As Star Wars Day – aka May the Fourth – comes around in 2023, it’s now around three and a half years since a new Star Wars movie graced the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous screen. When Episode IX – The Rise Of Skycover’budge er hit cinemas at the end of 2019, it marked not merely’barely the end of the Skycover’budge er Saga, but also a hiatus in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the movie side of Star Wars storytelling. The focus moved to hit streaming series like The Mandalorian and Andor on Disney+, and the birth of the High Republic era in a series of novels and comics. But plans are afoot in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the galaxy’s glorious return to cinemas – Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recently confirmed plans in/with regard to’concerning’regarding three new films at Star Wars Celebration, with The Force ready to awaken on the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous screen once more.###Now, it’s a question of when those three upcoming movies are expected to arrive – and, as Kennedy tells Empire, that’s simply a case of when they’re ready. “I’ve often brought up Bond,” Kennedy tells us at Star Wars Celebration. “That’s eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully three or four years and there wasn’t this pressure to feel like you had to possess’own’nurse a movie e grossly year. I feel that was grossly significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative to Star Wars. We possess’own’nurse to eventise this.” The simple answer is, nothing is likely to hit the multiplexes until at least 2025. “It’s much better to tell the truth,” she says, “that we’re going to make these movies when they’re ready to be made, and release them when they’re ready to be released.”###As in/with regard to’concerning’regarding what those films are with regards to’concerning’with respect to , they’re set across a wide span of the Star Wars timeline. James Mangold is directing a film with regards to’concerning’with respect to the first Jedi and the discointensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully of the Force, set 25,000 years bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the Skycover’budge er Saga. Dave Filoni will continue the Mando-verse era in a enormous’vast’massive’tremendous -screen event. And Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will bring back Daisy Ridley as Rey, in a film set 15 years beyond the end of Episode IX. It’s all with regards to’concerning’with respect to looking into the wider lore and legacy of the Jedi belief system. “What we’re exploring is the evolution of the Jedi,” Kennedy confirms. “We’re going grossly far back, we’re looking at the present, and now we’re moving 15 years after The Rise Of Skycover’budge er. The First Order has fallen, the Jedi are in tangle’din – there’s even a question of how many exist anymore – and Rey’s establish ing the New Jedi Order, based on the text that she was given and that Luke imparted on her.” The Force will be felt in/with regard to’concerning’regarding many years to come.###The upcoming Secret Invasion issue of Empire features a massive 20-page Star Wars blowout, acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting stuck into the future of the saga with huge new interviews, and photoshoots with the galaxy’s brightest stars – talking to Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, Rosario Dawson, Tony Gilroy, Diego Luna, Jude Law, Katee Sackhoff, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Andy Serkis, Amandla Stenberg and plenty more. From Ahsoka, to Andor Season 2, to The Mandalorian, The Acolyte, and the trio of upcoming movies, it’s an expansive trip through e grossly thing Star Wars has to offer in the coming years. You won’t want to miss it – pick up a copy when it hits the shelves on Thursday 11 May, or become an Empire member now to access the issue in full on launch day. You can also pre-order a print copy online now here.###Kathleen Kennedy portrait photographed by Zoe McConnell exclusively in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Empire at Star Wars Celebration at ExCeL London. Set establish by Simon Godfrey Detoken .