The big thing, of course, for next year is that the first theatrically released Star Wars film since 2019 will be coming our way but there’s a whole lot more to look forward too in the next 12 months.
January
The first month of the year is typically quiet for many reasons. The nights are long, the days are short, and everyone’s spent their pennies on Christmas or booked a holiday on New Year’s Day to beat the blues.
We still have no official word, on the time of writing, for the release date for Maul: Shadow Lord. I originally anticipated an early 2026 release date to give it some breathing room but the closer we get to the year’s end this seems unlikely. Perhaps Lucasfilm will kick things off with a release date and full launch trailer.
The first event of the year will also be held on January 31st in Newark. Festival of the Force will find its way to Newark Showground with some fantastic guests already announced including Tim Rose, Garrick Hagon and Jack Klaff to name a few.
March
After a quiet February, where I hope you’ve been saving your Republic Credits, on Saturday March 7th it’s time for fans and collectors to descend on the Kingfisher Shopping Centre in Redditch for the next Echo Base Live event. The last one in October of this year was deemed the finest one yet by many and, of course, the Star Guest Dinner will be held the night before on Friday March 6th.
April
Disneyland after Dark: Star Wars Nite returns in April and May with the first being on April 28th. Keep a look out for tickets in the coming weeks.
April will also see the hype machine kick into overdrive for The Mandalorian and Grogu the following month. Books galore will be coming our way on shelves including sticker books, colouring books and a new Mando reference visual guide by Pablo Hildalgo – all to be released in April.
May
This is where the fun begins. May 4th is our annual holiday and there’s a multitude of ways to celebrate the big day.
Star Wars Fan Fun Day returns for the big day, again with a Star Guest meal happening the night before, and there’s even a Star Wars themed marathon happening in Milton Keynes.
The exquisiteness that is Power of the Force returns to Germany on 16th and 17th May with Moff Giddeon himself Giancarlo Esposito confirmed as one of the headliners. I attended last year, and it was phenomenal. I’ve got my ticket ready for the Saturday and can’t wait to head back.
On Friday May 22nd it’s the big day as The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in cinemas. Expect midnight screenings, hopefully a lot of hype and hopefully a Force Friday event before. I’d also expect different release dates for the film. Here in the UK, each of the new films since 2015 have arrived to us a day before our friends in the US. I expect Lucasfilm and Disney will want a big win with this so expect all the stops to be pulled out for this one.
June
The summer kicks off with the return of Starfury: Invasion in Birmingham. The event will return June 26th – 28th at its regular stomping ground of the Hilton Metropole Hotel near the convention centre NEC. The event always brings out the heavy-hitters in terms of guests, so do consider attending if you haven’t before. It’s great fun and very relaxed.
The Art of Star Wars: Andor by writer Phil Szostak makes its highly anticipated arrival to us on June 30th after several delays. This will be worth the wait.
July
If you’re heading to the beach over the summer break, then you’re in luck as a highly anticipated sequel trilogy era set novel will be hitting shelves. Titled Legacy, the story will follow Leia’s training of Rey after the death of Luke Skywalker.
August
This one is tentatively booked in as we’re only going on what Rosario Dawson has said during a recent convention appearance. If we take her at her word, then she believes that the second season of Ahsoka will debut during August/September. This might have a ring of truth to it as season one began airing 23rd August 2023. This would also allow some breathing space after The Mandalorian and Grogu but be less of a gap to allow the two to tie together if that is the case.
October
A potential release date here could be Star Wars Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi. The spin-off series was teased during Celebration this year and Volume Three of that show was released at the end of October.
November
It’ll be Thanksgiving for our US friends and a perfect time to release the first trailer for Star Wars: Starfighter. Just a wild guess.
December
As we approach Christmas NEXT year, we’ll be leading up to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Rogue One. I mention it here as its entirely possible that the film will find its way back onto the big screen for a weekend and Diego Luna and Tony Gilroy themselves mentioned that episodes of Andor have been edited together in a longer format, possibly a movie, meaning that a double-bill of Andor and Rogue One isn’t entirely off the table.
As we reach this point next year, we’ll also be gearing up for the 50th anniversary of Star Wars and Celebration Los Angeles, so stay tuned to Fantha Tracks as we, along with the rest of the galaxy, will be ready to celebrate.