No studio at Disney will be under a bigger microscope than Lucasfilm. The studio has yet to have a big-screen financial hit since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, and despite it making a little over $1 billion worldwide, even that was the lowest-grossing in the trilogy. Even Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was a financial misfire. Since then, a plethora of Disney+ shows have seen mixed reactions. Additionally, The Mandalorian and Grogu was a financial failure, which came as a bit of a shock, as the Disney+ series has been a bright spot for fans and the streamer. So, what’s next for the iconic studio?
Let’s see what the studio has to offer during their panel at D23 in a couple of weeks and what we can expect to see and hear, as well as my big swing for the fences prediction
Star Wars
The next project in the Star Wars universe hitting the big screen is Star Wars: Starfighter. Now, the film has not had any test screenings, but I did speak to one studio insider who saw a cut of the film, and they shared with me that this is the best Star Wars project since Disney acquired the franchise in 2012. Even Kevin Feige quickly gave the film praise when announcing Starfighter star and director Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy for Ghost Rider during Marvel’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
We will definitly see a poster for Starfighter and may get a trailer, but something tells me it may be for those in attendance. The cast is expected to be there, so we should hear and see some new details as well. This is Lucasfilm’s only dated 2027 theatrical release and is already in post-production, making it the obvious headliner.
A trilogy is in the works, and that is from X-Men producer Simon Kinberg. The project is the furthest along in development, and sources say this is very likely the next set of Star Wars films we’d see next on the big screen. Some say this is Episodes 10, 11, 12, I have not personally heard that, but I had heard an older Rey was going to be featured, but not as any of the new main characters that would be introduced. At one point, Helen Mirren was circling the Rey movie as older Rey until that script got completely overhauled. While we are still a ways away from this trilogy hitting the big screen, I could see an Era reveal or even some titles teased.
Films That Could Quickly Be Highlighted
I personally believe Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey/New Jedi Order film is dead, so not sure I’d hear anything on this. Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie is very much alive from what I have heard, and I could see Waititi making some goofy D23 video tease on the project but nothing more. James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi film is years away from happening, and that’s if you believe it is still happening; Mangold’s schedule is booked for the next few years. The Lando Disney+ show was reworked into a movie, but it has been some time since we heard anything, and I don’t think we will this year. Dave Filoni’s movie is on the back burner since his big promotion, and lastly, I have heard multiple times over the years that Rogue Squadron is still on Lucasfilm’s drawing board (whether that is with Patty Jenkins as director, I have no clue.
Is Lucasfilm Teasing Indiana Jones?
I wanted to touch on this since Indiana Jones is Lucasfilm’s other big IP. As far as I know, the studio has no plans at this time to revisit and/or recast this character. This franchise has been put on the back burner following the disappointment of Dial of Destiny, and I would be completely shocked if Lucasfilm so much as mentioned the name Indiana Jones. I am just not convinced that now is the time to announce a Harrison Ford replacement and how today’s fans would react.
Swing-For-The-Fences Prediction
I have a few honorable mentions, first being an announcement of a surprise horror-centric Star Wars movie. With films like Obsession, Backrooms, Sinners, and Weapons being massive hits, it is obvious the genre is at an all-time high, and every major studio knows this. DC is about to dive into that world with Clayface, and Marvel did a bit with Marvel Zombies. Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, The Black Phone) even teased his Star Wars horror idea that took place on Hoth.
The next honorable mentions would be doing something with the Knights of the Old Republic; it is a successful video game franchise, and studios are starting to see success with this genre as well, with projects like Fallout, Sonic The Hedgehog, and many others. Heir to the Empire would not be a direct adaptation of the novel from Timothy Zahn, but the title would be an interesting one as Disney/Lucasfilm knows “Heir to the Empire” is arguably the most beloved Legends title. Not to mention, you could weave this into Dave Filoni’s movie that would include the characters from The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka.
Now, an announcement that I think could happen but very likely won’t is an animated Star Wars feature. We have already seen the success of Star Wars animation through the years with Clone Wars and Rebels and more recently, Visions and Maul: Shadow Lord. Thanks to the critical success of the Spider-Verse films, Transformers: One, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, we now know audiences are open to seeing their favorite franchises make the move to animation on the big screen. I was told years ago we would get one, but now that leadership has changed, who knows what has changed.
We will see what Dave Filoni has cooking up as the D23 Expo kicks off on August 14. Follow along in the coming days for predictions about Marvel Studios, and stay with us as we bring you all the news from Disney’s biannual event.
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