Tony Gilroy Teases “Really Unusual” STAR WARS Projects at Lucasfilm and Tells Creators: “Let Your Freak Flag Fly”
Following his acclaimed two-season run with Andor, showrunner Tony Gilroy has offered some perspective on the future of Star Wars and what he thinks new storytellers should bring to the galaxy far, far away.
While looking back at his own experience, he teased that Lucasfilm is already developing some unexpected projects that could take the franchise into fresh territory.
Gilroy recently joined The Ringer-Verse podcast, where he discussed how Andor found its voice and why simply repeating that formula won’t move the franchise forward.
"It's driven us crazy on the show, every time people, the clickbait, trying to draw controversy between us and the other shows. By the same token, it would be very wrong to come in and try to slavishly reproduce [Andor]."
Instead, he believes creators should carve out their own vision. "There has to be a hook, a reason why you want to bring your game there," he said. His advice to future storytellers was simple but powerful: "let your freak flag fly, and do what you do best".
Gilroy also echoed what many fans have been asking for, which is more stories that step outside the well-worn Skywalker saga.
"There's how many billions of beings in that galaxy? How many corners of it are unexplored?," he asked, before revealing that Lucasfilm already has some surprises in store. "There's some things that [Lucasfilm] is building that are really unusual I think, and I think that lesson is being taken to heart."
Those lessons are clear when you look at Andor’s impact. The series became a critical darling with its grounded political thriller approach, pulling in 14 Emmy nominations and boosting its audience by nearly 50 percent in its second season.
While it didn’t receive as much acting recognition as many expected, its success proves there’s an appetite for riskier, character-driven Star Wars storytelling.
Fans won’t have to wait long for the next chapter of the saga as The Mandalorian & Grogu will bring Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin to the big screen on May 22, 2026. Ahsoka Season 2 is also on the way, and filming is underway for Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling.
If will be interesting to see what kind of unusual Star Wars projects are being developed by Lucasfilm.