Next Star Wars film pulled from 2026, replaced by Ice Age 6

Disney will not release another Star Wars film in December 2026, with the release date now moving to Ice Age 6. 2026 is expected to be a big year for Star Warswith The Mandalorian and Grogu bringing the franchise back to the big screen on May 22. Disney and Lucasfilm have also set aside a December 2026 release date, widely believed to be for Daisy Ridley. New Jedi Order film, although few believed it would reach that date; Rey’s New Jedi Order film recently lost screenwriter Steven Knight.

Disney’s latest press release includes an updated list for 2026 and December 18, 2026 Star Wars film was replaced by Ice Age 6. The news comes on the heels of reports of behind-the-scenes drama at Lucasfilm, with claims that Daisy Ridley’s Rey was assigned to multiple projects and the future direction was uncertain. The canceled release date isn’t surprising, but it’s still disappointing.

What the canceled release date means for Star Wars

Lucasfilm originally announced three upcoming Star Wars films at Star Wars Celebration 2023; plans have since changed, however, with the announcement of The Mandalorian and Grogu. Jon Favreau’s film is leading Star Wars‘return to the big screen in what appears to be a high-stakes May 2026 releasefacing competition from Avengers: Judgment Day. Many assumed that the release dates would be changed, with The Mandalorian and Grogu moved to this December slot. Instead, December 2026 Star Wars the release date was reassigned to Pixar.

It should be noted that Lucasfilm never officially confirmed that the December 2026 film would feature Rey’s return; according to Deadline“it wasn’t right that this referred to the ongoing adventures of Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker.“The studio still has a release scheduled for December 17, 2027, and it would make more sense to relaunch the Jedi Order in A New HopeYear of the 50th anniversary. The canceled date may actually have originally been attributed to James Mangold’s mysterious film Dawn of the Jedi project.

Our opinion on Lucasfilm’s cancellation

It was looking increasingly unlikely that Lucasfilm could actually release a film in December 2026; there simply hasn’t been the kind of movement needed in anything other than The Mandalorian and Grogu. While this news doesn’t come as a surprise, it is still frustrating; Lucasfilm desperately needs to earn back the trust of the fanbase. The real concern lies in the decision to maintain the May release of Favreau’s film, which will face stiff competition from Avengers: Judgment Day.

Still, Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and the delicious Grogu proved to be crowd pleasers; The Mandalorian essentially became Disney+’s flagship TV show. With smart marketing, Lucasfilm should be able to pull this off. In the meantime, I hope it doesn’t take long for there to be more Star Wars film news, reflecting the progress of work so that the December 2027 date can be met.

Source: Disney, Deadline