NARRATOR: Disney makes Life Day come early
by punching the hyperdrive with a dozen new Star Wars movies
and shows.
There's tons of possibilities to explore.
It is the building of a revolution.
NARRATOR: On this IMDbrief, we break down how Vader, Ahsoka,
Kenobi, and all our new Jedi pals
will fit into an expanding Star Wars galaxy.
Let's run down these new titles by placing them in the greater
Star Wars timeline and begin farthest back
in the past, about 200 years before Episode 1
The Phantom Menace, for The Acolyte.
Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland
will run the new series about the High Republic,
an era that will be further explored
in books, comics, and games.
The show is described as a mystery thriller set
in the period when Jedi ruled the roost,
perhaps a thrilling mystery of how the Jedi lost that roost.
Afraid, are you?
No, sir.
See through you, we can.
NARRATOR: Next in the timeline is The Bad Batch,
which should take place just after Episode III -
Revenge of the Sith, and is a spin-off of the Clone
Wars animated series.
Coming in 2021 from creator Dave Filoni,
the show centers on Clone Force 99, a.k.a.
The Bad Batch, who are genetically modified
Clone troopers with various special skills.
The cavalry has arrived.
NARRATOR: Then we find ourselves in the years 10 years
after Sith, but before Episode IV -
A New Hope, for Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Ewan McGregor returns to his role from the prequels
to explore what happens in that gap.
And whatever it is, it ages him terribly.
I'm getting too old for this sort of thing.
NARRATOR: Helmed by Mandalorian director Deborah Chow,
Obi-Wan Kenobi also brings back Hayden Christensen
to play Darth Vader.
We have to assume he won't be dubbed and behind the helmet
the entire show, so we can expect flashbacks or Jedi mind
communication so that Christensen
can step out of the suit and into his trusty old robes.
This is where the fun begins.
NARRATOR: Andor will presumably occur around that same era
as Kenobi, since it must take place before the titular
character's calamitous mission in 2016's Rogue One, which runs
right up to the opening scene of A New Hope,
starring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor,
the Rebel Alliance officer who steals the Death Star plans.
The series will be overseen by Rogue One writer Tony Gilroy,
with an all-star cast of Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona,
Fiona Shaw, and Denise Gough.
Everything I did, I did for the rebellion.
NARRATOR: The Lando series should also
land somewhere in this period if it's to star Solo's Donald
Glover as the young Calrissian.
But if it's Billy Dee Williams returning
to his original trilogy role, Lando
could take place after Episode IV - The Rise of Skywalker.
Or both get cast, and we jump all over that timeline.
Regardless, Dear White People creator/director Justin Simien
is developing the series that could
explore the Sith hunting mission that Lando took with Luke.
Well, let's find out.
NARRATOR: Now we travel about five years
past Return of the Jedi for The Mandalorian,
which is naturally getting a season 3, plus three spin-offs.
Unfortunately, none is centered on the show's breakout star,
Baby Yoda, a.k.a.
Grogu, at least, not yet.
He means more to me then you will ever know.
NARRATOR: Us too.
One half of the Mando brain trust, Dave Filoni will write
and helm Ahsoka, while Jon Favreau will executive produce.
Filoni created Ahsoka Tano for his animated series
The Clone Wars, then brought her into live action
for Mandalorian Season 2, with a little help
from Rosario Dawson.
She'll star in the series that follows her search
for the evil Admiral Thrawn to rescue
Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger.
A Mandalorian and a Jedi?
They'll never see it coming.
NARRATOR: Ha, but we kind of did.
The next Mando spin-off set in the same timeline,
and from Filoni and Favreau, is Rangers of the New Republic,
which follows former Rebels trying to restore order
in the galaxy after defeating the Empire in Episode VI -
Return of the Jedi.
The show builds to a climactic crossover event that
sounds a little like an Avengers movie,
in the best way possible.
Avengers, assemble.
NARRATOR: Now, we'll avoid any major spoilers connected
to this third spin-off series that
was announced in an after credit scene in The Mandalorian
season 2 finale.
Coming December 2021, The Book of Boba Fett
will start Temuera Morrisson as Boba and Ming-Na Wen
as Fennec Shand.
And it will apparently follow the bounty hunter
taking his former boss Jabba's throne,
quite literally, as Boba the Hutt.
I'll put on a good show.
NARRATOR: Zooming right past the latest trilogy and The Rise
of Skywalker, we arrive at an upcoming Star
Wars film due for 2023.
From Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins,
Rogue Squadron takes its title from a series of video games
that began in 1998.
But Jenkins promises an original tale about
those brave X-wing aviators.
They've taken enough of us.
Now we take the war to them.
NARRATOR: As Yoda explains, always in motion is the future.
So these next few titles are harder to place
in the grander timeline.
But writer/director/IG-11 voice, Taika Waititi has plans
for a mysterious Star Wars movie that just might
involve the Dawn of the Jedi.
That was unpleasant.
I'm sorry you had to see that.
NARRATOR: Plus there's a 10-part anime series of short films
called Visions that will bring diverse cultural perspectives
to Star Wars, as well as a C-3PO and R2-D2
film called A Droid Story that combines
animation and visual effects.
[WHISTLING AND BEEPING]
Well, I'm quite certain I would remember
if I had a best friend.
NARRATOR: You can add all these upcoming titles
to your Watchlist.
And for more Star Wars stories and trending tales, stay
glued to IMDb.com/IMDbrief.