Early reporting on Star Wars: Starfighter has been tantalizingly cautious—tight-lipped about plot specifics and character details. But one theme director Shawn Levy confirms is central to the story: it’s anchored in a father-son dynamic. That might sound simple on its face, but in a franchise defined by legacy and lineage, this choice resonates in a very Star Wars way. Building a Star Wars story on emotional grounding Levy has a long track record with emotionally centered adventure films, and his past work often circles relationships between adults and younger characters. That sensibility appears to be shaping Starfighter too. In a recent interview connected to his New York Times profile, Levy discussed how moments of intergenerational connection have drawn him back again and again in storytelling. While the full plot is still under wraps, the fact that Starfighter is described as being built around paternal bonds suggests we might see a…
Star Wars Movies
Kathleen Kennedy Pushes Back on the Shawn Levy Narrative
For a franchise that lives under a microscope, who gets hired can matter almost as much as what ends up on screen. That’s why Kathleen Kennedy’s recent comments about Shawn Levy landed with more weight than they might first appear. Levy, now attached to direct an upcoming Star Wars film, has faced familiar criticism: that his background in family-friendly and crowd-pleasing movies somehow makes him a “lightweight” choice. Kennedy doesn’t buy that framing—at all. What Kennedy actually said Speaking to The New York Times, Kennedy addressed the criticism head-on. She noted that Levy’s work in family comedies has been routinely misinterpreted, saying it’s “completely unfair” to treat that genre as creatively shallow. Her reasoning was blunt and revealing: making films that work for broad audiences is hard. Not technically flashy hard, but emotionally precise hard—balancing tone, pacing, humor, and sincerity without losing the audience along the way. That skill, she…
Tom Cruise Visited a Star Wars Set — and Helped Film a Lightsaber Duel
When Tom Cruise shows up on a film set, people assume he’s there to act. That’s not what happened on the set of Star Wars: Starfighter. Cruise visited the production and filmed one of the movie’s lightsaber duels. He did not appear on screen, did not portray a character, and was not acting in the scene. According to The New York Times, his involvement was behind the camera, not in front of it. That distinction matters—and it makes the story more interesting, not less. What actually happened Cruise was present on set during production and took part in filming a lightsaber duel sequence. The reporting is specific: he filmed the scene. There has been no indication of a cameo, a secret role, or any on-screen appearance. Lightsaber duels are among the most technically demanding sequences in a Star Wars production. Camera movement, timing, choreography, and spatial awareness are tightly synchronized….
Shawn Levy Recalls How a Stranger Things Scene Led to His First Contact With Lucasfilm
Careers don’t always intersect with major franchises through formal pitches or long-planned meetings. Sometimes, they cross paths because of a single creative question that needs an answer. For Shawn Levy, that moment came during the making of Season 1 of Stranger Things, years before he became attached to a new Star Wars project. The scene that raised a problem While developing the first season of Stranger Things, the creative team planned a scene in which Eleven uses her telekinetic powers to levitate the Millennium Falcon. It was meant as a brief but recognizable pop-culture reference. That idea immediately ran into a legal and rights issue. Levy explained that Netflix informed the production they would need permission to reference the Millennium Falcon. The response came back quickly—and decisively. The answer was no. The show would need to replace the object with something else. Reaching out directly At that point, Levy had…
A Star Wars Horror Series Is Reportedly in Development — Here’s What That Actually Means
A new rumor is making the rounds in Star Wars circles, and it’s one of the more intriguing ones we’ve heard in a while: a Star Wars horror show is reportedly in development. The claim comes from Daniel Richtman (often known online as DanielRPK), a source with a mixed but occasionally accurate track record when it comes to early-stage Hollywood projects. As with many reports at this stage, there’s no official confirmation from Lucasfilm or Disney — which means this is worth discussing, but not swallowing whole. Still, the idea itself isn’t as far-fetched as it might sound. Why a Star Wars Horror Project Makes Sense Despite its family-friendly reputation, Star Wars has always flirted with horror. In other words, the ingredients are already there. A horror-focused series wouldn’t be a genre break — it would be a genre reframing. What “Horror” Could Actually Mean in Star Wars It’s important…
Steven Soderbergh Rewatched the Star Wars Sequels and Empire Strikes Back — What That Suggests About The Hunt for Ben Solo
One of the more interesting pieces of Star Wars film trivia to surface recently didn’t come from Lucasfilm press releases or convention panels. It came from the personal viewing habits of a filmmaker. Steven Soderbergh, the acclaimed director behind Ocean’s Eleven, Traffic, and Contagion, was at one point attached to a proposed Star Wars film titled The Hunt for Ben Solo. While the project ultimately did not move forward, new insight into Soderbergh’s preparation sheds light on how seriously the film was being developed before it quietly stalled. In January 2025, Soderbergh rewatched the Star Wars sequel trilogy along with The Empire Strikes Back, and also revisited The Making of Star Wars, the classic behind-the-scenes chronicle of George Lucas’ original film. That timing is notable — and likely not accidental. A Director Deep in Preparation Soderbergh is known for publishing annual “Seen/Read” lists documenting the films and books he consumes…
Daisy Ridley Says the New Jedi Order Movie Will Be “Wonderful”
Speaking recently with ComicBook.com, Daisy Ridley offered an update on the long-gestating New Jedi Order film—and her words land somewhere between optimism and caution. Ridley described the story as “wonderful,” but the more telling part of her comments wasn’t the praise. It was the restraint. “I am six years older. I am in a different moment,” Ridley said.“I think the wait will be worthwhile. I think it will be a discovery, as all roles are, of where Rey is when we meet her again.” That doesn’t sound like someone promising a victory lap. It sounds like someone aware of how much has changed—both personally and within Star Wars itself. A Return That Carries Real Risk Bringing Rey back is not a neutral decision for Lucasfilm. Rey remains one of the most debated figures of the sequel era, praised by some as a symbol of hope and criticized by others as…
Was the Battle of Naboo Actually a Defeat for Palpatine?
At first glance, the Battle of Naboo looks like a clean Sith loss. The Trade Federation is humiliated.The Gungans and the Naboo unite.The Jedi Order get a very public win.And Darth Maul, the Sith’s attack dog, is cut down in front of witnesses. If you stop there, it’s tempting to argue that Palpatine—still playing the role of Senator from Naboo—lost control of events at the climax of The Phantom Menace. Especially if you’ve read Star Wars: Darth Plagueis and view Naboo as the long-term laboratory of Sith manipulation rather than a disposable pawn. But the deeper you dig, the more uncomfortable the question becomes: Did Palpatine actually lose… or did he simply win differently than planned? The Darth Plagueis Problem: Canon vs. Intent Before going further, it’s worth acknowledging the elephant in the room. Darth Plagueis is officially Legends, not canon. That matters—but only to a point. Many of its…
The Complete Chronological Watching Order of Every Canon Star Wars Movie and TV Show in 2026
If you’ve ever tried to watch Star Wars “in order,” you already know the problem: release dates lie, flashbacks complicate things, and Disney-era shows now weave between films like hyperspace lanes. That’s where a true chronological watching order comes in — one that follows the timeline inside the galaxy, not the year something hit theaters. Below is a complete, canon-only chronological order of every Star Wars movie and TV series, from the High Republic era to the fall of the First Order, with a short explanation of what each entry adds to the saga. This guide includes films, live-action series, and animated shows currently considered canon. The High Republic Era Young Jedi Adventures Set centuries before the Skywalker saga, this animated series introduces the High Republic at its most peaceful. It’s aimed at younger viewers but establishes the Jedi Order at its height — confident, numerous, and unchallenged. The Acolyte…
Finn Wolfhard Calls The Last Jedi “Underrated” in Recent Interview
Every few years, Star Wars: The Last Jedi finds a new defender. This time, it’s coming from someone who knows a thing or two about pop-culture pressure. Finn Wolfhard, best known for Stranger Things, recently spoke about his love for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, calling it “so good and underrated.” His praise wasn’t vague or polite, either. He singled out the film’s willingness to take risks. “I loved that movie,” Wolfhard said. “I think that movie is so good and underrated. At least there was a thing like let’s take a swing and try some new ideas.” The comments come via Vanity Fair, and they land in a familiar fault line of modern Star Wars conversation. Why this still matters Nearly a decade after its release, The Last Jedi remains one of the most divisive films in the franchise. Some viewers see it as a bold, character-driven shake-up. Others…
Why Star Wars Nostalgia Is Stronger Than Marvel’s
By any reasonable metric, both Star Wars and Marvel sit at the center of modern pop culture. They dominate theaters, streaming platforms, toy aisles, and convention floors. Yet when conversations turn reflective—when people talk about what these franchises meant to them rather than what they earned—one pattern keeps resurfacing: Star Wars nostalgia runs deeper, and it lingers longer. This isn’t about box office totals or online fan debates. It’s about emotional memory. And for readers asking why Star Wars seems to occupy a more permanent place in people’s lives than the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the answer lies in how, when, and why those memories were formed. Generational Memory vs. Moment-Based Fandom One of the clearest differences between Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the way audiences first encountered them. Star Wars was rarely discovered alone. For decades, it was introduced—often deliberately—by parents to children. The Original Trilogy lived…
A Month of Star Wars Mornings Is Coming to Los Angeles — And the Timing Matters
There’s a quiet, deliberate kind of magic in watching Star Wars on the big screen before the year really gets going. No hype cycles. No spoilers. Just a darkened theater, a familiar score, and a story you already know—but somehow still want to revisit. That’s exactly what’s happening in Los Angeles this winter. Starting Saturday, January 3, 2026, the Ted Mann Theater on Wilshire Boulevard is hosting a steady run of Star Wars theatrical screenings—one film per week, all beginning at 11:00am. It’s a simple idea, executed well, and it lands at a very specific moment in the franchise’s timeline. What’s Screening, and When The program opens with The Empire Strikes Back on Saturday, January 3, followed by Return of the Jedi on January 10. From there, the schedule moves backward and forward across the saga: Every screening starts at 11:00am. No evening rush. No marathon fatigue. Just a consistent…
ILM’s 2025 Holiday Card Is a Subtle Nod to 50 Years of Visual Storytelling
When Industrial Light & Magic released its official 2025 holiday card, it didn’t feel like marketing—or even a celebration in the usual sense. It felt deliberate. Quiet. Confident. At first glance, the card shows a glowing Christmas ornament hanging on a tree. Inside the glass: a bright red “50”, an X-wing silhouette, and tiny sci-fi details embedded in the glow. It’s festive, sure—but it’s also doing something more interesting than just wishing people happy holidays. Why People Are Searching for This Card Most searches around the ILM holiday card come down to a few clear questions: The short answer: this card isn’t about hype. It’s about legacy. What the Design Is Actually Communicating ILM was founded in 1975, making 2025 its 50th year. Instead of spelling that out, the card lets the number speak for itself. The choice of a glass ornament matters. Ornaments are handled carefully, brought out once…
A Sweet Slice of the Galaxy: New Star Wars Minis Holiday Short Arrives
This Christmas season, Star Wars isn’t just about big blockbusters and sprawling sagas — it’s also about playful creativity and holiday cheer. Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic have quietly released a stylized short as part of the Star Wars Minis series, offering fans a whimsical twist on a classic scene from the original saga. Why This Matters Now The holidays are a time for traditions, nostalgia, and rediscovery — and this Star Wars short taps into all three. Rather than launching another high-stakes story or trailer, Lucasfilm has delivered something lighter: a festive reinterpretation of the iconic Death Star trench run, rebuilt entirely out of gingerbread cookies and holiday spirit. It’s a reminder that Star Wars can connect with audiences of all ages in creative, unexpected ways — not just through sprawling epics, but through bite-sized, joyful moments that celebrate the franchise’s place in pop culture. What Was Released…
How Industrial Light & Magic Shaped The Force Awakens — Ten Years Later
Ten years on, Star Wars: The Force Awakens doesn’t just feel like a movie that restarted a saga. It feels like a technical turning point. To mark the film’s tenth anniversary, Industrial Light & Magic has revisited its Oscar®-nominated visual effects work on the 2015 release — offering a closer look at how the galaxy was rebuilt for a new era without losing its soul. Why this matters now Anniversaries tend to focus on characters and story. This one shifts the spotlight to craft. The Force Awakens arrived with a difficult mandate: make Star Wars feel tangible again after years of increasingly digital spectacle, while still delivering modern blockbuster scale. ILM’s work was central to pulling that off — and a decade later, its influence is even clearer. What was revisited The newly released retrospective highlights ILM’s effects pipeline on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which earned an Academy Award®…
Somehow, Palpatine Returned
The line everyone remembers — and Star Wars still hasn’t escaped There are movie lines that become iconic because they’re brilliant.And then there are lines that become iconic because… well… everyone stops and stares at the screen. “Somehow, Palpatine returned” belongs firmly in the second category. It’s not dramatic.It’s not clever.It’s not even especially informative. And yet, years later, it’s still one of the most searched Star Wars quotes on the internet — a meme, a punchline, and a shorthand for an entire era of frustration. Whether you love the sequel trilogy, hate it, or have achieved the rare state of peaceful acceptance, you know this line. You don’t even need context anymore. The line is the context. So why does it still matter? And why do people keep googling it in 2025? Let’s talk about it. Where the line comes from (and why it hit so wrong) The line…
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Was Released 6 Years Ago Today
Six years ago today, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrived in theaters carrying more weight than almost any film in the franchise’s history. It wasn’t just the final chapter of a trilogy. It was positioned as the conclusion of the entire Skywalker saga — nine films, four decades, and generations of expectations converging into a single release. Whether you loved it, questioned it, or are still debating it, the film’s place in Star Wars history is undeniable. The moment it landed When The Rise of Skywalker premiered, it closed a sequel trilogy that had already sparked intense discussion about tone, legacy, and direction. The film brought back familiar faces, re-centered the conflict around the Sith, and aimed for a sense of finality that the saga had never attempted before. It was fast, emotional, and unapologetically big — clearly designed to feel like an ending. For Lucasfilm, it marked the…
James Cameron Says Star Wars Is the Reason He Became a Filmmaker
James Cameron didn’t just watch Star Wars.He saw his own imagination projected onto a movie screen. And that realization, he says, is what pushed him toward becoming a filmmaker. A moment of recognition, not imitation In a recent interview with CBS, Cameron reflected on the first time he experienced George Lucas’ 1977 space opera—and how unsettlingly familiar it felt. As a teenager, Cameron would listen to fast electronic music on headphones, imagining elaborate space battles filled with energy weapons and complex maneuvers. Then Star Wars arrived. “I would’ve thought, ‘They took that from my brain,’” Cameron said, before laughing at the idea. His actual conclusion was far more practical—and far more important. If the images in his head matched what audiences were lining up to see in the biggest movie in the world, then maybe his imagination had value. Maybe it was something people would actually pay to experience. That…
Lucasfilm Wins Key Court Ruling Over Peter Cushing’s Likeness in Rogue One
Nearly a decade after Rogue One reignited debates about digital resurrection in Hollywood, a UK court has delivered a decisive ruling that still echoes across Star Wars — and the wider film industry. Lucasfilm has successfully had a legal challenge dismissed over its use of Peter Cushing’s likeness as Grand Moff Tarkin. The decision doesn’t just close a long-running dispute. It clarifies where the legal ground currently stands as studios navigate the ethics and legality of bringing legacy characters back to the screen. What happened A UK Court of Appeal has ruled in favor of Lucasfilm, striking out a lawsuit brought by Tyburn Film Productions over the digital recreation of Peter Cushing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Tyburn claimed that a 1993 agreement with Cushing — tied to an unrelated, unrealized project — gave it rights connected to the visual effects use of his likeness. On that basis,…
Star Wars Fans Take the Fight to NYC to Save The Hunt for Ben Solo
This isn’t a hashtag. It’s a billboard. Star Wars fans have taken their campaign to the streets of New York City, launching a public, real-world effort to revive a shelved project called The Hunt for Ben Solo. And by choosing Times Square and other high-visibility spots, they’re making sure the message is impossible to ignore. What happened — and why now Over the past few weeks, fans have organized a coordinated campaign in NYC calling on Disney and Lucasfilm to reconsider The Hunt for Ben Solo, a proposed standalone Star Wars film centered on Kylo Ren after The Rise of Skywalker. The campaign includes a Times Square billboard, physical posters styled like missing-person notices, and in-person fan meetups. It’s not tied to a convention or a release window. The timing is intentional: the effort follows renewed attention around the project after Adam Driver publicly confirmed that a Ben Solo film…
Harrison Ford to Receive SAG-AFTRA’s Highest Honor
Some careers don’t just age well—they become part of the culture. Harrison Ford’s is one of them. The Screen Actors Guild has officially confirmed that Ford will receive the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award, the guild’s highest honor for an actor, recognizing a body of work that helped define modern blockbuster cinema. This isn’t a legacy award handed out lightly. It’s the actors’ union tipping its hat to one of its own, and to a career that has quietly shaped generations of filmgoers. What was announced, and why it matters SAG-AFTRA has named Harrison Ford as the next recipient of its Life Achievement Award, an honor reserved for performers whose careers embody excellence, longevity, and impact within the industry. The award is decided by fellow actors, which gives it a particular weight. This isn’t about box office math or studio branding. It’s peer recognition for decades of work that still resonates….
Star Wars: Starfighter Has Wrapped Production — And Now the Real Work Begins
Lights, cameras… wrap! 🎬Director Shawn Levy has officially confirmed that principal photography on Star Wars: Starfighter has wrapped, meaning the next major theatrical chapter in the Star Wars saga is now moving into post-production and getting polished for its big debut. With the cameras down and editing underway, fans can now look ahead to Starfighter’s planned release — May 28, 2027 — marking one of the most anticipated theatrical entries in the franchise in years. A Fresh Star Wars Story, Built from Scratch What makes Starfighter particularly interesting isn’t just the wrap announcement — it’s the kind of movie it promises to be. Unlike many recent entries that revisited familiar characters, Starfighter is designed to be a stand-alone adventure. That means new faces, new corners of the galaxy, and a story that isn’t tied directly to past trilogies or sagas. Director Shawn Levy has emphasized that the film isn’t a…
Joonas Suotamo Reflects on The Force Awakens at 10 — “My Life Changed Forever”
Ten years after Star Wars: The Force Awakens brought the saga roaring back to the big screen, Joonas Suotamo, the actor who stepped into the towering role of Chewbacca, is looking back with equal parts gratitude, awe, and a few well-earned goosebumps. In a heartfelt anniversary post, Suotamo shared how walking onto the set of The Force Awakens quite literally changed his life—and how the emotion of that moment still hasn’t faded a decade later. Stepping Onto the Falcon According to Suotamo, one moment stands above the rest: meeting Harrison Ford just before stepping into the Millennium Falcon. For any Star Wars fan, that’s already a “pinch me” scenario. For someone about to help relaunch the entire franchise? That’s history pressing down on your shoulders—in the best possible way. Suotamo recalls not just the excitement, but the emotion on set. Cast and crew members were deeply aware that they weren’t…
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Turns 10 — The Movie That Brought the Galaxy Back
Ten years ago today, Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit theaters and did something many thought was impossible: it made Star Wars feel like a global event again. Midnight screenings. Sold-out IMAX shows. Lightsabers in parking lots. That familiar opening crawl sending chills through packed cinemas. For a moment in December 2015, the entire pop-culture universe seemed to stop and collectively whisper, “Chewie… we’re home.” And honestly? It really felt that way. The Weight of a Galactic Comeback When The Force Awakens released, Star Wars hadn’t had a new theatrical film in a decade. The prequel era had ended, George Lucas had passed the torch, and expectations were… let’s call them intense. J.J. Abrams’ mission was clear but daunting: The result was a movie designed not to reinvent the saga, but to reignite it. And it worked. Rey, Finn, Poe — A New Hope, Literally One of The Force Awakens’…