In recent years, Star Wars has unfortunately become known for delaying, canceling, or simply failing to give any updates on movies and TV shows that are currently in development. At present, only two upcoming Star Wars shows are confirmed: Ahsoka season 2 and Andor season 2. While there are a number of upcoming Star Wars movies, The Mandalorian & Grogu is the only one with a confirmed release date.
Many of the other movies seem to be left in limbo, without any clear update on whether they will really happen at all. That isn’t for lack of content or possibilities, though. Star Wars has announced several shows and movies that seem to have plenty of potential, but they are mysteriously abandoned with time. Here are 10 shows and movies that have succumbed to that fate in Star Wars that we hope will be rescued in 2025.
Rangers Of The New Republic
This Mandalorian Spin-off Show Was Announced Then Swiftly Canceled
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Rangers of the New Republic was announced by Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy in December 2020 during a Disney Investor Day presentation, although Disney CEO Bob Iger had been dropping hints about the possibility of the show since February of 2020. Rangers of the New Republic would have served as a spin-off show of The Mandalorian, focusing on that show’s secondary characters.
Unfortunately, the show was canceled for unknown reasons.
Unfortunately, the show was canceled for unknown reasons. In May of 2021, Dave Filoni confirmed in an interview that Rangers of the New Republic was no longer in active development, which Kennedy ultimately confirmed the following year. Kennedy also mentioned that the show would have starred Gina Carano as Cara Dune—an actress who had been let go by Lucasfilm after a number of tweets the company publicly denounced.
Lucasfilm hasn’t confirmed that Carano was let go because of those tweets, nor has the company officially stated Rangers of the New Republic was canceled because of Carano being let go. Even so, those events certainly caused plenty of speculation. This cancelation is truly a shame, as the spin-off show sounded genuinely interesting. At this point, though, it seems quite unlikely to ever come.
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Guillermo del Toro’s Jabba The Hutt Movie
This Unusual Movie Would Undoubtedly Have Proven Fascinating
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Renowned filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was primed to direct an untitled movie about Jabba the Hutt, but that movie was sadly canceled. This Jabba the Hutt movie was mentioned as early as 2015, although it didn’t enter any sort of development until some time between 2017 and 2019. From there, it entered the development limbo that has become all too common for Star Wars movies and shows. Finally, in 2023, del Toro confirmed the movie had been canceled.
This is arguably one of the most disappointing cancelations in Star Wars’ recent history simply because it would have brought something truly innovative to the franchise—something Star Wars desperately needs right now. Not only would Jabba the Hutt be a brilliant focus for a movie as a major crime boss in the Star Wars galaxy, but also, del Toro would have brought a truly unique perspective. In fact, del Toro fascinatingly planned for the movie to be similar to The Godfather.
The Mandalorian Season 4
The Next Season Of The Fan-Favorite Show May Never Be Coming
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One of the most shocking changes to Star Wars movies and TV shows in recent years was the announcement of The Mandalorian & Grogu, a full-length movie that seems to be taking the place of the highly-anticipated season 4 of The Mandalorian. The Mandalorian is one of Star Wars’ best TV shows, and although season 3 saw a slight dip in audience engagement and general reception, many viewers were anxiously awaiting the announcement of season 4.
In truth, season 4 felt like a given, especially with the story ideas The Mandalorian season 3 ending left on the table. It remains to be seen whether this massive update is for better or worse. It will be thrilling to see a Star Wars show, especially such a beloved show, make the jump to the big screen. At the same time, there’s plenty of disappointment about what this could mean for The Mandalorian season 4 (which still hasn’t been confirmed one way or another).
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Taika Waititi’s Star Wars Movie
This Is Just One Of Many Ambiguous Star Wars Movies Tied To A Particular Director
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There are numerous Star Wars movies that are theoretically coming but have no title or story details and are solely tied to a director. Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie is one such movie. The movie was announced on Star Wars Day in 2020, although little was revealed about what shape the movie would take. In the more than four years since, very few updates have been disclosed to the public.
Recently, Waititi suggested the movie is still coming, saying in an interview that his Star Wars movie will “piss people off.” Although it’s entirely speculative, this could be part of the holdup at this point. Star Wars has dealt with plenty of controversy and backlash from the fanbase in recent years, and this approach may not be the one the franchise wants to take at this time. It is nevertheless disappointing that there seems to be a delay for this movie, as Taika Waititi’s sense of humor would be delightful to see in a Star Wars project.
Star Wars has dealt with plenty of controversy and backlash from the fanbase in recent years, and this approach may not be the one the franchise wants to take at this time.
Star Wars: New Jedi Order
Rey’s Movie Seemed To Be A Sure Thing… But Is It?
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Rey’s new Star Wars movie, rumored to be titled Star Wars: New Jedi Order, was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023 and, until relatively recently, seemed all but guaranteed to be coming. In fact, Daisy Ridley herself had previously suggested that the movie would have a 2026 release date. That date would undoubtedly be off the table now, but speculation has grown that the entire movie may have been scrapped.
Part of this speculation is due to the very limited details about New Jedi Order, not only for the public but for Ridley as well. As recently as her last interview discussing the movie, Ridley still hadn’t seen a script, suggesting there wasn’t one. What has called the movie’s future even more into question was the announcement that Simon Kinberg will be leading a new Star Wars trilogy that will reportedly see Rey in an Obi-Wan Kenobi role. That description seems at odds with Rey forming her own Jedi Order, which may mean Rey’s movie will be canceled.
Dave Filoni’s Mandalorian Movie
Yet Another Mandalorian Project Remains A Question Mark
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Prior to the announcement of The Mandalorian & Grogu, Dave Filoni was said to be working on his own Mandalorian movie, the details of which were limited. The movie was confirmed to take place during the New Republic Era and was intended to bring together and wrap up The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. Like Rangers of the New Republic, Kathleen Kennedy announced the new Mandalorian movie in December 2020 during a Disney Investor Day presentation.
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The next update was provided during Star Wars Celebration 2023, which confirmed that Dave Filoni would be taking the lead on the movie. In light of The Mandalorian & Grogu, it remains unclear what the future of this Mandalorian movie will be. The two movies seem to be distinct from one another, but as The Mandalorian & Grogu was entirely unexpected and was very recently announced (in January 2024), Filoni’s Mandalorian movie does feel a bit up in the air.
In light of The Mandalorian & Grogu, it remains unclear what the future of this Mandalorian movie will be.
Lando
The Future Of This Project Is Currently Unknown
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Lando was first announced in 2020, at which point it was presented as an upcoming TV series. The series was set to star Donald Glover, who had also played the younger Lando in Solo: A Star Wars Story, as the titular Lando Calrissian. Like many Star Wars projects in development, however, little progress was made on the series for years.
In 2022, during Star Wars Celebration, Kathleen Kennedy revealed that there had been no progress or updates on Lando thus far. During an interview in 2023, Justin Simien, who was meant to be the writer and showrunner initially, shared that he hadn’t received any updates regarding the show and had no idea what was going on with it. Simien has since parted ways with the project, which has now pivoted to be a feature-length movie. However, updates on the movie are few and far between, raising questions about whether it will ultimately happen.
Rogue Squadron
Rogue Squadron’s Recent Update Was A Confusing One
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Rogue Squadron, originally conceived of as a movie, was announced in 2020 and was set to be directed by Patty Jenkins, who also directed the widely well-received Wonder Woman. The movie was a thrilling new concept for Star Wars movies, as it would have focused on X-wing pilots—a new direction for the franchise that would very likely have proven popular. Sadly, like so many other Star Wars movies and TV shows announced since 2020, it’s unclear if this movie will ever happen.
The most discouraging ‘update’ regarding the movie was its absence from the list of upcoming Star Wars movies during Star Wars Celebration 2023, which heavily hinted that it had been silently canceled. Nevertheless, the movie’s cancelation still has yet to be officially confirmed. Bewilderingly, Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron update earlier this year suggested she was working on the movie again, but it remains to be seen what will come of that, if anything.
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Star Wars: A Droid Story
This Charming Animated Film Idea May Never Be Realized
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Star Wars: A Droid Story was announced on the same day that many inclusions on this list were announced, in December 2020. A Droid Story was billed as an animated movie that would have been directly released on Disney+. The story would have featured R2-D2 and C-3PO, two of Star Wars’ most beloved characters, in addition to other new characters.
Many were excited about this news, especially because both droids are favorites among the Star Wars fanbase, but there seems to be no movement on the movie whatsoever. In fact, the last update on A Droid Story was in February 2021. In light of the fact that nearly four years have passed since any significant update on A Droid Story was offered, it seems safe to assume that this project was quietly killed by Lucasfilm at some point.
Dawn Of The Jedi
Hopefully, This Star Wars Project Is Just Taking Its Time
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A new Star Wars movie, rumored to be titled Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, was announced during Star Wars Celebration 2023. The movie was set to focus on the Prime Jedi—the very first Jedi to exist in the Star Wars galaxy. James Mangold was also announced as Dawn of the Jedi’s director, all of which was a promising sign that the movie was indeed moving ahead.
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In the year or so since that initial announcement, however, updates on Dawn of the Jedi have been minimal. Earlier this year, word spread that Beau Willimon, who wrote multiple episodes of Andor, had been brought onto the project. Even so, there have been no major updates for Dawn of the Jedi of late. It will be a tremendous shame if this movie isn’t eventually released, as the very concept of the movie is a thrilling one. Sadly, Dawn of the Jedi, like so many other Star Wars movies and TV shows, seems to be trapped in Development Hell.