Ryan Gosling to star in new 'Star Wars' film

TOKYO

After his scene-stealing turn as Ken in the 2023 blockbuster hit "Barbie," Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling is taking on another huge pop culture franchise: the "Star Wars" universe.

Gosling will star in the upcoming "Star Wars: Starfighter," due for release in May 2027, Lucasfilm announced on April 18 at the Star Wars Celebration event in Japan.

The film, to be directed by Shawn Levy (‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ ‘Stranger Things’), will be set five years after the events of 2019's "Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker," Lucasfilm, a subsidiary of Disney, said in a statement.

Fans cheered as Gosling and Levy made a surprise appearance at the Japan event to confirm the project, which will begin production later this year.

Gosling will play a "brand-new character" in the "Star Wars" universe, the company said.

The standalone film will come a year after "The Mandalorian & Grogu," an expansion of the popular Disney+ streaming series starring Pedro Pascal due out in 2026.

Other Star Wars films are in the works from directors such as Taika Waititi, best known for "Jojo Rabbit" and two Marvel superhero "Thor" films, and James Mangold, who helmed the recent Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown."