LIVE UPDATES! ‘Star Wars’ Celebration Europe – New Projects Revealed At Lucasfilm’s Studio Showcase
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Star Wars Celebration Europe kicks off with a bang with Lucasfilm’s Studio Showcase, which will reveal updates on Star Wars shows and movies, as well as updates on this summer’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is set to close out that franchise.
Lucasfilm’s Studio Showcase panel, which starts at 3:00 AM PT / 6:00 AM ET and is set to run for about one and a half hours, will unfortunately not be livestreamed to the public. Thankfully, members of the press are able to live-blog the event by texting on their phones as they watch new footage and more. The official Star Wars Twitter page covers significant Celebration Europe announcements, as does their official website in recap form after the panel, but some details are only shared via dutiful reporters on the scene who are covering some of the more nuanced bits of information as they come in. Updates on multiple Disney Plus series are expected, such as ongoing shows like The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch, alongside new series like Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. Trade reports have also suggested that we will get a first look at the future of the galaxy far, far away on film after a long hiatus on that front.
We will be covering any significant announcements revealed at Celebration Europe in this presentation as part of this article (make sure to refresh the page from time to time, once the event starts), and will provide more detail in subsequent articles on Star Wars News Net as more details on them are revealed throughout the four-day event. While this is a Star Wars website, for the sake of efficiency, we’ll also be covering all of the major news announcements for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (and any other potential projects not set in the galaxy far, far away) as they hit. Without further ado, here are the live updates!
10:50 AM – Ten minutes until the Lucasfilm’s Studio Showcase panel is expected to start.
It’s the first day of #StarWarsCelebration! And the Lucasfilm panel begins in 10 minutes… We’ll be live-tweeting all the biggest news, announcements and more as it happens. Stay tuned, and may the Force be with you! pic.twitter.com/Ev2BZQJdrn
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) April 7, 2023
11:00 AM – The panel is on stand-by.
11:08 AM – The panel is set to begin in approximately two minutes.
11:13 AM – The panel has begun with a sizzle reel set to a voice-over by Nemik in Andor.
11:15 AM – Ali Plumb steps onto the stage to host the panel.
11:16 AM – Kathleen Kennedy joins the panel.
11:18 AM – Showrunner Tony Gilroy and the cast of Andor walk onstage alongside B2EMO.
11:19 AM – Andy Serkis commands the audience to get ON PROGRAM.
11:20 AM – Gilroy describes Andor season 2 as the second half of the story.
11:23 AM – Diego Luna thanks the fans for coming to Star Wars Celebration and notes how special the event is for him.
11:26 AM – According to the cast and crew, Andor season 2 is halfway through filming and will wrap shooting in August.
11:27 AM – Andor will return in late summer 2024.
11:28 AM – The first footage of Andor season 2 is shown to the crowd.
11:32 AM – The focus shifts to The Acolyte as showrunner Leslye Headland takes center stage. Headland says “For Light And Life!” to a Wookiee Jedi.
11:33 AM – Kennedy explains that four episodes of the series have been completed and that she has been floored by the results.
11:35 AM – Headland explains that The Acolyte was pitched to Lucasfilm as “Frozen meets Kill Bill.” The show is explored from the perspective of villains.
11:36 AM – Headland also cites Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress and his other films as inspiration for her series. The conflict is described as a spiritual war.
11:38 AM – The cast walks onstage. Amandla Stenberg is cosplaying as Padmé Amidala.
11:39 AM – Joonas Suotamo, the actor behind Chewbacca since helping in 2015 with some scenes, will play a new Wookiee Jedi named Kel Naka. Lee Jung-jae is playing a Jedi Master.
11:43 AM – Jodie Turner-Smith plays another original character.
11:44 AM – Dafne Keen describes intense training to prepare for the role and notes that she will be using a lightsaber in the series.
11:45 AM – Production on The Acolyte is expected to wrap in May.
11:46 AM – The first trailer for The Acolyte is shown to audiences.
11:48 AM – The Acolyte will air in 2024.
11:49 AM – The Mandalorian segment of the presentation begins. Executive producers Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Rick Famuyiwa walk onstage.
11:50 AM – Pedro Pascal shares a recorded message due to his inability to attend the convention, thanking the fans for their continued support.
11:51 AM – Favreau explains that the story so far will culminate in the final two episodes of the season; both were directed by Famuyiwa.
11:54 AM – Filoni explains that season 3 of the show was meant to showcase different perspectives in the galaxy far, far away, and to reflect the perspectives of the directors who signed on to the series.
11:56 AM – Favreau and Filoni express gratitude towards the fans giving Ahmed Best a warm welcome for his return to Star Wars.
11:57 AM – Famuyiwa clarifies that the finale of the third season will tie everything in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett up until this point together.
11:59 AM – Attendees get an extended clip from the next episode of season 3 of The Mandalorian, showcasing a return to Coruscant. Luke Skywalker and Grand Admiral Thrawn are both mentioned by name.
12:07 PM – The cast of The Mandalorian season 3 has stepped onto the stage.
12:08 PM – The entirety of the seventh episode will be streamed at Star Wars Celebration Europe tonight.
12:12 PM – Now it’s time for Skeleton Crew. Jon Watts steps onstage.
12:13 PM – Watts pitched Skeleton Crew to Favreau during filming on Spider-Man: Far From Home. The series follows a group of kids on an adventure throughout the galaxy, with the films of Steven Spielberg and Amblin cited as strong influences. (Kennedy’s experience producing some of those films was cited as an added bonus for the series.)
12:15 PM – Jon Watts, David Lowery, The Daniels, Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Lee Isaac Chung all directed episodes of the series.
12:16 PM – Jude Law walks onstage with most of the leading cast. Law portrays a Jedi, and one of the kids in the show will be an alien.
12:21 PM – A behind-the-scenes look at Skeleton Crew is shown, along with the first trailer. Vane, a character introduced in The Mandalorian season 3, appears.
12:23 PM – Skeleton Crew will be releasing at some point later this year. Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, and Kerry Condon will appear in the series.
12:25 PM – Ahsoka takes central focus.
12:26 PM – Kennedy praises Filoni’s directorial work and specifically his work on Ahsoka.
12:27 PM – Favreau also praises Filoni and notes that he’s able to seamlessly adapt the ideas of others into his story, while keeping in line with George Lucas’ vision.
12:28 PM – Rosario Dawson walks onstage, revealing a snippet of new footage.
12:31 PM – It is hinted that Ahsoka will have a second season.
12:32 PM – A first look at Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren is showcased.
12:35 PM – A first look at Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla is showcased.
12:36 PM – A trailer for Ahsoka was shown.
12:39 PM – Lucasfilm shows new artwork commemorating 10 years of filming movies and shows at Pinewood.
12:43 PM – Lucasfilm begins discussing their film plans. They begin by showcasing a timeline made up of several eras: The Old Republic, the High Republic, the Fall of the Jedi, Reign of the Empire, Age of the Rebellion, the New Republic, and Rise of the First Order.
12:45 PM – It has been revealed that Dave Filoni will be directing a film serving as the culminating event of all the shows tied to The Mandalorian.
12:46 PM – It has been revealed that James Mangold will be directing a new film set in a new era: Dawn of the Jedi, the very distant past of the Star Wars universe. The project is described as a biblical epic and will explore the origins of the Jedi Order.
12:47 PM – It has been revealed that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be directing a new film set in a new era: the New Jedi Order. Daisy Ridley will return as Rey Skywalker in a story set 15 years after the Battle of Exegol.
12:51 PM – Finally, the focus shifts away from Star Wars and onto Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
12:53 PM – Mads Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge walk onstage after a short video introduction.
1:00 PM – A new trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is released.
1:08 PM – An extended clip from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is shown, revealing a chase scene.
1:12 PM – The panel officially ends.
That does it for our coverage of the Lucasfilm’s Studio Showcase panel. What did you think? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more news from Star Wars Celebration!
UPDATE: The Star Wars Youtube channel has posted the official recap here:
Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.
