Ryan Gosling to star in new 'Star Wars' movie

Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling is set to join another major pop culture franchise: the Star Wars universe. The announcement was made over the weekend by a prominent American film and television production company.

Gosling will star in “Star Wars: Starfighter,” set for release in May 2027, as confirmed by Lucasfilm during the Star Wars Celebration event in Japan.

The movie, directed by Shawn Levy—known for his work on “Deadpool,” “Wolverine,” and “Stranger Things”—is set roughly five years after the events of “Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker” (2019), according to a statement from the Disney subsidiary.

Fans welcomed the surprise appearance of Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy at the Japanese event, where they confirmed the project, set to begin production later this year. Both expressed their gratitude for the enthusiastic reception from the audience.

The movie will be "an all-new adventure with all-new characters, set in an era that has yet to be explored on screen," the company said.

The standalone film is set to arrive a year after “The Mandalorian & Grogu,“ an expansion of the popular Disney+ series starring Pedro Pascal, which is slated for release in 2026.

Other Star Wars movies are also on the horizon, directed by Taika Waititi—known for “Jojo Rabbit” and two Marvel superhero films—and James Mangold, who recently directed the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.”

A trilogy from Simon Kinberg and a movie by Sharmeen Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy are also in the works. 

Gosling, 44, has three Oscar nominations: best supporting actor for Barbie in 2023 and two for best actor for La La La Land and Half Nelson.