Major update for 'Star Wars: Starfighter' casting comes to light

Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling will star in a new Star Wars film that will reach movie theaters in May 2027, Walt Disney's (DIS.N), opens new tab Lucasfilm announced on Thursday.

Star Wars: Starfighter will take place five years after the events of 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, a Lucasfilm statement said.

The movie is "an entirely new adventure featuring all-new characters set in a period of time that has not been explored on screen yet," the statement said.

Shawn Levy will direct and production will start in the fall. Levy directed Marvel's 2024 Deadpool & Wolverine film and episodes of Netflix's TV series (NFLX.O), opens new tab Stranger Things.

Gosling has been nominated for three Oscars, most recently for his role as Ken in 2023's Barbie.

Star Wars is a science-fiction franchise created by George Lucas in 1977 and set in a galaxy far, far away. The "Star Wars" films have brought in more than $5.1 billion at global box offices.