When George Lucas wrote A New Hope in 1977, he could never have predicted the runaway success it would be.
In fact, he betted against his new Star Wars project with Steven Spielberg, who was filming Close Encounters of the Third Kind at the same time.
Lucas predicted Close Encounters would be the more successful sci-fi blockbuster of the year, while Spielberg put his money on Star Wars.
It turned out to be a $40million (£32million) loss for Lucas, as Star Wars became one of the most successful movies of all-time and catapulted one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history into existence.
It smashed the box office and over 40 years later, now owned by Disney, the franchise is still pumping out content.
In fact, there is a long line of series in development, all promising to expand Hollywood’s most beloved galaxy. Here is a list of all the shows currently confirmed by Disney+.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is by far one of the most anticipated Star Wars projects sine 2015’s The Force Awakens.
The upcoming series is bringing back Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen as the title character and Anakin Skywalker.
Set 10 years after the events of Star Wars episode III: Revenge of the Sith, it will explore the time between the prequel trilogy and the original films.
The series synopsis reads: “Kenobi faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.”
The show will premiere on Friday May 27 with two episodes instead of just one.
Andor
Cassian Andor is a character played by Diego Luna in Rogue One and now he is getting his own show on Disney+.
The show will naturally be a prequel to the film, as the character met a very permanent end there.
It will be set five years prior, exploring the earlier days of the Rebellion against the Empire. There is currently no release date set for the series.
Ashoka
Askoka, the former padawan of Anakin Skywalker and disillusioned Jedi will be finally getting her own series.
She stepped out of animation from The Clone Wars to The Mandalorian season 2 and made a small cameo in The Book of Boba Fett.
The cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ivanna Sakhno, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo.
Hayden Christensen will also be making a return following the Obi-Wan show. Ray Stevenson has also joined the cast as a mysterious villain.
It's heavily speculated he will be playing Admiral Thrawn, a nemesis teased in Mandalorian season 2 and a villain that features in many Star Wars books.
There is currently no release date set for the series.
The Mandalorian season 3
The Book of Boba Fett is essential viewing for this one. We last saw Mando flying off in his new Naboo starfighter, reunited with 'Baby Yoda' aka Grogu.
There are no plot details for the third season, but it will likely see the wandering bounty hunter deal with the ramifications of holding the black sabre and the fight for the ruler of Mandalore kicks off.
There is currently no release date set for the series.
Rangers of the new Republic
Rangers of the New Republic is another series expanding on the success of The Mandalorian.
Taking place during the same timelines as the previous show, it will follow a group of X-Wing pilots as they police the… new republic.
It's part of Disney’s plans for an interconnected web of TV shows that also includes Ashoka, all building towards a big crossover event.
There is currently no release date set for the series.
Lando
This series is a complete mystery, with little more than the title being announced by Disney.
Billy Dee Williams originally played the title role or Lando Calrissian in Star Wars episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and reprised it in The Rise of Skywalker from 2019.
Donald Glover played a younger version of the character in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but it isn’t clear which actor will be returning for the show.
Dear White People creator Justin Simien will oversee Lando. There is currently no release date set for the series.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is taking Star Wars fans back to the ‘High Republic era’ which is set before the events of Star Wars episode I: The Phantom Menace.
Disney released a press release, teasing “a mystery-thriller that will take the audience into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.”
Leslye Headland is overseeing the project, the filmmaker behind Netflix ’s hit series Russian Doll.
There is currently no release date set for the series.
A Droid Story
Little is known about A Droid Story, only that it will combine original Star Wars animation with new visual effects from Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic.
It will once again be exclusive to Disney+ with the platform teasing a “new hero guided by the iconic duo of R2-D2 and C-3PO on a mission known only to them.”
It is rumoured that C-3PO star Anthony Daniels will return to his iconic role for the TV movie.
Back in January, the actor shared a snap of him in a motion-capture suit with the caption: “Finally, a new suit - that fits! #mocap #ealingstudios #c3po #iamc3po #starwars”.
Fans immediately linked the snap to the upcoming show, though nothing is confirmed. There is currently no release date set for the series.
