Ryan Gosling is headed to another alternate universe with his next big role.
The Oscar-nominated “Barbie” star has been tapped to star in the lead role of “Star Wars: Starfighter,” expected to hit theaters in 2027.
The major casting news was announced by director Shawn Levy on Friday at “Star Wars Celebration 2025,” a three-day fan weekend event at the Makuhari Messe convention center outside Tokyo, Japan.
“One of those rumors I heard that I do need to dispel, is, I had heard at one point that my movie was going to star Ryan Gosling and believe me, that would be a dream come true for me. So today, I just wanted to tell you here in this room that that rumor is 100% true,” the filmmaker said on stage ahead of Gosling’s surprise appearance as legions of fans cheered.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy shared a photo of the former “Mickey Mouse Club” star’s childhood bedsheets, which coincidentally were Star Wars-themed.
“This is a picture that my mom sent [of] my bedsheets when I was 5. Yes, she still has them, obviously,” Gosling explained. “Naturally, she thought that it might be something that the fans would appreciate but I suspect that she just sort of wants to justify years of hoarding.”
The 44-year-old said he is excited to join the all-new “Starfighter” project.
“As you can see from the picture, you know, I guess I was probably dreaming about Star Wars before I even saw the film, and it’s probably framed my idea of what a movie even was,” he continued. “But all of that aside, I think the reality is that this script is just so good. It has such a great story with great and original characters. It’s filled with so much heart and adventure. And there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn [Levy]. So it’s something I just really, really wanted to do.”
The film is scheduled to begin production this fall.
According to the studio, “Star Wars: Starfighter” takes place five years after the events of “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker,” which was released in 2019.
