News

We’re just days away from the highly anticipated two-episode premiere of FX’s ‘Alien: Earth,’ arriving August 13th, and Disney+ is marking the occasion with an unmissable real-world event for fans.

From August 9th, the streaming platform will host a two-week exclusive installation at London’s Natural History Museum, giving visitors a rare chance to see an iconic specimen from the world of ‘Alien’ up close. Visitors to London’s Natural History Museum can get up close to the Xenomorph egg from FX’s highly anticipated upcoming series, ‘Alien: Earth.’ The display is situated opposite the entrance to the Museum’s blockbuster exhibition, Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? where visitors can touch real pieces of the solar system. Visitors and fans alike can bear witness to the first stage in the life cycle of the Xenomorph in this special display.

Handled with great care and trepidation, the Xenomorph...

Dave Bautista is in final negotiations to join the cast of Amazon MGM’s hotly anticipated remake of the 1980s cult classic ‘Highlander,’ sources confirm. The Guardians of the Galaxy and Dune star is set to take on the role of the immortal barbarian known as The Kurgan — the film’s main antagonist — in the action-fantasy epic directed by Chad Stahelski (John Wick).

Bautista will join previously announced leads Henry Cavill, who will portray Connor MacLeod, and Russell Crowe as Ramirez, with Industry star Marisa Abela also taking a prominent role. The feature hails from Amazon MGM’s United Artists banner and is slated for a theatrical release.

Principal photography is scheduled to kick off at the end of September, with production spanning locations in the UK and Hong Kong.

Also in news – Matt Smith joins cast of Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’

In the new adaptation, Bautista’s...

A couple of days ago, the news broke that Matt Smith had been cast in a villainous role in Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter. The actor was eyed to play a young Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, prompting many fans to wonder whether Darth Sidious might return...again.

Fortunately, Lucasfilm isn't heading in that direction and, according to Jeff Sneider's latest newsletter (via SFFGazette.com), Smith's character will be neither a Sith nor a Dark Side Force user. Instead, he'll have a military background.

"I'm told that the Force won’t be with Smith, who is playing some kind of military general in the film, which takes place five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker," the insider writes.

Blade star Mia Goth is also expected to play one of the movie's villains, and it wouldn't be...

Most Star Wars shows on Disney+ have followed a pretty clear pattern. They start off strong, bring in lots of viewers during the first week, but then slowly lose people by the end of the season. That’s been the case with The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and The Acolyte. But one show has managed to do the opposite, Andor.

Andor, the series that follows Cassian Andor before the events of Rogue One, actually got more popular over time. According to data reported by The Wrap, its viewership jumped nearly 40% from the end of season one to the end of season two. That makes it the only live-action Star Wars show on Disney+ that didn’t lose viewers as the series went on.

Viewership chart for Star Wars projects in their final week Via The Wrap

Season one of Andor premiered on September 21, 2022, and wrapped up in November that year.

For years, Star Wars shows on Disney+ have mostly followed the same pattern, strong starts, followed by drops in viewership by the time the season ends. But one show has done the exact opposite.

Andor, the Star Wars series that focuses on the early days of the Rebellion and the journey of Cassian Andor, actually gained more viewers in its second season. According to an analysis from The Wrap, viewership for Andor went up nearly 40% from the end of season one to the end of season two. That makes it the only Star Wars series on Disney+ to grow in audience over time instead of losing it.

The first season of Andor premiered on September 21, 2022, and ended in November that year. Its second and final season came out on April 22, 2025, releasing three episodes per week until May 13. While most other Star Wars shows struggled to hold viewers, Andor quietly built...

A recent purported leak from Daniel Richtman has sparked renewed interest and skepticism among fans regarding the future of the Star Wars franchise. According to the leak, Lucasfilm is planning an entirely new era titled the "New Jedi Order," set approximately 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. According to various reports, this era – if the rumors are to be believed – will be structured similarly to the Mandoverse, with multiple interconnected stories leading to a culminating event that brings back legacy characters.

The first film in this new era is reportedly the long-awaited Rey-centric movie, with Daisy Ridley reprising her role as the titular character. Expected to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the movie is likely to focus on Rey's journey to rebuild the Jedi Order. However, even Ridley herself has said she doesn’t know when cameras will start rolling.

Adding to the complexity, another upcoming Star Wars film,...

Rumor has it that there's a new villain being cast in the next standalone entry in the Star Wars universe. Star Wars: Starfighter has a scheduled release date of May 28, 2027. The upcoming movie stars Ryan Gosling and is directed by Shawn Levy. The film takes place five to six years after The Rise of Skywalker and now looks to be adding a new villain to the mix.

A New Star Wars Adventure

Director Shawn Levy directed the recently heralded Deadpool & Wolverine and the lesser known but no less entertaining The Adam Project. Writer Jonathan Tropper (who also worked on The Adam Project) joins him at the helm of Star Wars: Starfighter.

“We’re fans too,” Levy said to an exuberant crowd at the Star Wars Celebration. “There’s obviously a relationship between these stories and the audience, but we’ve spent our lives in that audience. We know how meaningful it is.

There are some big movies waiting for James Mangold to make some availability in his schedule, with Dcu’s Swamp Thing and Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi movies being two of the most prominent – and already delayed – on the list. However, according to Deadline, fans will have to wait even longer to see either of these movies begin production as Mangold is reportedly eyeing another movie with Timothée Chalamet first.

Mangold and Chalamet scored a hit with the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown last year, and now it looks like they will be collaborating again on High Side, a motocross-themed heist thriller drawn from an unpublished Jaime Oliveira short story and now being shopped by Chernin Entertainment. The reports, which are still only suggested at this point, describe the story as being centered on a fallen MotoGP prodigy named Billy who is lured into a string of bank robberies by his estranged brother,...

It’s been a quiet year for Ryan Reynolds so far after reprising his role as Wade Wilson in Deadpool & Wolverine, but one year after he played the Merc With a Mouth for the first time, he starred in a sci-fi horror film that’s become a hit on streaming charts. Reynolds stars alongside Rebecca Ferguson (Silo), Hiroyuki Sanada (Shōgun), and Jake Gyllenhaal (Presumed Innocent) in Life, the 2017 film following a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station who discover a rapidly evolving Martian predator that must be kept away from Earth. Despite releasing eight years ago, Life is still a hit on global VOD charts, trending in countries such as Nicaragua. The film earned scores of 67% from critics and 55% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and it grossed almost exactly $100 million at the box office against a $58 million budget.

Life is, unfortunately, not streaming anywhere in the United States,...

Matt Smith is finally making the jump to hyperspace. After years of teasing (and that “maybe he was Palpatine’s clone” rumour in The Rise of Skywalker), the Doctor Who and House of the Dragon star is officially joining the Star Wars galaxy. He’ll play one of the villains in Star Wars: Starfighter, the upcoming standalone film from Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy. And no, we still don’t know if he’ll have a mohawk in this one, too. But we kind of hope so. Smith stars opposite Ryan Gosling, who’s leading the film as a mysterious new character tasked with protecting “a young charge from evil pursuers,” according to THR. So, you know, pretty standard day in the Star Wars universe. Mia Goth (Pearl) also plays a villain, bringing that otherworldly voice and unsettling presence to a galaxy already full of terrifying space wizards. At one point,...

Matt Smith has already explored the cosmos as a Time Lord in Doctor Who and fought in wars on behalf of House Targaryen in the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon. Oh, and he was a vampire in Morbius.

Now, Deadline (via SFFGazette.com) has confirmed that the British actor is heading to a Galaxy Far, Far Away after joining the cast of Star Wars: Starfighter, the upcoming movie from Deadpool & Wolverine and Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy. Ryan Gosling will lead the cast, while Mia Goth (X) is also attached to star.

We don't have specific character details, but the trade has learned that Smith is playing one of the movie's villains.

The report explains, "Casting has been gearing up on the project over the past couple of weeks, with Levy meeting with a number of actors for this key role; sources say execs...

The ‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘Doctor Who’ star, Matt Smith, has officially joined the cast of ‘Star Wars: Starfighter,’ the upcoming standalone feature from director Shawn Levy for Lucasfilm.

Sources close to the actor confirm that Smith will portray a key villain in the film, taking on a major role opposite previously announced stars Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth.

‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ is set to begin filming this fall, with a theatrical release date scheduled for May 28, 2027.

Also in news – ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight to pen Denis Villeneuve’s James Bond Movie

Scripted by Jonathan Tropper, the new instalment in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise is set approximately five years after the events of ‘Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker,’ and will introduce a slate of new characters to the beloved universe. While specific plot details remain under wraps, the film is said to expand the mythology beyond the Skywalker saga,...

Production on "Star Wars: Starfighter" is set to begin this fall. "Deadpool & Wolverine" director Shawn Levy will direct the film from a script written by Jonathan Tropper. Academy Award-nominee Ryan Gosling will headline the film, with Mia Goth also set to star. This film will be set five years after the events of "The Rise of Skywalker," and will be the next film in Lucasfilm's marquee franchise following Jon Favreau's "The Mandalorian and Grogu," which will hit theaters on May 22, 2026.

As principal photography nears, more actors are being cast in what appears to be a much-needed new direction for big-screen "Star Wars" adventures, given that the franchise has mainly been a television fixture thanks to its several shows on Disney+. Now, Emmy-nominated actor Matt Smith has joined the cast of "Starfighter," and fascinatingly enough, he was originally cast in the Sequel Trilogy, but his role was ultimately axed.

Matt Smith joins the Star Wars universe as a villain in ‘Starfighter’, starring alongside Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth.

Lucasfilm has confirmed one of the most anticipated castings among fans of the saga: Matt Smith will be part of the main cast of ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’, playing one of the film’s villains. This ambitious production, directed by Shawn Levy and set for release on 28 May 2027, will also feature Ryan Gosling in the lead role and Mia Goth in another antagonistic part.

Set five years after the events of ‘The Rise of Skywalker’, the film is positioned as a standalone story within the galactic universe, introducing a completely new narrative approach. The script, penned by Jonathan Tropper, revolves around a starfighter pilot whose mission brings him face-to-face with powerful dark forces. According to sources close to the production, Gosling will portray the titular pilot, while Smith and Goth form a...

Ryan Gosling’s upcoming Star Wars movie added a new cast member this week, with House of the Dragon star Matt Smith being cast in a key role. In August 2025, Deadline reported that Smith, known for playing Daemon Targaryen in the HBO series, would join the Gosling-led movie.

Directed by Shawn Levy, the movie, titled Starfighter, had previously confirmed that Mia Goth would play a villain. As a result, Smith is now the third confirmed cast member for the movie, which is reportedly expected to start filming in the fall of 2025. Here is what Smith’s casting means for Starfighter and who he might be playing.

What Matt Smith’s Casting Means For Ryan Gosling’s Star Wars Movie Matt Smith in House of the Dragon (Credits: HBO).

Actor Matt Smith rose to prominence with his role as the Eleventh Doctor in the popular sci-fi series Doctor Who. He also...

Matt Smith is finally heading to a galaxy far, far away. According to Deadline, the Doctor Who and The Crown star has been cast as the main villain in the upcoming Star Wars movie Starfighter. He will be joining Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth in the new film.

This marks Smith’s second time being connected to the Star Wars universe. He was once attached to The Rise of Skywalker but never made it into the final film. Back in 2021, Smith explained on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that “We were close to being in it, but it never quite happened. Eventually, the part became obsolete and they didn’t need it. So, I never got to be in Star Wars.”

He didn’t reveal exactly who he was supposed to play, but many fans speculated it was a major role tied to Emperor Palpatine.

Remember those reports that Matt...

Matt Smith is officially joining the Star Wars galaxy, this time for real. According to Deadline, the Doctor Who star has been cast as the main villain in Star Wars: Starfighter, the upcoming film from director Shawn Levy. He’ll star alongside Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth.

This isn’t Smith’s first brush with the franchise. Back when The Rise of Skywalker was in development, he was attached to a mystery role. However, that never came to be. “We were close to being in it, but it never quite happened,” Smith told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2021.

Remember those reports that Matt Smith was going to be in The Rise Of Skywalker? He told me his role was a big deal, representing “a big shift in the history of the [Star Wars] franchise.”

Who Was He Going To Play?!

Full video chat at https://t.co/e84WokCDhq pic.twitter.

Directed by Deadpool & Wolverine's Shawn Levy, the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter currently finds Ryan Gosling in the lead, with Pearl star Mia Goth also on board. Now, the Star Warsspin-off has found the perfect actor, a sci-fi icon and Marvel star, to play the movie's villain.

Somehow, Palpatine returned, or at least Matt Smith is returning to Star Wars after having almost appeared in The Rise of Skywalker. Smith is best known for playing the Eleventh Doctor on the hit sci-fi series Doctor Who from 2010 to 2013. Smith currently stars as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon and will next be seen in Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing.

Deadline reports that Matt Smith has signed on to play the villain in Star Wars: Starfighter. No details have been given about Smith's role or the plot of Star Wars: Starfighter, but the film is set for release on May 28, 2027, in time for Star Wars' 50th anniversary.

Matt Smith will play the villain in Star Wars: Starfighter.The House of the Dragon star has signed up to appear alongside Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth in the upcoming film after director Shawn Levy met with a number of actors about the key role in the movie, and executives opted for the former Doctor Who lead, Deadline reports.Exact details on Matt's role in the film are being kept vague, but sources told the outlet it will be one of the villains.Star Wars: Starfighter - which will begin shooting later this year ahead of a May 2027 release - will act as a standalone movie within the space opera franchise and will be set five years after 2019's The Rise of Skywalker,Shawn, 56, recently teased the film will be a whole "new adventure" for fans. He said: “There are many rumours, some true, some not. … This is not a prequel,...

Matt Smith will play the villain in Star Wars: Starfighter.The House of the Dragon star has signed up to appear alongside Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth in the upcoming film after director Shawn Levy met with a number of actors about the key role in the movie, and executives opted for the former Doctor Who lead, Deadline reports.Exact details on Matt's role in the film are being kept vague, but sources told the outlet it will be one of the villains.Star Wars: Starfighter - which will begin shooting later this year ahead of a May 2027 release - will act as a standalone movie within the space opera franchise and will be set five years after 2019's The Rise of Skywalker,Shawn, 56, recently teased the film will be a whole "new adventure" for fans. He said: “There are many rumours, some true, some not. … This is not a prequel,...

Actor Matt Smith is reportedly entering the Star Wars universe, joining the cast of Shawn Levy’s upcoming film, “Star Wars: Starfighter.” Smith, best known for his roles in “House of the Dragon” and “Doctor Who,” will portray a key villain in the highly anticipated movie scheduled for release on May 28, 2027.

Smith was previously considered for a role in 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which ultimately did not materialize. In a 2018 report, Smith was rumored to play a younger version of Emperor Palpatine, a character later reprised by original actor Ian McDiarmid. Smith confirmed during an appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast with Josh Horowitz that the earlier role was a significant, transformative part that unfortunately “never got quite over the line.”

Casting Continues for ‘Starfighter’

Lucasfilm and director Shawn Levy have been actively casting for additional villain roles, including a female antagonist initially linked to actress Mikey Madison.

Matt Smith is no stranger to big-budget, blockbuster franchise fare. From Doctor Who and Terminator to Game of Thrones and Marvel, the actor has done his fair share of work in the realm of tentpole material, all while distinctly retaining his unique wildcard quality.

Smith is a highly versatile actor who brings a great deal of range to his work, so whether he is provocatively dancing in a board room opposite Jared Leto’s ill-fated Dr. Michael Morbius or rocking up in the upcoming Caught Stealing with a full-blown mohawk, audiences can expect a certain degree of verve from him.

This is why it's so exciting to hear the news, reported by Deadline today: Smith has signed on to play a villainous role opposite Ryan Gosling in the upcoming film Star Wars: Starfighter.

"House Of The Dragon" Season 2 UK Premiere – Arrivals | Samir Hussein/GettyImages

Earlier this year, it was revealed...

The Ryan Gosling-led Star Wars: Starfighterhas found its villain. The film, from Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, isn’t set to be released until December 2027, but a former Doctor Who star has reportedly been cast in a key role.

Per Deadline, sources have revealed that Matt Smith, who memorably played the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who from 2010 to 2013, has been cast as one of the villains in Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Starfighter. Smith is also known for playing Prince Philip in Netflix’s The Crown, a role for which he was nominated for an Emmy in 2018. Most recently, Smith was seen as Prince Daemon Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon. Representatives for Lucasfilm and Smith could not be reached for comment on the casting.

Sources told Deadline that casting on Star Wars: Starfighter has shifted into a higher gear over the past weeks,...

Matt Smith is about to trade a dragon for a Starfighter. The House of the Dragon star has reportedly signed on to play a villain in the upcoming Star Wars feature film, which will star Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth, be helmed by Shawn Levy, and which had its coming-out party at Star Wars Celebration in April 2025.

Here's everything we know so far about Star Wars: Starfighter.

What's the story?

The are scant details about the plot, other than it is a one-off installment that involves Ryan Gosling's character and his young companion being pursued by villainous forces. Levy says that Starfighter will cover new territory in franchise storytelling and won't feature any of the major characters from prior releases. “This is a standalone. It’s not a prequel, not sequel. It’s a new adventure. It’s set in a period of time that we haven’t seen explored yet,...

Matt Smith's Infinity Gauntlet of nerdy IP is about to add another stone — and this one's coming from a galaxy far, far away. Yes, having made bow ties cool with his stint as Doctor Who's Eleventh Doctor, donned the blonde as Daemon Targaryen in House Of The Dragon, thrown some shapes as bloodsucker Milo in Spumc's Morbius, and been a T-5000 in Terminator Genisys, Smith is getting ready to make the jump to lightspeed for Shawn Levy's upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter. Per Deadline's reporting, Smith has landed a villainous role opposite Ryan Gosling's heroic lead in the Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker's first Star Wars feature.

As we learned at this year's Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Starfighter — described specifically and repeatedly by Levy as "a standalone adventure with all-new characters" — is the first Star Wars film set after the events of The Rise Of Skywalker, with...

It seems that Mel Gibson will be following the trend of many major movies in recent years, including witchy musicals, fantasy vampire romances, and sandy sci-fi-epics. The long-gestating sequel to The Passion of the Christ will no longer just be one movie, but instead two, according to a new press release. Gibson has discussed the project for years since the original film was released in 2004. Now, 21 years later, the movie is finally happening, and Gibson and his production team have ambitious plans for portraying the resurrection of Jesus Christ as told in the Bible.

According to the press release, the story of the resurrection, which was only briefly shown at the end of The Passion of the Christ, will be told across two films. The Resurrection of the Christ Part One is officially slated for release on March 26, 2027, a religious holy day commemorating the death of Christ. Audiences won't have...

Matt Smith is headed to a galaxy far, far away.

The “House of the Dragon” star has joined the cast of Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter” for Lucasfilm, sources close to the actor confirm. He will appear in a villain role, opposite previously announced cast members Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth. Lucasfilm could not be reached for comment.

This isn’t Smith’s first brush with the “Star Wars” franchise. The “Doctor Who” alum was previously cast in “The Rise of Skywalker,” but ultimately didn’t appear in the film. “We were close to being in it, but it never quite happened. I think the thing they were thinking of before. Eventually, the part became obsolete and they didn’t need it. So, I never got to be in ‘Star Wars,'” he told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2021. He declined to elaborate on the role he would...

Actor Matt Smith is heading to the galaxy far, far away, joining director Shawn Levy’s standalone feature Star Wars: Starfighter as one of the film’s chief antagonists opposite lead star Ryan Gosling.

Sources close to the production state that Smith’s character will partner—though not necessarily align—with the previously announced villain role played by Mia Goth, giving Gosling’s unnamed hero a “duo of pursuers.” Script duties fall to Jonathan Tropper, while Lucasfilm has fixed a theatrical launch date of May 28 2027, positioning the project as the next big-screen chapter after The Mandalorian & Grogu lands in 2026.

Levy, speaking to People in April, described pairing Gosling’s “uniquely cool ethos” with Star Wars as “a recipe that makes the galaxy better and cooler,” adding that the story sits a few years after the Battle of Exegol yet is “neither prequel nor sequel.” Gosling echoed that enthusiasm at Star Wars Celebration Japan,...

“Doctor Who” alum Matt Smith is set to join the galaxy far, far away in “Star Wars: Starfighter,” starring Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth and hitting theaters Memorial Day Weekend 2027.

Details are light on Smith’s role and the plot of the film, which will be directed by Shawn Levy (“Deadpool & Wolverine”) from a script by Jonathan Tropper. But Smith is reported to play a villain in the film, which will be set five years after the events of Disney/Lucasfilm’s sequel trilogy, which ended with “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019.

Since that film, Disney has not released a “Star Wars” movie in theaters, opting for a series of Disney+ shows that have ranged in reception from the critically acclaimed “Andor” to the fan-maligned “The Acolyte.” The first of those streaming series, “The Mandalorian,” will get a theatrical film follow-up with “The Mandalorian & Grogu” in...

Matt Smith is confirmed to be joining Ryan Gosling in the upcoming movie, Star Wars: Starfighter. Excitement is building for Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter, an upcoming Star Wars movie set five years after the sequel trilogy. It's due to start production later this year, with Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth in starring roles.

Deadline has revealed that Matt Smith, of Doctor Who and House of the Dragon fame, is joining the movie in a villain role. He will presumably be playing alongside horror star Mia Goth, who has already been confirmed as the movie's second villain. They'll be going up against Gosling, who is presumably the titular "starfighter" pilot.

Matt Smith Has Been Trying To Get Into Star Wars For Years

Matt Smith has become one of Hollywood's hottest properties in the years since he left Doctor Who, his reputation growing due to his electrifying performance in House of the Dragon.

Matt Smith is finally getting his turn in the Star Wars galaxy.

The House of the Dragon star, who at one point was eyed to appear in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, has been tapped to join Shawn Levy’s Star War: Starfighter, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Lucasfilm could not be reached for comment.

This is one of multiple villain roles, according to sources, with Levy still looking to cast a female antagonist that at one point had Mikey Madison eyed for the part. Ryan Gosling stars in Starfighter, which has a release date of May 28, 2027.

In 2018, Smith was reported to be joining the ninth Star Wars movie, but that role did not come to fruition. Journalist Josh Horowitz asked Smith on the Happy Sad Confused podcast about rumors the role was for young Palpatine, with Smith declining to comment. (Original actor Ian McDiarmid ended up returning as Palpatine.

Star Wars: Starfighteris shaping up to be something pretty incredible. The Ryan Gosling-led movie from director Shawn Levy and writer Jonathan Tropper just got an exciting update: It will have Doctor Who star Matt Smithas the main villain of the film. This is exciting for fans who have been waiting for Smith to show up in the franchise after he was originally supposed to pop up in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerbut was ultimately cut from the film. There is no word yet on who exactly he'll play, just that he was cast as the film's villain.

This is now the fourth time in franchise history that Smith has taken on a villain role after his defining role as the Eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who. He went on to star as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragonas part of the Game of Thrones franchise, he was Milo in Morbius,...

Deadline reports that Matt Smith has joined the cast of Star Wars: Starfighter, with the actor set to play one of the villain roles in the movie. Ryan Gosling is already attached to star in the film, with Mia Goth also on board.

The film, which will be directed by Shawn Levy from a script by Jonathan Tropper, is a new standalone adventure set five years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. It will feature all-new characters and explore a period of time that has not yet been explored on screen. Production is expected to kick off this fall. The film will hit theaters on May 28, 2027.

Related Sony releases a new poster for Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing

You may recall that Matt Smith was supposed to appear in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He joined the cast in what was supposed to be a “key role,...

Exclusive: After fighting battles for House Targaryen, Matt Smith is ready to take his next fight to a galaxy far, far, away. Sources tell Deadline that the House of the Dragon star is on board to join Ryan Gosling in Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Starfighter. Mia Goth is also on board, with Shawn Levy directing the pic. Jonathan Tropper penned the script.

Lucasfilm and reps for Smith could not be reached for comment.

The film will shoot this fall and is set to bow on May 28, 2027. While exact details are vague on who Smith will be playing, sources say it will be one of the villain roles. Casting has been gearing up on the project over the past couple of weeks, with Levy meeting with a number of actors for this key role; sources say execs made the decision to go with Smith to play the next great villain in the Star Wars universe.

The 16-year hiatus between Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Episode I - Phantom Menace (1999)—and again after Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) until Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015))—became known to fans as the Dark Times. That is, stretches when Star Wars went more-or-less silent. Now, in 2025, we might be living through another one.

At age 81, George Lucas finally took the Comic-Con stage—his first-ever visit—and talked Star Wars only to remind everyone he’s moved on. Focusing on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, he spoke passionately about collecting comic and narrative art, not specifically the future of the galaxy far, far away.

Granted, Lucas sold his empire (pun intended) in 2012, handing over all creative direction to The Walt Disney Company. While he hasn’t played an official role in the future of the galaxy in well over a decade,...

The upcoming fifth season of Stranger Things is shaping up to be the biggest and most intense yet. Ross Duffer, one of the show’s co-creators, recently shared some exciting news about the first two episodes, hinting that fans are in for a wild ride.

In an Instagram post, Duffer revealed that the first episode, titled “The Crawl,” is their favorite and most eventful since the very first season. He also teased that the second episode, “The Vanishing of…,” features the “craziest cold open” the show has ever done. He called it one of the sequences they’re most proud of this season.

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A post shared by Ross Duffer (@rossduffer)

Stranger Things season 5 will be the final chapter of the beloved sci-fi horror series on Netflix. The season has eight episodes and will be released in three parts. The first batch of four episodes will...

The normally solid footing beneath the Star Wars franchise hasn't been all that solid recently. Although the classic Lucasfilm movie series continues to be adored by fans all over the world, it hasn't had the same levels of success in recent years. In fact, it also hasn't had the same levels of success that it experienced just a few years ago after its launch on Disney Plus.

Although the likes of The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka have been pretty major success stories for the saga (with Andor being a high point critically), it has suffered some missteps too, with fan-favorite series The Acolyte getting cancelled after just one season due to its enormous budget. And that underlines a lot of what is happening in the industry right now, as studios realize that big-budget productions on television aren't all that feasible due to their need to turn a profit. And with that,...

Hollywood is hung up on Madonna, but a biopic remains a frozen secret. Regardless, the legendary singer’s life is going to make it to screen eventually — although whether it gets to the small or big screen first is yet to be determined. This week, “Weapons” star Julia Garner — who was announced to star in a Madonna movie way back in 2022 — confirmed on the podcast “Smartless” that, in spite of reports to the contrary, the project “Like a Virgin” is still very much in gestation.

“That’s supposed to still happen,” she said (via Variety). Garner was set to star alongside Julia Fox, who would play Madonna Bff and frequent music video co-star Debi Mazar. Fox spoke with IndieWire in 2024 about the movie’s reported shelving by Universal, seeming similarly ambiguous.

“I know it was gonna be either tour or movie and then she went on tour,” Fox said. “So...

Lucasfilm announces the 50th anniversary theatrical re-release of Star Wars: A New Hope for April 30, 2027, stirring nostalgia and reigniting debate over Disney’s handling of the franchise.

In a galaxy far, far away, a cinematic milestone is set to return. Lucasfilm has officially announced that Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope will hit theaters once again on April 30, 2027, marking the 50th anniversary of the original 1977 release. It’s a rare chance for fans to experience George Lucas’s groundbreaking space opera on the big screen—and a nostalgic reminder of what made Star Wars iconic before the Disney era.

A New Hope’s Triumphant Return

The re-release is the centerpiece of Lucasfilm’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, timed just before the annual May the 4th Star Wars Day festivities. The 1977 film, starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher, redefined science fiction and built the foundation for one...

Mark your calendars, because moviegoers will get to hear: “May the Force be with you” in theaters once again.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, which kicked off the legendary trilogy and franchise, is heading back to theaters just in time for its 50th anniversary. Lucasfilm owner Disney has confirmed a theatrical release is set for April 30, 2027.

A New Hope originally hit theaters on May 25, 1977 and starred Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo and the late Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. And the film saw the introduction to one of the most iconic villains of all time, Darth Vader (physically played by David Prowse, with James Earl Jones providing the voice).

Created by George Lucas, the franchise expanded into the early 2000s with prequel films starring Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor. The sequels began with 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, featuring Daisy Ridley,...

The galaxy far, far away is coming back to the big screen. Disney has confirmed that Star Wars: A New Hope will return to theaters on April 30, 2027, for its 50th anniversary. Along with the announcement, the company revealed a brand-new anniversary logo.

Via Lucasfilm

This is the movie that began the Skywalker saga back in 1977. George Lucas wrote and directed it, with Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher starring in the film that changed movies forever. Film critic Roger Ebert once called Star Wars “a technical watershed” that opened a new era of special effects and big, exciting stories.

The movie didn’t just tell a space adventure, it mixed different genres into something new, inspiring filmmakers for decades.

Many well-known directors say Star Wars inspired them, including J. J. Abrams, James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, Peter Jackson, and Ridley Scott. Lucas’s “used future” look influenced movies such as Alien,...

Disney announced that Star Wars: A New Hope will be re-released on April 30, 2027, to celebrate the movie’s 50th birthday. This was the film that started it all back in 1977, when George Lucas wrote and directed the story that introduced Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo to the world.

It’s often credited with changing Hollywood forever. Along with the announcement, Disney also revealed a new logo for the anniversary release.

Via Lucasfilm

Roger Ebert called Star Wars “a technical watershed,” meaning it changed how movies were made. It brought a new style of special effects and fast, exciting storytelling. It also mixed different genres into something new, inspiring many filmmakers to copy its style. Movies like Alien, Blade Runner, The Terminator, and The Lord of the Rings all used ideas from Star Wars.

Some critics say Star Wars and Jaws hurt Hollywood because they pushed studios to make big,...

Star Wars is returning to the big screen, though it will be a bit of a wait. In 1977, Star Wars, later given the subtitle Episode IV: A New Hope, was a cultural phenomenon and a box office smash hit, becoming the all-time highest-grossing movie ever at the time of its release. In 1997, for the film's 20th anniversary, it was re-released in theaters for the Special Edition and once again became a box office sensation and helped build the excitement for the Star Wars prequels.

Disney and Lucasfilm are now set to re-release Star Wars in theaters on April 30, 2027, for the movie's 50th anniversary, according toVariety. No word on how long the film will play in theaters, but it is likely it will stick with the one-week theatrical run that other Star Wars re-releases have had. This will mark the first time A New Hope has had a wide release since...

The movie that started the Skywalker saga and arguably created Hollywood’s franchise frenzy is flying back into theaters. “Star Wars: A New Hope” will return to the big screen on April 30, 2027, to mark the film’s 50th anniversary.

Disney, which purchased LucasFilm in 2012 and with it the rights to the “Star Wars” series in 2012 for $4 billion, announced the planned re-release on Friday. The company also said that it would debut “Whalefall,” an adaptation of the novel by Daniel Kraus, on October 16, 2026. The survival thriller is directed by Brian Duffield, stars Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin and will be released by 20th Century Studios. The film is about a scuba diver who is swallowed by a sperm whale.

Disney’s plans to bring “Star Wars” back to theaters were something of an open secret, but the studio had yet to formalize them. It will be a big anniversary year for the space opera franchise.

The original Force is awakening once again, as Disney has just announced plans to re-release Star Wars in theaters for the 50th anniversary of Episode IV: A New Hope. Now, part of us hopes this means that the original cut that was showcased a while back in London is being remastered and released, without any of the... unnecessary additions to it. But regardless, any time we see the original films on the big screen is a cause to be celebrated. The film will hit theaters on April 30, 2027.

The re-release arrives during a massive year for Star Wars, which will also see the debut of Star Wars: Starfighter on May 28, 2027. That film, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth, is set to introduce a brand-new chapter in the galaxy far, far away. But before you get where you're going, folks, you gotta look back to where you've been,...

Madonna has shared a three-track digital rerelease of her 1985 single “Dress You Up.” Released for the dance-pop song’s 40th anniversary, the digital edition features a remixed version, the 12-inch formal mix of the track, and an instrumental mix.

“Dress You Up” was the final single off Madonna’s LP Like a Virgin. The song, produced by Nile Rodgers, was initially released on July 31, 1985. Listen here.

In a press release, Madonna dedicated the rerelease to Barbie designers Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi, who died in a car crash in Italy earlier this week.

The Social Networkis getting a long-awaited sequel, but no, it won't feature Jesse Eisenberg as the controversial founder of Facebook. A pair of rising actors are being eyed to play two entirely new roles in the follow-up film, which will follow the more recent (and destructive) impact of the popular social media platform.

Deadline reports that Oscar-winner Mikey Madison (Anora) and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) are the top choices to lead The Social Network Part II. Aaron Sorkin, who is writing and directing the film, is basing the sequel on The Facebook Files by Jeff Horowitz for The Wall Street Journal. If deals are made with the actors, White would play Horowitz, while Madison would be in line to play the whistleblower behind the articles that exposed Facebook's questionable internal strategy and lack of care for the harmful effects of their platform.

Madison has been selective since receiving a...

After the return of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine earned an eye-popping box office haul of over $1.3 billion, complete with rave reviews, it was almost assured that the multiversal adventure was not the last of the dynamic duo. For all the jokes of Jackman playing Logan until he's 90, though, another team-up might not be coming for a while. Variety shared a massive report on where things stand among Marvel brass that said there was "no urgency" for a Deadpool 4 right now. Sources within the company cited a pullback on superhero content throughout the industry, prompting a slowdown of plans for the Merc with a Mouth's MCU future.

The news comes as a bit of a surprise considering the momentum going for Wade Wilson after his first film in six years. During a roundtable discussion with Kevin Feige attended by Collider's Steve Weintraub, the Marvel boss...

Film editor Don Zimmerman, who was Oscar-nommed for “Coming Home” and known for his work on the “Rocky” franchise and ”Night at the Museum,” died on July 24 in Studio City. He was 81.

The American Cinema Editors confirmed Zimmerman’s death on their Instagram story. Zimmerman died as a result of acute myeloid leukemia.

Originally starting off his career studying veterinary science, Zimmerman began working a number of jobs in gas stations, insurance and various other roles during the Vietnam War. After a friend recommended that Zimmerman try a job in show business as an assistant, Zimmerman began working his way in the industry, eventually becoming a sound editor on sets.

In 1969, Zimmerman started as an apprentice editor in music and sound effects on projects such as “The Godfather,” “Little Big Man,” “The Hawaiians,” and more. He became a picture assistant editor for director Hal Ashby, working on “Harold and Maude,...

Don Zimmerman, a veteran film editor who scored an Oscar nom for Coming Home and worked on dozens of other movies including Being There, The Prince of Tides, Night at the Museum and two Rocky sequels, died July 24 of acute myeloid leukemia at his Studio City home. He was 81.

American Cinema Editors, the group that gave him a Career Achievement Award in 2023, confirmed the news.

Born in 1944 and nicknamed “Big D,” Zimmerman joined the Air Force during the Vietnam War and began working odd jobs — Western Electric, gas stations, insurance — after his discharge. A friend recommended he try being an assistant in show business, which led first to working as a sound editor.

“Then Jimmy, the assistant friend of mine, was working with Hal Ashby,” Zimmerman said in a 2023 interview with Ace’s Cinema Editor magazine. “Hal had just moved from editor to a director by Norman Jewison, and they needed a second assistant editor.