One Star Wars movie that once seemed like the next big entry in the galaxy far, far away, but was then cancelled, has now been revived by Disney and Lucasfilm. Since Disney+ launched in 2019 and The Rise of Skywalker was released in the same year, Star Wars has put a lot of focus on releasing projects on its TV front (though that is now being reversed). A few movies have gone into development and have even been announced, but more than one has fizzled out.
Rogue Squadron, which was first announced in December 2020 and then shelved, is reportedly back in development at Lucasfilm. The movie was supposed to bring Star Wars' theatrical side back after a short hiatus following The Rise of Skywalker's release. It was set to be released in 2023, but was officially shelved in 2022. Since then, fans haven't heard much, but Lucasfilm refused to entirely commit to calling it "cancelled."
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron movie is back in development at Lucasfilm. Specifically, Richtman revealed the news via Patreon, simply confirming that Lucasfilm took it off the shelf and that it is currently being worked on in some capacity.
It is unclear how far Rogue Squadron progressed the first time it was in development, but considering no notable news was ever reported on between 2020 and 2022 (when Rogue Squadron was first in development), it likely did not get far.
If Rogue Squadron is on its way back and is planned to be released by Disney and Lucasfilm, some sort of official announcement will likely come at some point in the future. It is also worth noting that, if the film is released, Disney will add it back onto its upcoming film slate sometime relatively soon.
Rogue Squadron is not the only Star Wars movie that was in development and then shelved. In fact, multiple titles that have been announced have either been put on the back burner or paused until further notice. However, it being shelved and then getting revived is a great sign for Star Wars movies and for fans of the franchise. If Rogue Squadron could be taken back off the shelf, any of the other films that were seemingly put on it as well could also go back into development.
Other Notable Star Wars Movies That Were Shelved
Rian Johnson's Trilogy
Shortly after dividing the Star Wars fanbase with The Last Jedi, Lucasfilm announced that director Rian Johnson would be at the helm of an entire Star Wars trilogy. No details were revealed about the trilogy, just that the studio had high hopes for what Johnson would bring to the table.
Unfortunately, since then, no progress has been made on Johnson's trilogy. Instead of spending time developing projects within the galaxy far, far away, Johnson has instead created multiple Knives Out films as well as a Peacock series titled Poker Face.
Still, Johnson has expressed interest in returning to Star Wars sometime down the line, but his trilogy doesn't seem to be a priority for him or Lucasfilm currently.
Lando
Donald Glover brought a young Lando Calrissian to life in Solo: A Star Wars story, and, after that portrayal, it was announced that he would be returning as Lando in a self-titled Disney+ series. Unfortunately, since then, development has moved extremely slowly on the project.
However, it was announced that it would be turned into a feature film and that it was still in development. Glover and his brother, Stephen, are currently working on the script together, but since so much time has passed since it was announced, many wonder if it will ever be released.
Taika Waititi's Star Wars Movie
Like Rian Johnson, Taika Waititi was announced to be heading a Star Wars film after his success directing and starring in The Mandalorian. However, since that announcement, like many of the other projects on this list, no news has been revealed about it.
Waititi did say in 2023 that he was still working on the script, but that he was struggling with it. It technically is still in development, but has just been put on the shelf, but it wouldn't be a surprise if it was cancelled entirely.
Simon Kinberg's Trilogy
After the Skywalker Saga seemingly ended, it was announced that Simon Kinberg would be developing a trilogy set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Some reports even detailed that they would be Episodes X, XI, and XII, but Disney and Lucasfilm never confirmed that.
News on Kinberg's trilogy has been nonexistent since its announcement. It's still supposed to be in development, but it seems like Lucasfilm has more important projects to get to first.
Dave Filoni's MandoVerse Film
At one point in time, it was revealed that the MandoVerse (the interconnected Star Wars Disney+ projects like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, The Book of Boba Fett, and Skeleton Crew) would culminate with a massive feature film. However, it is now unclear if that is still the plan since The Mandalorian Season 4 was turned into a movie that will be released in 2026 titled The Mandalorian & Grogu.
It seems like the MandoVerse has taken longer than expected to come along. Some projects within it, like The Book of Boba Fett, also didn't pan out the way Lucasfilm likely wanted them to, so everything is being reassessed.
The MandoVerse movie is still technically in development. However, suppose The Mandalorian & Grogu is a big success. In that case, some other Mando-centric movies may be released before Filoni gets the chance to work on a massive movie that includes storylines and characters from different shows.
