Oscar-winning actor Ryan Gosling has officially been cast in the lead role of an exciting new standalone “Star Wars” movie.
Lucasfilm made the highly anticipated announcement on Friday during a vibrant three-day fan event held at the Makuhari Messe convention center just outside of Tokyo, Japan.
Director Shawn Levy, known for his work on films like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” put an end to the circulating rumors by confirming Gosling’s lead casting for the project, titled “Star Wars: Starfighter,” while addressing the eager crowd.
“One of those rumors I heard that I do need to dispel, is, I had heard at one point that my movie was going to star Ryan Gosling and believe me, that would be a dream come true for me. So today, I just wanted to tell you here in this room that that rumor is 100% true,” Levy enthusiastically declared on stage.
Adding a personal touch to the announcement, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy shared an adorable throwback photo of Gosling’s childhood “Star Wars”-themed bedsheets.
“This is a picture that my mom sent [of] my bedsheets when I was 5. Yes, she still has them, obviously,” Gosling explained with a chuckle. “Naturally, she thought that it might be something that the fans would appreciate but I suspect that she just sort of wants to justify years of hoarding.”
Gosling himself expressed his excitement about joining the entirely new “Starfighter” project.
“As you can see from the picture, you know, I guess I was probably dreaming about Star Wars before I even saw the film, and it’s probably framed my idea of what a movie even was,” Gosling shared with a smile.
He continued, elaborating on his decision to join the film, “But all of that aside, I think the reality is that this script is just so good. It has such a great story with great and original characters. It’s filled with so much heart and adventure. And there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn [Levy]. So it’s something I just really, really wanted to do.”
The production of the new movie is set to begin five years after the events depicted in “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker,” which was released back in 2019.
Director Levy offered further insights into the project, stating, “I’m extremely excited about what we’re going to cook up together. This movie, as I said, is a standalone. This is not a prequel. This is not a sequel. It’s a new adventure and it’s set in a period of time, as you can tell, that we haven’t seen explored on screen yet. And so, it features a collection of all new characters.”
Adding to the anticipation, it was also announced that “Star Wars: Starfighter” is scheduled to commence filming this fall and is expected to hit theaters on May 28, 2027.
