Free Guy, Deadpool 3 Director in Talks to Direct Star Wars Movie: Report
Shawn Levy is reportedly in talks to direct a Star Wars film. As a deadline, the Free Guy director will focus on the project after finishing work on Deadpool 3, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. At the moment, there are no details about the plot or its writer, and it joins Lucasfilm’s list of theatrical movies, which are planned for the near future. 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – which completed the sequel trilogy and the Skywalker Saga – was the last film in the franchise to hit the silver screen, following which parent company Disney shifted its focus to TV projects.
The news comes on the heels of Lucasfilm starting production on a Star Wars film. Last month, the studio reportedly hired Damon Lindelof (Lost) and Justin Britt-Gibson (Counterpart) to write an undisclosed chapter in a galaxy far, far away. Mrs. Surprise director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is attached to direct.
Levy’s previous works include Free Guy directed by Reynolds and The Adam Project, all three Night at the Museum films, and 10 episodes from Stranger Things. The filmmaker is currently in production on the Netflix limited series of Anthony Doerr’s novel, “All the Light You Can’t See,” in which he directed all four episodes. Deadline notes that Levy is on board to direct the fifth and final season of Stranger Things as well, helming “at least two episodes.”
The silver screen future of the Star Wars franchise has been in a state of flux since 2019. Patty Jenkins’ spin-off film Rogue Squadron has been pulled from Disney’s production calendar after it was announced. Additionally, Lucasfilm currently has three other theatrical projects in the works – one of which is produced by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, and Michael Waldron (Lokiworking as a writer. Taika Waititi (Thor: Love and Thunder), who previously dipped his toes into the Star Wars universe with The Mandalorian, is developing a Star Wars film with 1917 writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns. Then there are plans for a new trilogy from director Rian Johnson (Knives Out), but no word on production.
Earlier this week, Disney cast the cast of its upcoming Star Wars TV series, Acolyte, which is set in the final days of the High Republic — a timeline different from other shows on its streaming platform. The eight-episode series is directed by Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), and adds Carrie-Anne Moss of Matrix fame and Squid Game Lee Jung-jae to the previously announced Amandla Stenberg (Bodies of Bodies). The female-centered space mystery-thriller also stars Dafne Keen (Logan), Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna), Dean-Charles Chapman (1917), Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Charlie Barnett in the mix.
Currently, there are no plot or production details for the Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy. Development is reportedly starting after Marvel’s Deadpool 3, which is due for release on November 8, 2024.
