Starfighter Director Reveals Star Wars Movie That Inspired His Film

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Shawn Levy’s new Star Wars movie, Starfighter, aims to bring a fresh perspective to the series with new characters. However, Levy has revealed that one film from the original Star Wars trilogy heavily influenced his vision for the project. The director of Deadpool & Wolverine recently shared that this earlier film served as a sort of model for his approach to Starfighter.

Shawn Levy says his Starfighter film is ‘most like’ Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

In a recent podcast interview on ‘On Film… With Kevin McCarthy,’ Shawn Levy revealed that ‘Starfighter’ draws the most inspiration from ‘Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi’.

The filmmaker revealed something he hadn’t shared publicly before. When people ask which Star Wars movie Starfighter most resembles, or which one inspired it, the obvious answers are The Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope. But, he admits, it’s actually closer to Return of the Jedi.

Levy explained why he felt that way, saying the film captured a perfect blend of exciting adventure, heartwarming moments, impressive visuals, and a lighthearted tone – all elements he associates with classic Jedi stories.

In the interview, he also shared a personal story about Return of the Jedi, explaining that he saw it in theaters more often than A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back, and it had a lasting impact on him. He described how, while directing, he sometimes feels like that young moviegoer is right there with him, helping to fulfill a childhood dream.

Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, is set five years after the events of 2019’s Rise of Skywalker. The movie features a strong cast including Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams. It’s currently scheduled for release in theaters on May 28, 2027.

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2025-11-27 16:06