Ryan Gosling, one of Hollywood’s most famous actors known for his roles in La La Land, Barbie, and Blade Runner 2049, is about to fulfill his childhood dream in the biggest way possible.
The 44-year-old actor, who grew up sleeping on “Star Wars” bed sheets, has now landed the lead role in the upcoming “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which is scheduled to hit theaters on May 28, 2027. Gosling himself described the experience as “surreal,” and it’s not hard to see why.
Ryan Gosling talks about what it’s like to be part of ‘Star Wars’
Speaking to USA Today, Gosling spoke about how deeply the franchise shaped him long before he set foot on his set. “It was incredibly surreal. I got the Star Wars papers before I even saw the movie,” he said.
He went on to compare “Star Wars” to the Beatles, something that had always been there, and quietly influenced him in ways he didn’t fully realize. “I think it was my first time, where I first realized what the through line was in Star Wars, or what the outcome could be through John Williams, or what the sound effect was through the sound of a lightsaber, or what the villain was or could be. It’s kind of endless,” he said. What’s even more striking is that Gosling revealed that while filming the film, he found himself discovering how much the series influenced his understanding of storytelling.
“Her influence is so deeply ingrained that I was peeling back the layers of the onion while filming, and I realized how much it influenced my entire sense of storytelling and filmmaking,” he added.
What we know about ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’
The film takes place approximately five years after The Rise of Skywalker, and promises a completely original story set in a period that has never before been explored in the series. Gosling is joined by Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Amy Adams, Aaron Bier, Simon Bird, Jamaal Westman, and Daniel Ings.
Production wrapped in mid-December 2025 after approximately four months of filming, giving the team approximately 17 months for post-production.
A dream role for a lifelong fan
Gosling arrives in Starfighter after the conclusion of Project Hail Mary, one of his biggest films in recent years, making it his second major sci-fi adventure in quick succession. For a boy who once slept under Star Wars sheets, the journey from fan to franchise hero never comes full circle.
