Ryan Gosling in talks to lead new 'Star Wars' film from Shawn Levy

Hollywood star Ryan Gosling is in negotiations to headline a new "Star Wars" movie for Disney-owned Lucasfilm. Shawn Levy, the director of 2024 blockbuster Marvel movie "Deadpool & Wolverine", will helm the project, which he has been developing since 2022, according to entertainment news outlet Variety.

Jonathan Tropper, known for his collaborations with Levy on "This Is Where I Leave You" and "The Adam Project", is working on the script.

If the project is finalised, Levy will also produce the film under his 21 Laps banner, alongside "Star Wars" veterans Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm.

Though the plot details have been kept under wraps, the movie is said to be a standalone project and is not connected with the Skywalker Saga, which concluded with 2019's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker".

Post "The Rise of Skywalker", the Star Wars universe saw the release of its first series "The Mandalorian", followed by shows like "The Book of Boba Fett", "Obi-Wan Kenobi", "Andor" and "Ahsoka".

Levy's film will follow "The Mandalorian & Grogu", the first "Star Wars" movie to receive a greenlight in over five years. Having recently completed principal photography, the Jon Favreau-directed movie is set to premiere in the US on May 22, 2026.

Lucasfilms' film slate also includes movies from filmmakers Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold and Dave Filoni.

Gosling, who most recently starred in Universal's "Fall Guy", is currently working on "Project Hail Mary" from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The film is based on the bestseller novel by author Andy Weir.