The Force is with Ryan Gosling.
The “Barbie” and “La La Land” star is in negotiations to star in an untitled “Star Wars” film to be directed by “Deadpool & Wolverine” filmmaker Shawn Levy. Screenwriter Jonathan Tropper (“This Is Where I Leave You,” “The Adam Project”) wrote the screenplay for the film, which Levy has been developing since late 2022. Levy – who will join the rarefied club of directors who have worked with both Canadian movie stars named Ryan – also produced through 21 Laps, alongside Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.
The film would be a standalone project that is unrelated to the Skywalker saga, which ended with 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” All other plot details are encased in carbonite in a foreseeable future.
But Gosling’s involvement could move the project into light speed, putting him in pole position for Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars” film development, ahead of projects involving directors James Mangold, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Dave Filoni. which were officially announced during the 2017 Star Wars Celebration. April 2023. Levy’s film would follow ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu,’ the only ‘Star Wars’ film to date to have obtained the green light in more than five years; this film, which recently completed principal photography, is scheduled for release on May 22, 2026.
For Gosling, joining the “Star Wars” galaxy marks a significant turning point in his career, one that hasn’t included the kind of marquee franchise project that so many of his leading compatriots already have under their belts. He will next appear in the sci-fi thriller “Project Hail Mary” from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, based on the best-selling book by Andy Weir.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report Gosling’s involvement.
