After battling for the Iron Throne, Matt Smith is heading to a galaxy far, far away. Sources tell Deadline that the acclaimed House of the Dragon star is on board to join Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth in Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated new film, Star Wars: Starfighter. The project will be directed by Shawn Levy from a script penned by Jonathan Tropper.
While exact details about his character are still under wraps, sources indicate that Smith will be taking on one of the primary villain roles. Casting for the key part has reportedly been gearing up over the past couple of weeks, with Levy meeting with a number of actors. According to the report, executives made the final decision to go with Smith to portray what could be the “next great villain” in the ever expanding Star Wars universe.
Ryan Gosling Journeys to the Stars in Project Hail Mary Trailer.
Details of Starfighter were first unveiled in April at the Star Wars Celebration event in Tokyo. The film’s story is set five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker, placing it at the forefront of the current Star Wars chronological timeline and making it a crucial next chapter following the conclusion of the Skywalker saga.
The casting marks another high profile role for Smith, who is coming off a celebrated performance as Prince Daemon Targaryen in the second season of HBO’s hit Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon. His upcoming projects include the Sony and Darren Aronofsky thriller Caught Stealing, in which he stars opposite Austin Butler, and the limited series The Death of Bunny Monro.
Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled to begin shooting this fall and is set to release in theaters on May 28, 2027. Lucasfilm and representatives for Smith have not yet commented on the news.
