Star Wars: Starfighter Already Has A Draft, And Matt Smith Talks It Like A Fan
Star Wars: Starfighter is starting to feel less like a distant calendar entry and more like a full-fledged movie. This helps.
For months now, Shawn Levy's upcoming Star Wars movie has been essentially a neat package of promising ingredients: Ryan Gosling, a fresh plot, set after the events of the sequels, Mia Goth, Matt Smith, Amy Adams, and a 2027 release date looming somewhere out there, like a hyperspace coordinate no one can quite get to yet. Now Matt Smith has made it all a little more real.
In a recent interview, Smith stated that a rough cut of Star Wars: Starfighter already exists and he is preparing to watch it. He also praised the film, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth and director Shawn Levy, calling the project "absolutely amazing." It's very British. And, frankly, very useful.
A rough cut does not mean the film is finished.
Let's stay calm for at least one paragraph.
A rough cut is not the final version of the film.
This does not mean that the score is ready, the effects are complete, the editing is approved, or that Lucasfilm has carefully placed the film in a sacred vault while the ghost of John Williams approves the typeface.
A rough cut means that a film has reached a significant post-production stage in which the footage has been edited into an early working version.
This is still important.
This means that Starfighter is no longer just about casting announcements, set photos, and vague promises of adventure. There is now a version of the film that people involved in the project can watch.
For a Star Wars movie scheduled to premiere on May 28, 2027, this is a very favorable situation.
Matt Smith looks genuinely excited.
The actors praise the projects in which they participate. This is not surprising.Nobody expects someone from the press to say, “Well, I saw something, and frankly, the entire galaxy might be better off skipping this movie.”
But Smith's enthusiasm still gives the impression of someone who had a positive experience in the process of creating this product.
He praised Ryan Gosling as a leader, called Mia Goth fantastic and praised Shawn Levy as a director. This is important becauseStarfighteris not positioned as a nostalgic sequel built around the return of heroes.
New symbols are required for correct operation.
The cast should feel seamlessly integrated into Star Wars without bringing the entire Skywalker family photo album into the room.
Smith's comments do not prove that the film will be good.
But they certainly show that the people who create this product believe in what they have.
It's better than awkward silence.
Starfighter still has the advantage of being relatively new.
The fun thing about Star Wars: Starfighter continues to be that the game seems to be trying to stand on its own.
Lucasfilm has announced the film as a new theatrical Star Wars adventure from Shawn Levy, starring Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray and an expanded cast including Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings and Amy Adams.
That's a lot of talent.
More importantly, it's not just a matter of "remember this character?"
The film takes place after the events of the sequel trilogy, but is positioned as a new story with new characters. This gives him space to develop. Star Wars sometimes desperately needs a break.The galaxy cannot last forever if each new story seems like another box found in Obi-Wan's attic.
A new film with new faces, new conflicts and a title that promises speed, ships and adventure is a good option for presentation.
The title still makes gamers think twice.
Of course, for fans of games based on the Star Wars universe the name "Star Fighter" evokes its own funny response.
The video game Star Wars: Starfighter existed back in 2001.
This is completely different. Another era. Another story.
But the title still touches a certain part of the brain of Star Wars fans . Star Wars has always been at home in the cockpit, from the old arcade games with vector graphics to X-Wing, TIE Fighter, Rogue Squadron, Starfighter, Jedi Starfighter, and space games. battles between Battlefront and Squadrons.
This extensive history of air combat is one of the reasons why the title has a special atmosphere. It hints at movement. Pilots. Air battles. Perhaps a galaxy that seems dangerous because people move around it instead of standing in front of a green screen explaining bloodlines.
We've been tracking this playable side of the franchise for years in our The Complete List of Every Star Wars Game Ever Made, and the word "starfighter" has long been associated with one of the most vivid fantasies in the world of Star Wars games:
Get on the ship.
Take a throw.
Try not to explode.
Hope is okay.The excitement must continue.
Good news that Starfighter has a rough cut.
The good news is that Matt Smith appears to be enthusiastic.
The good news is that the film appears to be moving forward as a truly completed project, rather than just another Star Wars project that is stuck in "development", like a bounty hunter in carbonite.
But you should maintain a reasonable approach to the hype.
We haven't seen the trailer.
We don't know the plot.
We do not know Smith's role beyond the usual uncertainty surrounding interrogations.
We don't know how the film combines the old Star Wars language with new characters and new stakes.
This is the real test.
Star Wars doesn't need another movie that just looks expensive. They want a film that feels alive.
Starfighter is starting to feel real.
Matt Smith's comments are a small but encouraging sign for now.
There is a rough version of the film. The actors speak confidently. Shawn Levy's film is in post-production. The release date is still set for 2027, like a guideline.
This does not guarantee a triumphal procession.
But this means that the Star Wars: Starfighter project is beginning to move from the category of abstract future projects to something more concrete.
And after years of announced Star Wars films disappearing, changing shape, slowing down, or disappearing into the fog, this alone is worth a look.
The galaxy promised us a lot.
At least this project seems to be starting to take shape.
Now we are waiting for the trailer.
Preferably on ships.
Lots of ships.