Maxance Vincent
Star Wars Celebration 2025 has finished, and Lucasfilm announced several exciting announcements for the future of the Star Wars franchise during its flagship event, which was held in Tokyo, Japan, from April 18-20.
As Andor – Season 2 premieres this week, one wonders exactly what Lucasfilm has in store for audiences in the coming years. While there weren’t many titles announced, we do have the confirmation that the next Star Wars movie to enter production will be Star Wars: Starfighter, which will star Ryan Gosling and is directed by Shawn Levy. Filming is slated to begin this fall, with a theatrical release date planned for May 28, 2027.
More information was also given out for The Mandalorian & Grogu, which premiered its trailer during a panel. Pedro Pascal will reprise his role as Din Djarin, with Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White confirmed to be a part of the supporting cast. The film will be released exclusively in theaters on May 22, 2026.
In the Mando-universe, it was also confirmed that the second season of Ahsoka will begin production next week, with Rory McCann set to replace the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, and Hayden Christensen to return as Anakin Skywalker. Rosario Dawson will also reprise her role as the series’ titular character.
On the animation side, attendees got to watch the first episode of the upcoming Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld, which will be released this May on Disney+, and also learn more about never-before-announced animated shows.
The first, which is set to release on the streaming service in 2026, is Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, featuring Sam Witwer reprising his role as the iconic villain. A third season of the children’s series Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures was also announced, alongside the continuation of LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, with the subtitles Pieces of the Past.
More details on the third season of Star Wars: Visions were announced, with the show confirming that it will exclusively return to nine different anime studios this time around, further demonstrating the creativity and diversity of Japanese animation.
The titles of each studio’s short, the directors, and key details were revealed for all nine shorts:
David Production – “BLACK”
Directed by Shinya Ohira
“A psychedelic battle between past and present, light and dark, and life and death plays out in the haunted psyche of an Imperial trooper who is on the cusp of defeat.”
Kamikaze Douga + ANIMA – “The Duel: Payback”
Directed by Takanobu Mizuno
With the help of some unexpected allies, Ronin faces off against his greatest foe – a twisted Jedi known as the Grand Master who is bent on revenge.
Kinema Citrus – “The Lost Ones”
Directed by Hitoshi Haga
“After assisting refugees escape a natural disaster, an incognito F is forced to confront the ghosts of her past when their refugee ship is intercepted by the Empire.”
Kinema Citrus – “Yuko’s Treasure”
Directed by Masaki Tachibana
“A sheltered orphan teams with a street rat kid to rescue his droid caregiver and find a long lost treasure.”
Polygon Pictures – “The Bird of Paradise”
Directed by Tadahiro Yoshihira
“After she is blinded in battle, a hot headed Jedi padawan must undergo a series of spiritual trials in order to overcome the temptation of the Dark Side.”
Production I.G – “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope”
Directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani
“Pursued by Jedi Hunters, and blasted adrift into space, Kara encounters a seemingly abandoned ship tended to by a mysterious droid.”
Project Studio Q – “The Song of Four Wings”
Directed by Hiroyasu Kobayashi
“A princess-turned-rebel protects a child from the might of the Empire on a snowbound planet.”
TRIGGER – “The Smuggler”
Directed by Masahiko Otsuka
“A smuggler, desperate for a quick payday, agrees to take on a job to bring a wanted young prince to safety as the Empire pursues.”
WIT Studio – “The Bounty Hunter”
Directed by Junichi Yamamoto
“A rogue bounty hunter takes on a job for a shady industrialist that has unexpected consequences for her and her droid.”
While the complete cast was not announced, a trailer premiered for attendees, which featured the voices of Ami Maeshima, Yasuko Hatori, Takako Honda, Yume Miyamoto, Makoto Koichi, and Chinatsu Akasaki from the Original Language cast, and George Takei, Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Kishiyama, Lincoln Bonilla, Jimmie Yamaguchi, Mike Bodie, and Stephanie Hsu from the English dub.
Additionally, newer longform stories will be told in the world of Star Wars: Visions under the banner of Star Wars: Visions presents, with the first television series, The Ninth Jedi, set to release on Disney+ in 2026, and will be directed by Kenji Kamiyama, who recently helmed The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
As we await these projects to release, fans can enjoy the first three episodes of the second season of Andor, which will drop tomorrow on Disney+, and see the 20th anniversary re-release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, in theatres on April 25.
Source: Disney (press release)
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