Director Shawn Levy Says His STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER Inspiration Is RETURN OF THE JEDI - "I Know the Cool Answer Would Be EMPIRE"
The upcoming film Star Wars: Starfighter is being built entirely around original characters and fresh story ideas from director Shawn Levy and screenwriter Jonathan Tropper. But it’s still set in the Star Wars universe, so there will be themes and throughlines that inevitably shine through.
Levy relied on his love of the franchise to inspire him along the way, and when asked which film was his biggest inspiration, he gave a surprising answer.
The filmmaker stated on the On Film… With Kevin McCarthy podcast (via GamesRadar):
"Let me tell you something. People - I've not said this out loud because everyone's like 'Which Star Wars movie is Starfighter the most like? Which is the most inspired by?'
If I'm being honest - I know the cool answer would be Empire, and sort of the inarguable answer would be A New Hope - but it's kinda Jedi. It's Jedi because of the combination of theme, levity, adventure, heart, spectacle.
Somehow that movie just got it right for me. And I saw that movie so many times in a theater, more times in a theater than New Hope and Empire, and it stuck with me.
“I will tell you…there's moments where I'm on set, and I feel like that kid is with me, in the director's chair. Like I'm there making his dream come true."
That’s so cool. I think the best hope for the future of the Star Wars franchise is getting people to make the movies who are fans first. That has been a proven recipe for The Mandalorian, with Jon Favreau at the helm.
The cast of Starfighter also includes Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams, all joining Levy’s original vision for this new story.
Filming for Star Wars: Starfighter is currently underway, and with Lucasfilm pushing for fresh ideas instead of relying on legacy characters, this movie will stand apart from anything the franchise has done before.
Star Wars: Starfighter blasts into theaters on May 28, 2027.