When will Shawn Levy's Star Wars film be released?

The filmmaker has said he felt "empowered" to be making a film for the iconic franchise

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 05: Shawn Levy attends Variety's New York Party at Loosie's Nightclub on October 05, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)
Director Shawn Levy has shared an update on his new Star Wars film (Getty Images)

Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy is set to direct his own Star Wars movie, and he has shared that he felt "extremely empowered" after being given the role.

The Deadpool 3 director spoke about the experience in an interview with Variety, sharing new details about his plans for the film.

"When [LucasFilm president] Kathy Kennedy brought me on board to make a Star Wars movie, her central mandate to me was 'I want a Shawn Levy movie. I want a story and a tone that reflects you and your taste and what you bring to your movies - with a Star Wars story,'" he told the publication.

"So I have felt extremely empowered. We are in the early days, unfortunately, because the development process was abruptly paused (due to the WGA strike), but I feel very empowered to trust my instincts in the development of this story and movie."

With that in mind, here is everything we know about the director's upcoming film.

Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' (credit: Disney)
Shawn Levy's Star Wars film is expected to differ from the Skywalker saga, which began with A New Hope that starred Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford (Disney)

Shawn Levy's Star Wars film does not yet have a release date.

As Levy mentioned in his interview, his Star Wars film is in early development. What is known is that the director is expected to start work on the movie after completing his duties for Deadpool 3 and the final season of Stranger Things.

The superhero film has seen its filming schedule be put on pause following the Writer's and Actor's strikes, while Stranger Things has not yet begun filming for its final season (though as the Writer's Strike has been resolved the writing team have confirmed they are working on the scripts).

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool 3. (Marvel)
Levy is currently working on Deadpool 3 with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, production paused on the film amid the Writer's and Actor's strikes (Marvel)

Until the ongoing Actor's strike has been resolved production for Deadpool 3 will not be able to begin again, thus leaving Levy's Star Wars film in limbo until them.

There is currently an untitled Star Wars movie set to be released in December 2025, however it has not yet been confirmed which of LucasFilm's projects that are in development it could be. Given Levy's busy schedule with his other projects it is unlikely to be his movie released on this date.

The plot, setting, or themes of Shawn Levy's Star Wars film have not yet been revealed. As his interview suggests, Levy plans to make a Star Wars film that has his quintessential look and feel.

Whether that means it'll have the R-rated humour of Deadpool is unclear.

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, (aka STAR WARS: EPISODE IX  THE RISE OF SKYWALKER), Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, 2019. © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / © Lucasfilm / courtesy Everett Collection
Shawn Levy was asked if his friendship with Adam Driver, who played Kylo Ren in the sequel trilogy, could indicate his casting in the director's new film (LucasFilm)

No details have been revealed about who Shawn Levy intends to cast in his Star Wars film and it will be difficult for fans to guess which actors would be good for the film until details of the plot are unveiled.

Read more: Star Wars timeline explained: The franchise's films and TV shows in order

When asked by Variety about his friendship with Adam Driver, who portrayed Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the filmmaker joked: "Your words, not mine! As you know Adam is a buddy, and I’ve always been a huge fan of Kylo Ren. But no comment."

Driver's character died at the end of the sequel trilogy's The Rise of Skywalker, so it is unclear how the actor could return — though as Ahsoka has proven death isn't always the end in the Star Wars universe.

No, not yet. With filming not yet underway there is no footage to speak of for Levy's Star Wars movie, and this will likely only be revealed when the film has been shot and a release date has been confirmed.