Ryan Gosling's Star Wars: Starfighter has officially made Star Wars history, though the record comes with a massive financial risk. The standalone film follows his character, Kade Auberon, on adventures across the galaxy at the controls of a decommissioned starfighter, the G17 Imperial Reaper, billed as the fastest ever built. Kade's journey pulls him into the orbit of his nephew, played by Flynn Gray, who joins him on the dangerous trek. Directed by Shawn Levy and shot at Pinewood Studios outside London, the film is scheduled to arrive May 28, 2027, set five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
A Star Wars movie packed with high-octane action comes at a cost, and a newly surfaced financial filing in the United Kingdom has revealed just how much it cost Starfighter. The filings, submitted by Blue Mist Productions, the Disney subsidiary set up for the picture, show that Disney spent $226.5 million on Starfighter from the start of production through January 31, 2026, just over a month after filming wrapped.
That beats what Star Wars: The Force Awakens had spent at a comparable stage, roughly $198.2 million, marking a historic moment for the franchise. The Force Awakens went on to become the most expensive movie ever made at the time, which makes Starfighter's early pace all the more remarkable, and a little nerve-wracking, given how Star Wars movies have struggled at the box office in recent years.
The filings show Disney has already banked a $51.5 million reimbursement through the UK government's Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit, which returns up to 25.5% of what qualifying productions spend in the country, bringing Starfighter's net spend down to $175 million so far. Both figures will keep climbing as later filings capture post-production costs.
At the same stage of production, the only Star Wars film that had spent more is The Rise of Skywalker, which had burned through a staggering $386.8 million. Interestingly, its overall expenditure still finished below The Force Awakens, which spent $536 million.
How did Disney spend this much on the Ryan Gosling movie, though? According to the filings, a good chunk of the money went to staff, spending $17.6 million on a crew of roughly 239 people. The real headcount is certainly higher, since films like this also hire freelancers, contractors, and temporary workers who do not appear on the books as employees. Beyond crew wages, the production spent heavily on local services such as technicians, prop makers, car hire, and catering.
Could Starfighter Become the Most Expensive Movie Ever?
Star Wars movies have a reputation for being some of the most expensive movies ever made in Hollywood. UK filings revealed that The Force Awakens cost $638.9 million before tax credits and $536 million after them, which made it the most expensive movie ever made until Jurassic World Dominion took the record with a $549 million net spend. The Rise of Skywalker cost $593.7 million before its reimbursement brought it down to $490.2 million. The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story all rank within the 25 most expensive films in history as well.
Starfighter's record-setting spending at this early stage suggests it could climb to number one, since it has outspent The Force Awakens at the same point and that movie ended up breaking the all-time record. Months of post-production still lie ahead, including visual effects, sound design, and scoring, all of which will push the total higher. If spending continues at this rate, Starfighter could finish in the same territory as the biggest productions ever mounted.
Early spending does not necessarily mean the final total will be astronomical, though. The Rise of Skywalker spent more than any Star Wars film at this stage and still finished cheaper than The Force Awakens. Even so, director Shawn Levy has a track record of spending big on his Disney productions. His last movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, cost $556.8 million before tax credits, a total Disney itself admitted blew the budget, and is among the most expensive films ever made.
This massive production budget puts a lot of pressure on Starfighter, as the movie is meant to reinvigorate the Star Wars franchise. The last Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu, was supposed to bring back the love and fell short of box office expectations earlier this year. That movie's production budget softened the blow, as it was significantly cheaper than most of Disney's Star Wars movies. Starfighter, on the other hand, will be a massive loss for Disney if it doesn't at least break even.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
