Disney and Lucasfilm premiered the first exclusive footage for director Shawn Levy’s standalone movie “Star Wars: Starfighter” at D23 on August 14, 2026. Set five years after “The Rise of Skywalker,” the film stars Ryan Gosling as pilot Kade Auberon and is slated for theatrical release on May 28, 2027.
The D23 Reveal and Setting a New Timeline Course
Lucasfilm brought major franchise news to the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, during the Disney Entertainment Showcase. Director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Gosling stepped onto the stage to introduce the world to an entirely original story set in a period of the galaxy far, far away never before explored on film.
According to reports from Variety and The HoloFiles, the narrative takes place five years after the events of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”
The Bottom Line
- The Release Date: “Star Wars: Starfighter” hits cinemas on May 28, 2027, aligning with the 50th anniversary weekend of the original 1977 release.
- The Creative Team: Directed by Shawn Levy, starring Ryan Gosling as pilot Kade Auberon, and lensed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda.
- The Milestone: Lucasfilm has confirmed it will also reissue George Lucas’s original 1977 film in theaters on February 19, 2027.
Inside the Unreleased Footage and Character Details
While the audience inside the arena witnessed a thrilling first look, Disney has not yet released the trailer online. According to detailed descriptions from the event, the clip opens with young actor Flynn Gray standing in a vehicle holding bay. He reaches out to touch a decommissioned starfighter widely recognized as the fastest ship ever built, only to be stopped by Gosling’s character, Kade Auberon.
During the panel presentation, Levy gifted Gosling a custom jacket featuring a symbol that appears at first glance to look like the iconic symbol of The Punisher, but is actually the symbol of the Rebel Alliance turned upside down. According to official character details published on StarWars.com, Kade Auberon is a cynical rogue confronted by his mysterious past, thrust into a high-stakes adventure across the galaxy.
The preview footage reportedly cuts through a kinetic sequence of planetary landscapes, featuring an ocean erupting with massive geysers, hostile droids firing on the vessel, and Kade’s robotic copilot assisting with a frantic takeoff sequence.
Production Pedigree and the 50th Anniversary Strategy
Behind the camera, Lucasfilm has assembled an elite technical roster. Claudio Miranda, the Oscar-winning cinematographer behind “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Oblivion,” lensed the feature.
The release strategy is equally calculated. Hitting theaters on May 28, 2027, places the film squarely on the exact weekend the franchise began 50 years earlier. Lucasfilm CCO Dave Filoni reinforced this milestone by confirming that the original 1977 theatrical cut will return to the big screen earlier that year on February 19, 2027.
| Project Detail | Confirmed Fact |
|---|---|
| Director | Shawn Levy |
| Lead Star | Ryan Gosling (as Kade Auberon) |
| Cinematographer | Claudio Miranda |
| Chronological Setting | Five years after “The Rise of Skywalker” |
| Theatrical Release Date | May 28, 2027 |
How do you feel about Lucasfilm jumping forward past the sequel trilogy era for a standalone adventure? Let us know your thoughts on the upcoming 50th-anniversary lineup in the comments below.
