Star Wars Starfighter Director Reveals Kathleen Kennedy’s Biggest Influence on the Movie

The director of Disney's Star Wars: Starfighter shared the biggest way that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy had on the movie. While Star Wars still has a bright future ahead after the Skywalker Saga, the couple of years will bring two new films: The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter. Looking at this upcoming slate, fans also have new information that could be encouraging, considering the franchise's lack of recent critical success in theaters.

Director Shawn Levy shared new information on the creative process behind his work on Star Wars: Starfighter. Speaking with Vanity Fair, he reflected on being "one of dozens of directors who raised their hand" to direct a Star Wars film after Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012; however, "nothing came of it:"

"When word got out that Disney had acquired Lucasfilm and they were going to sort of relaunch the film franchise, I was one of dozens of directors who raised their hand and let it be known to anyone who would listen that that would be a dream. But then the dream sort of receded because nothing came of it, and I kept busy doing lots of my own stuff."

He then got a call from Kathleen Kennedy in August 2022 to make a Star Wars movie. When he asked what movie it would be and how it would fit into the franchise, her answer was "Whatever one you want," which he called an "incredibly empowering opportunity:"

"So to get that call from Kathleen Kennedy in August of 2022, I literally remember where I was. She said, 'I want you to do a 'Star Wars' movie.' I asked the obvious question: 'Which one? What's it a prequel to? What's it a sequel to?' And the immediate answer was, 'Whatever one you want. Make it feel like your movies feel.' It was just this incredibly empowering opportunity."

Kennedy has been the president of Lucasfilm since 2012, overseeing the sequel trilogy, Rogue One, Solo, and all of Star Wars' ventures on Disney+. With Shawn Levy taking on his first project in the Star Wars universe, these comments show Lucasfilm's trust in him to make the movie he wants to make as he partners with Kennedy for the franchise's future.

Star Wars: Starfighter will be the next Star Wars movie released after The Mandalorian and Grogu, and it features Shawn Levy as the director. While plot details are still unknown, the cast will feature Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Amy Adams, and Aaron Pierre. Star Wars: Starfighter is set to debut in theaters on May 28, 2027.

Why Kathleen Kennedy Update is Great News for Star Wars: Starfighter

Shawn Levy is known for having plenty of successful ventures across his tenure in Hollywood, thanks to fan-favorite stories like Night at the Museum and The Adam Project. In recent years, he gained worldwide fame as an executive producer and director on Netflix's hit show Stranger Things, and he further cemented his status by directing Marvel Studios' billion-dollar mega-hit Deadpool & Wolverine.

Considering Levy's track record, seeing this move from Kennedy should be encouraging for Star Wars fans, who are desperate to see the franchise return to big-screen glory. Additionally, the story itself will give this universe a fresh look, as Levy made it clear that he was under no obligation to tie his movie to anything that has already happened.

This comes in the midst of a change in strategy for Star Wars, as The Mandalorian and Grogu star Sigourney Weaver spoke on how Lucasfilm is focusing on "letting the universe exist" rather than trying to bring the next huge hit. Particularly with Starfighter, this movie will be a way to expand on the greater universe without the expectations that it will automatically become the biggest film in the world.

With Levy at the helm and Kennedy supporting his vision, this should mark a big step forward in an exciting new era for the galaxy far, far away.