Ahsoka, Mandalorian Season 3, Movies

James Whitbrook is the Deputy Editor of io9, with an experience in masking Stars of the Wars and Trek varieties, in addition to anime, video games, and collectibles. You can observe his protection right here, and e-mail tricks to james.whitbrook@gizmodo.com.

The high story:

Star Wars is coming to a crossroads in 2023. It’s been simply over three years because the finish of the Skywalker Saga within the divisive The Rise of Skywalker, and within the meantime Lucasfilm has retreated to the safety and cameo-laden nostalgia of a small streaming Empire of exhibits on Disney+. With excessive profile film delays and undertaking leads falling by means of time and time once more, and an unsure future on the silver display screen, Star Wars goes to search out its greatest problem this yr is proving that Lucasfilm is able to capturing film magic once more.

What we’re ready for:

• Star Wars’ large bets this yr are all in on streaming once more, starting in January with the sophomore season of The Bad Batch, however there’s additionally the extremely anticipated return of The Mandalorian for its third season, Dave Filoni’s Ahsoka standalone collection, a second season for the Visions anthology undertaking, the children present Young Jedi Adventures, and the Jude Law car Skeleton Crew. A darkish horse contender for later within the yr? The still-undated, High Republic-era collection The Acolyte.
• The annual Star Wars Celebration heads to London, England in April, and whereas there’s little question we’ll see and listen to extra about a number of of the aforementioned streaming exhibits, all eyes are going to be on something Lucasfilm would possibly say about Star Wars’ cinematic future. Myriad administrators have been placed on (and brought off, and put again on) initiatives we’ve seen nothing of, and the large display screen is at all times going to be Star Wars’ residence even because it carves out a life on smaller ones. Shawn Levy? Taika Waititi? Rian Johnson? Patty Jenkins? Damon Lindelof? Kevin Feige? What are they up to?
• But what we actually need is to know simply once we’re going to see Andor season 2. It’s going to be 2024, however the vital and public buzz for the present coming into TV awards season is an nearly common stage of mainstream reward Lucasfilm hasn’t seen shortly, and all eyes are on Tony Gilroy’s plans for the observe up.

Unconventional knowledge:

This can be going to be an enormous yr for one among Lucasfilm’s different large ventures: the transmedia High Republic undertaking, a prequel-prequel set 200 years earlier than the occasions of the primary Star Wars film saga unfold throughout books, comics, and now TV collection like Young Jedi Adventures and The Acolyte. Coming right into a tough begin for its “Phase II” on the tail finish of 2022—taking a herky-jerky leap again in time to a different 150 years after the primary wave of tales ended on a significant cliffhanger—the initiative is already heralding the start of its finish in 2023 as we head into a 3rd and closing part. Will returning to the characters High Republic began with recapture among the excessive consideration across the preliminary rollout?

Longshot bets:

This is the yr Lucasfilm and the fandom at massive don’t precisely activate, however maybe demand extra for Star Wars past, Dave Filoni’s government manufacturing. Filoni is one among George Lucas’ scions on the studio, and has loads of initiatives on the way in which in 2023, however collection like Andor have confirmed an urge for food past his home type of cramming Ahsoka Tano into each different story.

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