Summary

• Lucasfilm announced ambitious movie and TV projects for Star Wars and beyond in 2020.
• Several projects, like A Droid Story and Rangers of the New Republic, faced changes and cancellations.
• New announcements, like Lando and The Mandalorian spinoff, show the franchise’s continuous evolution.

Lucasfilm announced an impressive movie and TV slate for Star Wars and other properties in 2020, but many of these projects have changed in the last four years. During the Lucasfilm panel on Disney Investor Day 2020, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy discussed 15 projects, laying out the company’s future for Star Wars and beyond. This included announcements and updates for eight live-action shows, two animated shows, an animated Disney+ movie, and four theatrical films.

Many of these stories came to fruition exactly as they were pitched to the public, receiving a proper conclusion or continuing with new seasons and spinoffs. Others were canceled, reworked into something else, or have had no significant updates in years. However, this has not stopped Lucasfilm from announcing even more Star Wars movies and TV shows set for release in the near future.

10 A Droid Story

No new updates since 2021

A Droid Story was announced as an animated film that would premiere exclusively on Disney+. It was pitched as a collaboration between Lucasfilm Animation and ILM, telling a story about a new hero guided by R2-D2 and C-3PO on an adventure. Kennedy commented that it would be a mission known only to them and joked “What could possibly go wrong?”

Apparently, a lot could go wrong, or at least the lack of updates makes it seem that way. The last significant report on development was in Star Wars Insider 200 in February 2021, making it unclear if the animated film will ever see the light of day. The last full-length Star Wars film was the theatrical release of Star Wars: The Clone Wars in 2008, and it seems it will stay that way for a while longer.

9 Rangers Of The New Republic

Canceled in 2021

Rangers of the New Republic and Ahsoka were announced as the first spinoffs of The Mandalorian in 2020. The former would have followed Gina Carano’s Cara Dune as she and other New Republic pilots took on the Empire in the outer rim. These shows would eventually have come together to tell one big story and culminate in an epic finale, which seems like the plan for Dave Filoni’s Star Wars movie.

However, Carano was fired by Disney and Lucasfilm in 2021 following her controversial social media posts relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the show’s cancelation not long after. Rangers of the New Republic was reworked into The Mandalorian season 3, Ahsoka, and other upcoming Star Wars projects. Carano later sued Disney and Lucasfilm, hoping to be recast and be compensated for the show’s cancelation.

8 Children Of Blood And Bone

Paramount Pictures acquired the rights in 2022

Based on the 2018 young adult novel of the same name by Tomi Adeyemi, Children of Blood and Bone follows Zélie Adebola attempting to restore magic in the kingdom of Orïsha. The film rights were originally purchased by Fox 2000, but following Disney’s merger with 21st Century Fox, the project was transferred to Lucasfilm. It would have been co-produced with 20th Century Studios and been Lucasfilm’s first original live-action project since George Lucas sold the company in 2012.

In 2022, however, Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights with a guaranteed exclusive theatrical release. Lucasfilm had apparently let the rights lapse since they were keen to focus on their own properties like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Willow. Gina Prince-Bythewood signed on as director in December 2023, but the movie’s release date has yet to be determined.

7 Willow

Season 1 released in 2022 but was canceled and removed from Disney+ in 2023

A sequel to the original 1988 Willow film, the Willow TV series premiered on Disney+ in 2022. It was set over 20 years after the movie and had Warwick Davis reprise the role of Willow Ufgood. Although it had impressive early viewership, the show was canceled after one season despite writer, developer, and executive producer Jonathan Kasdan confirming that season 2 had been written.

Disney took things further by completely removing Willow from Disney+ in May 2023. This was done as part of a cost-cutting measure that removed many other movies and shows, which has become a pattern for many companies in recent years. Davis and many others involved were understandably outraged by Disney’s decision, which effectively erased the show from existence. There is currently no legal way to watch Willow anywhere, making it a project that could become lost to time.

6 Indiana Jones 5

Originally scheduled for July 2022, it was pushed back to June 2023

Another non-Star Wars yet equally popular Lucasfilm property discussed in 2020 was the then-untitled Indiana Jones 5. James Mangold was reaffirmed as director, having previously replaced Steven Spielberg, and the film was set to be released in July 2022. Kennedy also stated that this would be the final Indiana Jones film and that Harrison Ford would retire from the role upon completion.

In October 2021, the movie’s release was delayed to June 2023 as Mangold continued production and Lucasfilm focused primarily on Star Wars. This was the latest in many delays, as the film had already moved from 2019 to 2021 to 2022. The title was revealed as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in December 2022 along with the trailer. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had its world premiere on May 18, 2023, bringing Ford’s run as the legendary archaeologist to a close.

5 Lando

Shifted development into a movie in 2023

Lando was initially pitched as an event series for Disney+, with Donald Glover returning as Lando Calrissian from Solo: A Star Wars Story. Justin Simien, known for writing and directing Dear White People, was set to serve as writer and showrunner, but he eventually exited the project due to other commitments. He also noted a lack of communication from Lucasfilm, unsure at times if the project was still happening or if he had been quietly fired.

Donald Glover and his brother Stephen Glover took over as writers and showrunners, and Simien later confirmed that his version of the project had been shelved. Lucasfilm also shifted Lando from a TV series to a film, though no release date has been confirmed. Not much has been revealed about the story, so it’s unclear if the movie will be set before or after Lando’s first meeting with Han Solo.

4 The Mandalorian

Season 3 was pushed back to 2023 and a spinoff film was announced in 2024

The Mandalorian season 2 was still airing when Kennedy claimed “the next chapter of The Mandalorian” would arrive in Christmas 2021. However, this slot was filled by The Book of Boba Fett, although Din Djarin returned for the second half of the series. The Mandalorian season 3 eventually premiered in 2023, bringing many of the show’s character arcs and plotlines full circle while setting up more stories.

Furthermore, The Mandalorian will now shift its focus to the big screen. The Mandalorian & Grogu was announced in 2024, continuing the story of the title characters from where season 3 left off. It is set to release on May 22, 2026, and will mark Star Wars‘ return to theaters after a seven-year hiatus. Dave Filoni will also direct a movie set in the Mandalorian era that will presumably bring this era of shows to a close.

3 Rogue Squadron

Canceled in 2023, apparently revived in 2024

Of all the Star Wars projects discussed at the Lucasfilm panel in 2020, Rogue Squadron was the only live-action film with a title and confirmed release date. Patty Jenkins was set to write and direct the film with a planned Christmas 2023 release date. It would have focused on a new generation of starfighter pilots and been an original story, rather than an adaptation of the books, comics, or video games of the same name.

By 2022, however, Rogue Squadron was removed from Disney’s official release calendar. In March 2023, it was reported that the film was no longer in active development, though Kennedy later commented that it was still discussed at Lucasfilm. A year later, Patty Jenkins claimed to have signed a new contract with Lucasfilm and was back writing the script, hoping the project would come to fruition.

2 The Acolyte

Canceled after one season in 2024

The Acolyte was described as a mystery thriller set in the final days of the High Republic era, showing an earlier version of the Jedi and the Sith. It follows Forces-sensitive twins Osha and Mae Aniseya, one who was raised by the Jedi and the other who became a Sith acolyte. The show premiered in 2024 and ran for eight episodes, ending with several cliffhangers that seemed to be setting up a second season.

However, Deadline reported that the show had been canceled and would not receive a second season. While other live-action Star Wars shows had one season, The Acolyte is the only one to be specifically canceled, made even more strange by its lack of resolution. Despite the criticism and backlash it received during its run, fans of the show were disappointed that the storylines and characters teased at the end of season 1 would not continue.

1 New Lucasfilm Announcements Since The 2020 Presentation

The galaxy far, far away will be explored like never before

While 15 Star Wars movies and TV shows seemed like a lot back in 2020, even more projects have been announced in the years since then:

• The Book of Boba Fett
  • Revealed on December 18, 2020
  • Premiered on December 29, 2021
• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi
  • Announced on April 27, 2022
  • Premiered on October 26, 2022
• Skeleton Crew
  • Announced on May 17, 2022
  • Set to premiere on December 3, 2024
• Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
  • Announced on May 27, 2022
  • Premiered on May 4, 2023
• Shawn Levy’s Star Wars movie
  • Announced on November 8, 2022
• Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Star Wars movie
  • Announced on April 7, 2023
• Dave Filoni’s Star Wars movie
  • Announced on April 7, 2023
• James Mangold’s Star Wars movie
  • Announced on April 7, 2023
• The Mandalorian & Grogu
  • Announced on January 9, 2024
  • Set to release on May 22, 2026
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire
  • Announced on April 4, 2024
  • Premiered on May 4, 2024