024 that will mean fewer projects for some of Disney’s biggest studios. For Lucasfilm, which produces live-action and animated projects for the service, that means two highly anticipated series were left off the initial 2024 release slate.

    As it stands now, Lucasfilm will only roll out two live-action Star Wars projects next year (The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew) which means two animated projects, the third and final season of The Bad Batch and the second season of Tales of the Jedi, look to be delayed until 2025.

    The first 16 episodes of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars spinoff, The Bad Batch, debuted on Disney Plus on Star Wars Day 2021 and were followed by a 16-episode second season in January 2022. Tales of the Jedi, a 6-episode anthological series, was rolled out in October 2022. Both series were created by Lucasfilm’s new Creative Grand Admiral, Dave Filoni, who is also the key creative figure behind the studio’s New Republic Era stories such as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.

    Rumors had been making the rounds that new seasons of both series would find their way to Disney Plus in 2024; however, neither were to be found on Disney UK’s official 2024 preview of the streaming service. Given the constant state of flux in programming, it’s still entirely possible one or both of the series end up released at some point in 2024 though, for the time being, it looks like they are simply not part of the plan.

    About Star Wars: The Bad Batch

    Star Wars: The Bad Batch follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army— each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable
    crew.

    Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance), Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) and Carrie Beck (The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels) with Josh Rimes (Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars: Visions) and Alex Spotswood (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) as producers. Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer and Matt Michnovetz as story editor.

    About Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi

    Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is an anthology of six all-new animated shorts produced by Lucasfilm Animation and created by Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels). Based on Star Wars and characters created by George Lucas, the series is set during the prequel era and spotlights important moments in the lives of fan-favorite characters Ahsoka Tano and Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Count Dooku as they embark on respective paths toward heroism and villainy. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi features the voices of Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano; Corey Burton as Count Dooku; Janina Gavankar as Ahsoka’s mother, Pav-ti; Micheál Richardson as young Qui-Gon Jinn; TC Carson as Mace Windu; Ian McDiarmid as Darth Sidious; Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn; Phil
    Lamarr as Bail Organa; Clancy Brown as Inq

    Dave Filoni is the creator, supervising director, executive producer, and writer of five of the six shorts: “Life and Death”; “Justice”; “The Sith Lord”; “Practice Makes Perfect”; and “Resolve.” Charles Murray and Élan Murray are the writers of “Choices.” Nathaniel Villanueva directs “Life and Death”; Charles Murray directs “Choices”; Saul Ruiz directs “Justice”; “The Sith Lord”; “Practice Makes Perfect”; and “Resolve.” In addition to Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo and Carrie Beck are executive producers; Alex Spotswood and Josh Rimes are producers.

    Source: Disney UK

  • Lucasfilm Sets Two Star Wars Series for 2024 Release on Disney Plus

    Lucasfilm Sets Two Star Wars Series for 2024 Release on Disney Plus

    Lucasfilm will release two brand new Star Wars streaming series next year. According to an official release, The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew are slated to debut on Disney Plus in 2024. Neither series was given a release window in the announcement.

    The Acolyte will be Lucasfilm’s first live-action Star Wars project set during the High Republic era and “will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”

    Directed by Jon Watts (Marvel Studios Spider-Man trilogy), Skeleton Crew, which “tells the story of four kids who find themselves lost in the vastness of the galaxy trying to find their way home,” is set during the same New Republic era as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. The series was originally set to debut in late 2023 but recent rumors have it facing a nearly one-year delay to the end of 2024.

    Some fans may be a bit disappointed to find out that neither a fourth season of The Mandalorian nor a second season of Andor are currently set for release in 2024. It was also believed that a second season of Tales of the Jedi, a canonical animated anthology, would debut in 2024 but there’s no mention of it in the release.

    Source: Disney UK

  • Daisy Ridley on What She Expects from Her New Jedi Order Film

    Daisy Ridley on What She Expects from Her New Jedi Order Film

    This past April, Lucasfilm made quite a splash at Star Wars Celebration 2023 by announcing three new Star Wars films set in three all-new eras of storytelling. One of those films will be set following the events of the sequel trilogy and will see Daisy Ridley reprise her role as Rey who will be attempting to resurrect the Jedi Order. While there have been no official updates on the film from Lucasfilm’s new CCO, Dave Filoni, Ridley gave some insight into the film in an interview with Collider.

    I’m very excited. The story is really cool. I’m waiting to read a script because, obviously, I don’t have any other updates. It’s not what I expected, but I’m very excited,” said Ridley who explained that she was “shittingherself ahead of her appearance at Star Wars Celebration 2023, “because no one knew I was going to that.

    The New Jedi Order film began as a top-secret project co-written by Lost and HBO’s Watchmen Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson, who left the project in the Spring of 2023, just a few months after Lucasfilm had hired Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy to direct it. Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight came on to continue developing the film, allowing it to be part of Lucasfilm’s big announcement that Star Wars would finally be returning to theaters. In the Summer of 2023, Disney added two new Star Wars films to its upcoming theatrical slate (May 22nd, 2026 and December 18th, 2026) and it’s long been expected that Ridley’s Rey film, which will pick up 15 years after Star Wars: Episode IX-The Rise of Skywalker, would be the first of the trio to hit screens.

    While Ridley’s not quite ready to reveal everything about her next appearance as Rey, she did reiterate that she expects it to be the film that puts Star Wars back in theaters, though she’s not quite as sure that those 2026 dates will hold in this post-strike world.

    I know the storyline for one film,” said Ridley when asked if this new film might kick off her own trilogy. “That’s not to say that that’s all it is, but that’s what I was told about,” she added. “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.

    Given the deluge of projects that are backed up at this point, there’s no certainty that any of Disney’s previously slated films will make their dates; however, their most recent update showed two Star Wars films still on the docket for 2026 and one for 2027, so Ridley may make it back to the big screen on time after all!

    Source: Collider

  • A Second Season of ‘Ahsoka’ Looks to Be in the Works

    A Second Season of ‘Ahsoka’ Looks to Be in the Works

    While the eighth and final episode of Ahsoka left no doubt that there are more adventures in store for the former Jedi, the lack of an immediate announcement of a second season left fans wondering where those adventures would unfold. With creator Dave Filoni also tapped to bring the New Republic era of stories to the big screen, it’s reasonable to wonder if the cliffhangers from “The Jedi, The Witch and The Warlord” were meant to be resolved in the “Heir to the Empire” film and if Ahsoka would be a one and done. While it’s possible much of what went on in Ahsoka might be addressed in the film, it now seems a second season is a very realistic possibility as well.

    According to Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro, though nothing is “locked yet”, due at least in part to the lengthy WGA strike, a second season of Ahsoka seems pretty likely and is “in the conversation” about what project is up next for the main cast of characters. If that’s the case, it seems more foundation needs to be laid before Filoni’s film, which is said to be the capstone of the Mando-verse projects, hits theaters.

    Lucasfilm’s Star Wars streaming series Skeleton Crew is thought to be the next New Republic-era story headed to Disney Plus though there seems to be some uncertainty when that will stream despite it having previously been announced as a late-2023 drop. Beyond that, it’s believed that a fourth season of The Mandalorian is ready to head into production as soon as possible after the resolution of the SAG strike. If filming were to get underway in 2023, it’s possible it would be ready for release in the Spring of 2025. While it hasn’t been officially announced yet, it seems as though Lucasfilm is angling for Filoni’s film to hit theaters in 2026 so it’s possible that a second season of Ahsoka might have some space carved out for it in 2025 or early 2026.

    All episodes of Ahsoka are streaming now on Disney Plus.

    Source: Deadline