The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter: January 30, 2026
Suffering from an Ahsoka Tano Day party hangover
Hello there
Welcome back to an actual Friday edition of the Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter. We’re clocking in at 3,600 words this week because it’s been Hoth-like here in Dallas, as I’m typing this on Wednesday, I haven’t actually left my house since last Thursday. Cabin fever is setting in which means might as well just write about Star Wars. This week there’s a long rundown on all known and rumored Star Wars movies/shows, big changes are coming to Disneyland, and we start by combing two of my favorite things.
Just as a programming note, there will probably not be a Death Star HR next week, or if there is, it will be a very short one. Plan on no Death Star HR and if I actually get one out and in your inbox, well consider it a nice surprise then.
As always, thanks for reading Death Star HR. If you’re reading this and you’re not a subscriber, I’d love it if you entered your email below and smashed that subscribe button. There’s also an official Death Star HR Instagram and an official Death Star HR YouTube page as well and I’d love it if you subscribed there as well.
This Is Where The Fun Begins
I’ve mentioned before that I went to Michigan State University. While most people probably known MSU for it’s basketball team or maybe the 10 year run of success from 2007 - 2017 in football1; when I was growing up it was a hockey school. And last Saturday, it was Star Wars night and Munn Ice Arena was part of the galaxy far, far away.
That’s the Great Lakes Garrison, the 501st Legion’s Michigan chapter. They were on hand to celebrate Star Wars night and make sure any Rebel scum aka Minnesota Golden Gophers fans didn’t get out of line.
It helps when one of your school colors and matches a standard lightsaber color. To celebrate Star Wars night, there was a lightsaber giveaway at the game and and Sparty skated around in a Jedi robe. To top it off, the MSU completed their sweep of Minnesota. The Force was with the Spartans.
Always In Motion Is The Future
As we’re mostly just trying to survive the hellscape that has been 2026 so far, it might be nice to have something to look forward to. I try to do this from time to time, take a look at what’s out there in the Star Wars universe and what’s on the horizon.
TV Shows. Currently we only have three confirmed Disney+ shows, all scheduled to be released this year.
Maul: Shadow Lord. As I wrote about last week, the 10 episode animated series about the should-be-dead former Sith apprentice and rise to power as a crime lord gets released April 6th, 2026 on Disney+.
Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi. A spinoff from Star Wars: Visions, this will continue the story from the short films The Ninth Jedi from Volume 1 and The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope from Volume 3. Release date is confirmed for this year but not date yet.
Ahsoka season 2. The only confirmed live-action streaming show right now. Filming wrapped in October of last year. Again, no release date other than it’s coming out this year. I would expect we’ll see it the November/December release slot that Disney has used.
Tales of the [SOMETHING]. Nothing is confirmed but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another Tales for May the 4th this year or next year.
The Mandalorian season 4. Jon Favreau has said the script is written, but who knows. At least as of right now, it seems less likely to happen as Disney pivots back to movies. If The Mandalorian and Grogu is a blockbuster things might change.
Book of Boba Fett season 2. Temuera Morrison really wants this to happen, but there’s no indication it will.
Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2. Ewan McGregor really wants this to happen, but there’s no indication it will.
Skeleton Crew season 2. The creators have indicated they’d like to do a season 2, but that’s all. There was some recent info that the Filoniverse movie would have involved at least some characters from Skeleton Crew.
Rangers of the New Republic. Previously I would have said this was dead. But as we all know, nothing ever really dies in the Star Wars universe. After Disney settled the lawsuit with Gina Carano, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Cara Dune returns.
Rogue Squadron. Another one of the old announcements that’s been stuck. Back in the fall, rumors surfaced that Rogue Squadron would go from a movie as originally announced to a TV series. And as I said back in the fall, this would be a mistake. Star Wars is meant to be seen on the big screen. Something focusing on space battles absolutely needs be seen on the big screen.
Movies. Right now Disney has three confirmed movie dates. May 22, 2026, May 28, 2027, and December 17, 2027. The first two are already spoken for. There had previously been a December 2026 slot reserved for a Star Wars movie, but that was given away to…I want to say a Pixar movie? Right now there are three confirmed releases that there are dates for, and then a whole lot of guesses.
The Mandalorian and Grogu. The first new Star Wars movie since 2019, the story of the galaxy’s best dad and his little green son releases on May 22, 2026.
Star Wars: Starfighter. The Shawn Levy directed movie stars Ryan Gosling, Flynn Gray, Mia Goth, Matt Smith, and Amy Adams. Details have been fairly scarce. It’s supposed to be a brand new story with brand new characters. In fact, writer Jonathan Topper said there’s no cameos. Tom Cruise directed a lightsaber duel and nothing makes sense anymore. Release date of May 28, 2027
Star Wars (1977). What more do you have to say? A restored and remastered cut of A New Hope will be released for Star Wars 50th anniversary. Coming to a theater near you February 19, 2027.
Rogue One - 10th Anniversary. I, and lots of other people, have noted that it would be really really cool to go to the theater and watch the last 3 episodes of Andor and have it lead directly into Rogue One. Disney did a limited re-release of Rogue One back in 2022 before Andor was released. No reason they couldn’t do it again. Last year at Star Wars Celebration, Tony Gilroy said there had been interest in an Andor/Rogue One big screen event. This made the rounds on Instagram last year, but I can’t find any actual confirmation.
Attack of the Clones - 25th anniversary. The 25th anniversary of AOTC is in 2027. Given that The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith were in the theaters for their 25th and 20th anniversary in the last couple years, I think it’s pretty likely we’ll see AOTC on the big screen again. May the 4th weekend, 2027 would be perfect. After Celebration but before Starfighter.
The Dave Filoni Mandoverse movie. As I noted in a link above, there are rumors the movie is on pause. There are also rumors it will get reworked into a streaming show. I’m pretty certain this movie will happen at least in some form, I just don’t know when. There’s no indication it’s started filming or even that there’s a script. And with Filoni getting more responsibility at Lucasfilm, who knows.
Rey - New Jedi Order movie. Kathleen Kennedy’s exit interview that I mentioned last week had quite a few updates. I don’t know if it’s telling that the Rey movie wasn’t mentioned, or that there’s just so many ideas out there it’s easy to forget one. If Rey is supposed to be the face of the Sequel Trilogy as Disney would like, they really need to get that Rey movie done. Either way, the story of Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order is supposed to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Back in December, Daisy Ridley “remained positive that the film would get made, promising fans it would be ‘worth the wait’.”
Dawn of the Jedi. The James Mangold movie is supposed to take place 25,000 years before The Phantom Menace and tell the story of, well, the dawn of the Jedi. Per Kennedy, Mangold and Beau Williamson have written the script, but it’s “on the back burner.”
Simon Kinberg trilogy. It’s not known if this is going to be Episodes X - XII of the Skywalker Saga or not, reporting differs and it’s possible Disney itself doesn’t even know yet. Whatever the plot ends up being, it seems much more likely that’s going to happen than a lot of the ideas on the list here. As Kennedy said, “I know that Dave and Lynwen are very much on board with what Simon’s doing, and that would be a new trilogy. In the timeline of things, that takes you well into 2030 plus. So that’s really what’s up next.”
Taika Waititi movie - Per Kennedy, a script has been turned in and that it’s “somewhat alive.” In a recent interview, Waititi said “I’m just trying to go back and harness a little bit more of the fun from the original films, which is what I remember [from] them.” No dates have been released.
Donald Glover’s Lando movie. Lando started as a Justin Simien led TV series and has morphed into a Donald Glover led movie. Glover has turned in a script, per Kennedy. It’s also “somewhat alive.” No further information or dates are out there.
A Droid Story. The lost cartoon. It was announced and there haven’t been any updates. As it was going to be animated there’s maybe an outside chance, just because it’s cheaper than a live action movie. But I wouldn’t hold my breath on this one. Retool the plot and make it Chopper’s story.
Untitled Rian Johnson trilogy. Honestly I think The Hunt For Ben Solo happens before this does. Kennedy said she thought “And then I do believe he got spooked by the online negativity. I think Rian made one of the best Star Wars movies. He’s a brilliant filmmaker and he got spooked. This is the rough part.” Johnson, for his part disagreed.
Rian Johnson@rianjohnsonlol zero spooked, sorry
IGN @IGNStar Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson said to have been "spooked by the online negativity" while considering his future with the franchise. https://t.co/7lgGLyJBIh5:18 AM · Jan 17, 2026 · 1.77M Views1.52K Replies · 1.87K Reposts · 34.3K Likes
The Hunt For Ben Solo. Quoting Kennedy again, “Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns. It was just great. Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk.” TAKE THE RISK, DISNEY!
Books. Because I’m still stuck in the Expanded Universe and only sporadically read canon, I don’t really keep up with new book releases. I mean, I took to see what’s out there but it’s not at the top of my list for things to keep track of. Friend of Death Star HR, Chelsea Zukowski over at the Space Wizards Book Club has a good rundown of what’s coming out this year.
Did I miss anything? I don’t think I did.
The World Between Worlds Comes For Galaxy’s Edge
OK it’s not, but the headline will make sense. I came up with the headline just as a joke but the World Between Worlds would make for a pretty cool ride as part of Galaxy’s Edge. The World Between Worlds, introduced in Rebels, is a portal that allows a person to travel between time and space. In the Disney context, you could have a ride that takes you through all the different eras of Star Wars. It’s a good idea, Disney CEO Bob Iger (who I’m sure is subscribed under a burner account) give me a call. I’ve got some thoughts on how it should go.
If you’ve been to Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland or Disney World, you’ve seen that it’s set in the Sequel Trilogy era. The characters are strictly either Disney creations or legacy characters that still exist in the ST timeline. First Order Stormtroopers wander around. Maybe you’ll see Kylo Ren or Rey out and about. The main ride is called Rise of the Resistance, not Rise of the Rebellion. Galactic Starcruiser, the ill-fated Star Wars hotel, also took place during the Sequel Trilogy timeline. A while back I speculated that while it wasn’t the only reason the Galactic Starcruiser ended up in the Karthon Chop Fields, I think it might have at least had a fighting chance if they set it during the Original Trilogy. I mean, I get it. Disney paid roughly $ 4 billion dollars to acquire Star Wars. They then spent however many billions on the new movies and streaming shows. They’re not going to just ignore those characters as part of their theme parks.
Until now at least. Disney recently announced that the timeline of Galaxy’s Edge is getting a little fuzzy.
Cast members performing as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo will join Chewbacca and R2-D2. And in pursuit will be Darth Vader and his Imperial Stormtroopers. New storylines will come to life at Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, spanning multiple eras of the planet’s rich history. These updates allow guests to experience the Galactic Civil War and the New Republic, as well as the Age of Resistance. Rey and other sequel trilogy characters will remain in the area near Rise of the Resistance which will remain unchanged. The marketplace will showcase New Republic era characters, such as Mando and Grogu, as well as Ahsoka Tano.
This isn’t exactly a surprise. Disney had already incorporated Luke into some of the events at Galaxy’s Edge, although it was supposed to be Luke from The Mandalorian even though Galaxy’s Edge was supposed to take place between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. There was something as well, where there was some imagry for Anakin and Padme. Maybe it was for Valentine’s Day? I know I wrote about it but the Substack search function is Bantha poodoo, even for searching my old posts. It’s not cheap to go to Disney these days. The people who have the money to go are the people who grew up with Star Wars, especially the Original Trilogy, and are more or less functioning adults. It is essentially Disney saying “fine, we give up. We know what makes us money.”
As an article in Gizmodo notes, this was probably inevitable.
When I first visited it in late 2019, I was struck by both how excellently Galaxy’s Edge felt like it had created something that was like stepping into a different world with its heady mix of sound design, architectural tricks, and commitment to the theme, and by how utterly unsustainable that commitment was going to be, given the expectations the average Disney parks visitor was going to have of a Star Wars theme park land. If anything, it’s a miracle that it’s taken Disney almost seven years to restrain itself from shoving Darth Vader in there, that it held on so long to the land’s original vision, even as that vision was slowly carved away and diminished in time.
It sounds like, and I say this as someone who has not been to Galaxy’s Edge yet, that you have two competing interests. I’ve discussed this before, you have the Normies and the Sickos. The Sickos are the people who truly would appreciate a completely immersive Star Wars theme park and geek out about all the little details, like having consequences for your choices:
During a panel at Star Wars Celebration in Orlando this weekend, it was revealed that the fully immersive theme park areas will allow visitors to develop a reputation. That’s right. If you ride the attraction that pits the First Order vs. the Resistance, the side you pick will have ramifications throughout the park. Fly the Millennium Falcon in another ride and, depending on how well you do, maybe a Bounty Hunter will start hunting you. You may be asked to do tasks for one side or the other in a bar and, whether you choose to do it or not, could affect your park experiences. The whole point is to immerse the viewer in Star Wars in a way they’ve never felt before.
Would I love to do something like this? Absolutely. It also sounds like it never was implemented. But there are less people like me and more Normies, people who are there on a Disney vacation and have Galaxy’s Edge as just one stop on the agenda. The people who know the main characters from the movies and maybe know Mando and Grogu from the memes. They just want to let their kid, or spouse, get their picture with Chewie or Darth Vader, and then move on to go get a drink or two at Epcot.
It’s unfortunate that such an ambitious, immersive product didn’t necessarily work out. Same could be said for the Galactic Starcruiser hotel. But I get why Disney is doing it.
This Day in Star Wars History
Two births and two books for this January 30 edition of This Day in Star Wars History.
Musician Marty Balin was born in 1942. Balin was one of the founding members of Jefferson Airplane which then went on to become Jefferson Starship. Balin also was the lead singer for the holographic band in The Star Wars Holiday Special. They play the song “Light The Sky On Fire” which was an actual Jefferson Starship song and included on the band’s Greatest Hits album.
Irish actress Valene Kane was born in 1987 in Northern Ireland. As far as I can tell, Kane has primarily appeared in United Kingdom shows, although you make recognize her from The Fall, staring long-time Death Star HR favorite Gillian Anderson. Kane played Lyra Erso in Rogue One.
Expanded Universe novel Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter was published in 2001. Written by Michael Reaves, the book is takes place before The Phantom Menace, where Darth Sidious tasks his young apprentice with tracking down a
MacGuffinSith Holocron that contains all of Palpatine’s evil plans.Another Expanded Universe novel, Allegiance by Timothy Zahn was published in 2007. I recently wondered if there were any Star Wars books or anything from the perspective of Stormtroopers. Well, I had forgotten about this one. So there’s at least one book out there where the Stormtroopers get to tell their story.
From the Depths of Wookieepedia
Sometimes the Force works in mysterious ways. On Wednesday, as I was writing and hitting the Wookieepedia randomizer, I hit on Jadru’s crystal ball. I saved the link but didn’t actually do the write-up. Then yesterday, the 29th was Ahsoka Tano Day. To celebrate I watched a few episodes of Ahsoka. Which got me thinking, was Jadru maybe just slightly an inspiration for the Nightsisters?
Jadru’s crystal ball was a magical artifact possessed by the Dark Enchantress Jadru on the forest moon of Endor. The object seemed to be created from flame conjured by Jadru herself and allowed her to execute several fantastic powers. The ball was used as a portal of sorts, allowing Jadru to witness events all over the forest moon and to communicate with people far away from her isolated lair.
Certainly sounds like she could have been a Nightsister.
News From the HoloNet
Rian Johnson Shares His Preferred Vision for the Future of ‘Star Wars’
Sadly, it’s not a Darth Jar Jar movie.
What Daisy Ridley says about her ‘Star Wars’ future, Lucasfilm shake-up
As mentioned above, it sounds like the Rey movie is still a go.
George Lucas’ Canceled Star Wars Series Could Have Completely Changed The Franchise
I think you’re going to see some of the ideas for Star Wars: Underworld show up in Maul: Shadow Lord.
Taika Waititi Says His STAR WARS Movie Will Be Fun With High Stakes
I am on the record as saying Star Wars should be fun, not everything needs to be Andor.
An Animation Legend Turned Down The Chance To Lead Lucasfilm Before Dave Filoni
It would have been very, very interesting to see what Star Wars animation would have looked like if Genndy Tartakovsky took the job. H/T to Dominic Jones for this one.
‘Star Wars’ Represented in WGA and Saturn Awards
Glad to see Denise Gough and Genevieve O’Reilly) nominated.
That’s it for this week. If you like what I’m doing, please subscribe. I’ll catch you next week, and may the Force be with you.
Oh some, ahem not great off-field criminals.
Penn State welcomes your Spartans to planet Hoth, I mean Happy Valley, this weekend. Cold, it will be.
I think a lot of the discourse misses who this is actually for. For Gen Alpha, Disney-era Star Wars is Star Wars.
My kid used to call it the “Baby Yoda trilogy,” and honestly that says everything. Taking your child to see Mando and Grogu on the big screen feels like an automatic family cinema night win. Kids already love these characters from home, so the jump to the theater isn’t “a TV show in cinemas,” it’s their favorite heroes becoming huge and mythic.
Also, most parents of Gen Alpha kids just want to take them to something fun and magical. That alone gives this movie incredible traction regardless of what older fans argue about online.
My only real concern is scheduling around massive cultural drops like Dunesday and GTA 6. When something like that hits, it dominates attention for months, so launching a big Star Wars show like Ahsoka in the same window would get unfairly drowned out.
Likewise I don’t see Skeleton Crew 2 happening because the lead actress is going to be the new Slayer (Buffy).
But a straight-up Mandalorian and Grogu movie? For parents and kids together, that feels like a slam dunk.