Star Wars Festivity in Japan: Highlights and Insights
Weekend's Star Wars Celebration in Japan brought some thrilling news for the franchise's film, TV, merchandise, books, comics, and games. Here's a quick rundown of what to expect from the galaxy far, far away in the upcoming years.
The Mandalorian & Grogu
With high expectations for being the first big movie for its leads in half a decade, the movie adaptation of The Mandalorian and Grogu is eager to impress. At the SWCJ panel, new footage was revealed of Din and Grogu with Zeb from Star Wars Rebels and some exciting bounty hunting action. Stay tuned for more updates!
Starfighter
Directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, Starfighter is another upcoming film that takes place five years after Rise of Skywalker with a fresh set of characters. Scheduled for release on May 28, 2027, it's definitely worth keeping an eye on!
Star Wars Visions
Hailing from Japanese animation studios, the animated anthology series Star Wars Visions is back for its third season! In addition, "The Ninth Jedi," one of the shorts from season two, is being expanded into its very own TV series. To catch all the latest details, head over to our coverage.
The Clone Wars (Unreleased Scene)
Star Wars fans will surely appreciate the sneak peek of an unreleased scene from the CG Clone Wars series, which showcases Anakin facing off against young bounty hunter Boba Fett under Cad Bane's tutelage. To learn more, head to our coverage.
Tales of the Underworld
Dive into the shady side of the Star Wars universe with the upcoming anthology series, Tales of the Underworld. Featuring the adventures of bounty hunter Cad Bane and ex-Sith assassin Asajj Ventress, this series promises to bring a fresh perspective to the Star Wars saga. Tune in on May 4 to catch the full miniseries premiere.
Darth Maul: Shadow Lord
Prepare for more Sith action as everyone's favorite unkillable villain, Darth Maul, gets an animated series all his own in 2026. Follow Maul's journey as he builds the Crimson Dawn syndicate and exerts his power between Clone Wars and Rebels. Read more about it here.
Ahsoka Season 2
Though filming for Ahsoka's second season doesn't kick off until the end of April, fans were treated to some exciting concept art and updates about the show's future direction following Ray Stevenson's tragic death. Stay tuned for more details about Ahsoka's story as it unfolds.
Star Wars: Zero Company
Get ready for a new strategy-focused game in the Star Wars universe, Star Wars: Zero Company. Players will lead an elite squadron, called Hawks, as they complete various missions throughout the Clone Wars. Expect to see this title land sometime in 2026. Read about the game's upcoming release here.
Outlaws' Hondo Ohnaka Returns
Fans of Star Wars Outlaws will be delighted to hear that the second DLC story, "A Pirate's Fortune," is set to drop in May! Not only that, but the game is also making its way to the Nintendo Switch 2 this fall. To learn more, check out our coverage.
Star Wars on Fortnite
Prepare for another exciting collaboration between Star Wars and Fortnite! The "Galactic Battle" season will feature new events, in-game items, and the return of Darth Jar Jar. Can't wait to dive in? Head to our coverage for more info!
Star Wars Toys and Books
For the collectors, Celebration Japan offered plenty of enticing new products, including Black Series figures, Lego sets, and Black and Vintage Collection toys. Artists will also be excited to hear that art books for Andor and the manga version of A New Hope are on the horizon.
Studio Ghibli's Star Wars-Themed Art
Unbeknownst to many, Studio Ghibli showcased a selection of Star Wars-themed art at Celebration Japan. Blending ideas and images from the franchise with the animation studio's well-known work, including Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso, this fantastic gallery is definitely worth a glance.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Celebration Japan attendees were given a sneak peek of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run's exciting changes. Starting in 2026, Mando and Grogu will team up with the iconic ship to steal some Imperial remnants, and the attraction will take players to the city-planet of Coruscant! It seems that Engineers will be in charge of selecting the destination - but we'll have to wait and see what that entails.
- Gizmodo and io9 have been discussing the upcoming movie adaptation of The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is expected to make a significant impact as it marks the first big movie for its leads in five years.
- Movies-and-TV coverage on Gizmodo has highlighted Starfighter, an upcoming film directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, set to release on May 28, 2027.
- The animated anthology series Star Wars Visions, originating from Japanese animation studios, is returning for its third season, and "The Ninth Jedi" from season two is being expanded into a TV series.
- The shady side of the Star Wars universe will be explored in the upcoming anthology series Tales of the Underworld, featuring the adventures of bounty hunter Cad Bane and ex-Sith assassin Asajj Ventress, premiering on May 4.
- Darth Maul: Shadow Lord, an animated series following Darth Maul's journey between Clone Wars and Rebels, will release in 2026.
- In the future, Ahsoka fans can look forward to Season 2 of the show, with updates and concept art released during Celebration Japan, following the unfortunate death of Ray Stevenson.
