From Blade Runner to Barbie, Ryan Gosling is no stranger to joining iconic franchises. And according to reports, he will soon make his debut in one of the biggest movie franchises of all: the Star Wars Universe.
The report from Deadline suggests that Gosling is being lined up to appear in Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine) and Jonathan Tropper's (The Adam Project) upcoming big screen adventure in the galaxy far, far away. The movie has been in the works for two years at this point, and yet it still seems pretty early in development. Of course, over the years, many Star Wars movies have been in development — even Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were once making a trilogy — and few have come to fruition.
Levy's Star Wars feature, however, seems to be picking up a little momentum. While we don't know much about the movie, reports suggest that it's a totally standalone project, set outside the Skywalker Saga. Besides Gosling, further casting details are scant, but with production reportedly ramping up this fall, we can expect more news then. Moreover, the annual Star Wars Celebration event takes place April 18-20, so we suspect news might drop there.
Getting Gosling on board for a Star Wars movie is an instant money spinner. The Canadian actor starred in Barbie (2023), which grossed over $1 billion at the box office. His name alone will draw in viewers.
Star Wars is in desperate need of reinstating its classic box office significance. The last movie released was The Rise of Skywalker (2019), which was a disappointment for critics and casual viewers, although it made a ton of money. Before that was the disappointment of Solo: A Star Wars Story, which took in far less money than Disney was hoping. The focus since has been on the myriad Star Wars TV shows on Disney+, where the franchise has saw success from The Mandalorian, Andor, and most recently Skeleton Crew. The Mandalorian will conclude with a movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu, coming out next year.
Will Shawn Levy's Star Wars movie prove a success? Only time will tell.
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