text: The Force Awakens may have been released before Christmas but Star Wars mania is still going strong. 
   
   Fortunately, a new movie has been scheduled every year for at least the next five years, including spin-off films focusing on the lead characters’ backstories. 
   
   Dates are subject to change but for now, you can pencil the below into your diary and look forward to more lightsaber action. 
   
   Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, 16 December 2016 
   
   Directed by Garth Edwards, this movie is set after the foundation of the Galactic Empire, when a “wayward band of Rebel fighters comes together to carry out a desperate mission”. They must steal plans for the Death Star before it is used to strengthen the Emperor’s rule. 
   
   Stars Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Riz Ahmed and more. 
   
   Star Wars Episode VIII, 15 December 2017 
   
   Directed and written by Rian Johnson and set to star many of The Force Awakens cast from Daisy Ridley to Mark Hamill. No synopsis yet but long-serving Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan promises that Johnson is “going to make some weird thing”. The good kind, hopefully. 
   
   Star Wars Anthology: Hans Solo, 25 May 2018 
   
   Just a working title at this stage, luckily, as it’s rubbish. The Lego Movie’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller are directing, with Lawrence and Jon Kasdan writing. The cast is yet to be announced, but this film will see fans learn how young Han Solo became who he was when Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first met him in the cantina at Mos Eisley. 
   
   Star Wars Episode IX, 2019 
   
   No official release date for this one yet but Jurassic World’s Colin Trevorrow is directing so expect it to be epic in scale. Rion Johnson is the man with the pen again, so here’s hoping everyone enjoys Episode VIII enough to want more from him. 
   
   Star Wars Anthology: Boba Fett, 2020 
   
   This is the vaguest of the lot - all we know is that it’s reportedly arriving sometime in 2020. Josh Trank was once on board to direct but has since abandoned spaceship. 
   
   Start sourcing the ultimate Star Wars costume now, because less than a year is not long to wait, especially as it’s been 32 years since Return of the Jedi. ||||| You just saw The Force Awakens and want more next-gen Star Wars. Well, you’re going to get more. A lot more. Regularly and steadily, for many years to come. But when, specifically, will each new title be released? Below is Disney’s not-quite-top-secret plan. Obviously, these dates are subject to change. Thankfully, no Bothans died to bring us this information … 
   
   Director: Gareth Edwards 
   
   Written by: Gary Whitta and Chris Weitz 
   
   Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, and Alan Tudyk 
   
   Logline: Following the foundation of the Galactic Empire, a wayward band of Rebel fighters comes together to carry out a desperate mission: to steal the plans for the Death Star before it can be used to enforce the Emperor’s rule. 
   
   Release: Dec. 16, 2016 
   
   (So, yes, a long full year. But given we had to wait a decade for The Force Awakens — or, depending on your feelings about the prequels, 32 years since Return of the Jedi — sitting back for just one year doesn’t seem all that bad …) 
   
   RELATED: Star Wars: The Force Awakens: An Exclusive EW Gallery of New Photos 
   
   Written and directed by Rian Johnson 
   
   Starring: Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac (reportedly) 
   
   Release: Dec. 15, 2017 (pushed back seven months from its original release date of May, 2017) 
   
   Logline: Unknown 
   
   (working title) 
   
   Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller 
   
   Written by: Lawrence and Jon Kasdan 
   
   Starring: Not yet announced 
   
   Logline: How young Han Solo became the smuggler, thief, and scoundrel whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encountered in the cantina at Mos Eisley. 
   
   Release: May 25th, 2018 
   
   RELATED: Star Wars: The Force Awakens: A collection of cameos and Easter eggs 
   
   Director: Colin Trevorrow 
   
   Writer: Rian Johnson 
   
   Starring: Not yet announced 
   
   Logline: Unknown 
   
   Release: 2019 
   
   Director: Not yet announced 
   
   Writer: Not yet announced 
   
   Starring: Not yet announced 
   
   Logline: Unknown 
   
   Release: 2020 (reportedly) 
   
   So if all this goes according to plan, we’ll get five Star Wars films in four years … after getting “only” seven Star Wars films over 38 years. Not bad! 
   
   This post has been updated with new release date information since its original publication.
target: – Hate Star Wars spoilers? Click away now ... because five more Star Wars films are coming in what Entertainment Weekly calls "Disney’s not-quite-top-secret plan." Without further ado: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. With a cast including Felicity Jones and Diego Luna, it chronicles a group of Rebel fighters trying to find plans for the Death Star before it's too late. Coming Dec. 16, 2016. Star Wars: Episode VIII. Apparently starring Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, and Oscar Isaac, it's due on May 26, 2017. Star Wars Anthology: Han Solo (tentative title). Written by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan, it will chronicle Han Solo's rise to full-fledged smuggler and scoundrel. Coming in 2019. Star Wars: Episode IX and Star Wars Anthology: Boba Fett are scheduled for 2019 and 2020, respectively, but little else is known. Not too shabby, considering it took 38 years to produce the first seven Star Wars films. As the Independent puts it, "Start sourcing the ultimate Star Wars costume now, because less than a year is not long to wait." (See how George Lucas walked back his "epic slam" on Disney.)