New ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Coming From Lucasfilm—Here’s What We Know
by Mary Whitfill Roeloffs · ForbesTopline
A veteran producer and writer within the Marvel universe is set to take on another super-successful franchise with the development of a new “Star Wars” trilogy of movies for Lucasfilm, but reports differ on what direction the trilogy will take and when fans can expect to see the project on screen.
Key Facts
Simon Kinberg, whose producing credits include "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "The Martian," will write and produce three films for the franchise, multiple industry publications reported.
The announcement has been hit with some criticism due to Kinberg’s attachment as the writer after a handful of his other writing credits—including 2015’s “Fantastic Four” and “Dark Phoenix”—failed to live up to expectations.
Where the Kinberg films will fall in the existing “Star Wars” universe is also still unclear—Deadline first reported the new movies would be a continuation of the “Skywalker Saga” that began in 1977 and most recently continued with “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” but The Hollywood Reporter cited anonymous sources in reporting the trilogy will star new characters in a brand new story.
Kinberg also worked on the animated series "Star Wars Rebels" and consulted on "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens."
Disney earlier this year confirmed to investors it will release three new "Star Wars" movies in 2026 and 2027 but only one has been named— "The Mandalorian & Grogu" film, an extension of "The Mandalorian" TV show on Disney+.
The other two films slated for 2026 and 2027 have not been named and more details have not been released.
Disney and Lucasfilm have not provided any clarifying information on the new trilogy.
What To Watch For
If the Kinberg films actually happen. There have been plenty of “Star Wars” projects announced that never came to fruition, including a trilogy from “The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson, a “Rogue Squadron” from Patty Jenkin, and a trilogy from “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. "The Mandalorian" spinoff show "Rangers of the New Republic," a "Rise and Fall of Jabba The Hutt" film from Guillermo del Toro and a solo Boba Fett film all also stalled.
Key Background
The "Star Wars" franchise is the second-highest-earning film franchise of all time, according to Box Office Mojo (Marvel, which has substantially more films, is the highest). Between 11 feature films and various special screenings and rereleases, "Star Wars" has grossed more than $10 billion globally since "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" was released in 1977. "A New Hope" was the highest grossing film that year at the worldwide box office, outearning second-place "Smokey and the Bandit" by more than double. There have been several TV shows made in the "Star Wars" universe, including "The Clone Wars," "Young Jedi Adventures" and "The Mandalorian," the latter of which were made for Disney after Disney bought "Star Wars" for a reported $4 billion in 2012. "The Mandalorian" is the most-watched Disney+ series of all time and "Star Wars" does over $1 billion in annual retail sales, Disney told shareholders this year.
Big Number
$937 million. That’s how much “Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens," which was the first new "Star Wars" film in over a decade when it released in 2015, grossed at the box office as the franchise's highest earning installment ever.