Star Wars: Starfighter began shooting this week, and following yesterday's first look, we have some additional potential casting news.
It's already been reported that Amy Adams is playing the sister of Ryan Gosling's character and the mother of Flynn Gray's young lead. Now, Daniel Richtman is reporting that Ghost Rider star Eva Mendes has been tapped to play the wife of whoever Gosling is playing.
As we're sure you already know, Gosling and Mendes are married in real life, and the latter rarely acts now. Her last movie roles were The Place Beyond the Pines in 2012 and Lost River in 2014. Mendes has only had a few small screen roles, but lent her voice to Bluey in 2021.
We'd bet on this being a minor cameo role, perhaps explaining why her involvement in Star Wars: Starfighter hasn't been officially announced.
In other news, Jeff Sneider has learned that Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda is set to serve as the movie's director of photography. His previous credits include Top Gun: Maverick, F1: The Movie, TRON: Legacy, Life of Pi, and Tomorrowland.
While not confirmed, it's previously been reported that Star Wars: Starfighter takes place after The Rise of Skywalker, with Gosling playing a Jedi who trains his nephew as his Padawan. The only official details we have are that this is "an all-new standalone adventure," that's "an entirely original story set in a period of time never before explored in Star Wars."
"I feel a profound sense of excitement and honor as we begin production on Star Wars: Starfighter," filmmaker Shawn Levy said to mark the start of production. "From the day Kathy Kennedy called me up, inviting me to develop an original adventure in this incredible Star Wars galaxy, this experience has been a dream come true, creatively and personally."
He added, "Star Wars shaped my sense of what story can do, how characters and cinematic moments can live with us forever. To join this storytelling galaxy with such brilliant collaborators onscreen and off, is the thrill of a lifetime."
Star Wars: Starfighter stars Ryan Gosling (Barbie), Flynn Gray (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2), Matt Smith (House of the Dragon), Mia Goth (Infinity Pool), Aaron Pierre (Lanterns), Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners), Jamael Westman (Hedda), Daniel Ings (Lovesick), and Amy Adams (Man of Steel).
Directed by Levy, the film is produced by Levy and Kathleen Kennedy. Executive producers are Ryan Gosling, Dan Levine, Mary McLaglen, and Josh McLaglen. The script is by Jonathan Tropper.
Star Wars: Starfighter will be released theatrically on May 28, 2027.