New Star Wars movie could be released next year

Star Wars will apparently return to the big screen next year.

Since 2019's trilogy-closing The Rise of Skywalker, all of the 'galaxy far, far away' focus has been on the serial output from Disney+, such as The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, plus this year's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor.

According to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, though, there's movement on the cinematic front(ier).

Related: Star Wars confirms release window for The Mandalorian season 3 and Ahsoka

Asked by Total Film if director Taika Waititi's project would be the next movie, she confirmed that's the case.

Despite not having "locked anything in", Kennedy did also go on to reveal that "late 2023" is the release window they're circling right now.

"As we leave the [Skywalker] Saga, we have all this great, exciting work happening on the television side that informs so much about where we're going. We want to be very intentional about that," she said.

"And we have great talent that we're working with – people who care so deeply about what the next iteration of Star Wars is and about getting people back into movie theatres, so we can really come out with a bang. That's important to us."

Related: Thor director Taika Waititi wants Star Wars to be his next movie

Back in August 2021, Waititi himself (who is also behind the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder) teased what fans can look forward to.

"We've got a story. I'm really excited by it because it feels very me. I tend to go down that little sincerity alleyway in my films," he said.

"I like to fool the viewer into thinking, 'Ha, it's this', and then them going, 'Damn it, you made me feel something!'"

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the entire Skywalker Saga are available on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K now, as well as on Disney+, while Rise of Skywalker is also on Sky Cinema Premiere and NOW.

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Dan Seddon

Reporter, Digital Spy 

Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment. 

In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.