Shawn Levy Compares Star Wars: Starfighter to Sci-Fi Classic

LOS ANGELES, CA — Director Shawn Levy has drawn intriguing parallels between his upcoming film Star Wars: Starfighter and the legendary 1977 sci-fi classic, Star Wars. In a recent interview with Collider, Levy shared insights into the project while promoting the final season of Stranger Things.

Levy emphasized that Starfighter is a fresh endeavor within the Star Wars universe. He stated, “It is different in that it is an all-new non-sequel, non-prequel adventure. It’s new characters, it’s a new timeline. It inherits legacy themes, but it’s really trying to give Star Wars fans — and just movie audiences — something fresh, something new.”

The director aims to capture the spirit of adventure and humor that characterized A New Hope, asserting, “We’re really trying to sort of take that tone as a North Star every day.” This iconic film introduced audiences to beloved characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, reshaping the movie industry.

Levy further noted the creative freedom he has received from Lucasfilm, saying, “There’s no pressure to be derivative or limited by an obligation to what came before. There’s just a love of what came before.” This approach has excited fans looking forward to the new storyline.

Star Wars: Starfighter was officially announced at Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 and is set to revolve around an uncle protecting his nephew from malevolent forces. The film stars Ryan Gosling, with a cast including Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Amy Adams.

The screenplay is written by Jonathan Tropper, who collaborated with Levy on 2022’s The Adam Project. Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled for release on May 28, 2027, and is expected to continue filming for several more months.