Lucasfilm has some exciting announcements in store for Star Wars fans in the near future, from TV shows and movies, all the way through to toys! Over the next several years, Star Wars enthusiasts will find themselves very busy.
One of these new shows will take place a century prior to The Phantom Menace and be the first Sith-centric tale in Star Wars canon, directed by Leslye Headland – creator of Netflix’s Russian Doll series and a fan of Darth Vader.
The Mandalorian
Jon Favreau’s live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian premiered in 2019 and quickly became a huge success for Disney. It follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter’s relationship with an orphan five years after Return of the Jedi had taken place.
The third season of The Mandalorian will introduce Din Djarin’s adopted homeworld and reveal a new chapter of their history while also introducing Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios as an iconic Star Wars character.
The Mandalorian has already developed strong connections to other spin-off shows like Rangers of the New Republic, Ahsoka Tano and The Book of Boba Fett; we can expect even deeper ties between them and The Mandalorian during season three.
Ahsoka
Ahsoka Tano is one of the most beloved characters from Star Wars canon. She played an integral part in The Clone Wars’s opening arc and in various prequel movies since.
Ahsoka finally makes her live action debut in Disney+’s upcoming show Ahsoka starring Rosario Dawson as Tano! The series will premiere this August.
The show will take place five years after Return of the Jedi and focus on Ahsoka’s search for Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn’s threat, featuring familiar actors like Lars Mikkelsen and David Tennant as cast members.
The Jedi Order
The Jedi Order is a light-side force warrior organization which has stood to defend and protect our galaxy for centuries. Their light side warriors include Jedi Knights, Masters and Padawans that become stars in Star Wars stories.
At Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm unveiled several new stories that explore the history of the Jedi Order over several eras – such as Dawn of the Jedi, Old Republic and High Republic.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy also unveiled at the convention a timeline spanning back 25,000 years in order to provide fans with a clearer idea of when future movies take place.
The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars has inspired an entire generation of fans who crave more adventures from its galaxy far, far away. Lucasfilm recognized this need and recently unveiled three films set within this universe.
The first of these films, directed by The Mandalorian’s Dave Filoni and set between the original and sequel trilogies. James Mangold directed an Indiana Jones and Dial of Destiny-related film to commemorate Dawn of the Jedi.
The Dawn of the Jedi
Dark Horse Comics have created an all-new series by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema that explores a semi-mythical world before the Jedi Order existed. Starting tens of thousands of years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, this biblical epic follows Je’daii Order members as they journey across Tython in search of ways to harness the Force.
As the galaxy expands and hyperspace routes are created, an age of exploration begins. The novel introduces several key characters and explores many ethical dilemmas.
The Last Jedi
Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi is more than a mere Star Wars movie – it is an intentional, well-planned move designed to correct some old traditions while adapting them for this new and expanding universe.
That means reuniting some familiar faces from the past while also welcoming many newcomers into our ranks.
This film takes its time, with plenty of the same emotional highpoints we’ve come to expect from Johnson’s best films (Looper and Brick). Johnson seems comfortable creating different styles of storytelling which is good news for Star Wars fans.
