Amy Adams and Aaron Pierre are joining Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, and Matt Smith in Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter.” Production on the film is officially underway, and Disney has released the first-look image—seen above— a blurry black-and-white shot. Is that Gosling? That’s definitely young newcomer Flynn Gray beside him.
Adams, a six-time Oscar nominee, is “a great actress. No doubt about it,” but she’s been in a bit of a slump lately. Her last impressive lead role was in 2016’s “Arrival.” Over the past decade, she’s been stuck in a string of misfires, including “Hillbilly Elegy,” “The Woman in the Window,” “Sam & Kate,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” and “Disenchanted.”
Meanwhile, Pierre, coming off “Rebel Ridge,” is a star in the making. He was recently cast in HBO’s DCU series “Lanterns” and Amazon/MGM’s “Love of Your Life,” opposite Margaret Qualley.
‘Starfighter,’ the brainchild of “Deadpool & Wolverine” helmer Levy, is based on a script from Jonathan Tropper (“Your Friends & Neighbors”). Details about the plot are under wraps, though it’s clear Gosling is the lead. Mikey Madison was originally in talks for Goth’s role, but negotiations reportedly collapsed over salary demands following her Oscar win for “Anora.”
Set about five years after ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ ‘Starfighter’ is described as a standalone tale focused on new characters within the Star Wars universe. Alongside ‘Mandalorian & Grogu,’ it marks the first Star Wars feature since 2019 and comes at a moment when the franchise desperately needs to feel relevant again in theaters.
Fresh off the success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Levy is also the filmmaker behind “Big Fat Liar,” “Just Married,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “The Internship,” “Real Steal,” the “Pink Panther” reboot, “Free Guy,” and the “Night at the Museum” trilogy. Not a single good movie out of the bunch.
Disney has already set a May 28, 2027 release for ‘Starfighter,’ exactly one year after “The Mandalorian & Grogu” hits theaters.