'Star Wars: Starfighter's Mia Goth Calls the Film One of the Best Experiences of Her Career [Exclusive]

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Things are moving fast in a galaxy far, far away. Just months after Lucasfilm officially announced Star Wars: Starfighter, director Shawn Levy recently confirmed that the film had already wrapped principal photography before the end of 2025 — a genuinely rare feat for a modern Star Wars production. The speedy turnaround signals serious confidence from Lucasfilm, especially for a project that’s still keeping most of its story details under lock and key. Starring Ryan Gosling, with Matt Smith and Amy Adams also on board, Starfighter is already shaping up to be one of the franchise’s most intriguing next-era entries.

While fans are still waiting to learn what the film is actually about, one person who clearly loved the experience is Mia Goth. Speaking to Collider’s Aidan Kelley at the Palm Springs Film Festival, Goth was asked about stepping into the Star Wars universe for the first time — and her enthusiasm was immediate and unmistakable. “It was incredible. I had the most fun on a film set, I think, that I’ve ever had. I mean, Shawn Levy is just electric," she told Collider. Goth went on to praise Levy’s collaborative energy and leadership on set, noting how closely bonded he is with his crew and cast. She said:

“When you meet him, you can’t help but feel that electricity. It just rubs off on you, you know. And he has a way of working with his crew, and he’s so bonded to everyone around him, and we had such a blast. I think people are gonna really love the movie.”

What To Expect From 'Starfighter'

That infectious energy lines up neatly with how Levy has described his own relationship with the franchise. In a recent conversation with Collider's Steve Weintraub for the Stranger Things finale, the director revealed that Starfighter isn’t drawing inspiration from the usual Star Wars suspects. He said:

"Well, for one thing, it is different in that it is an all-new non-sequel, non-prequel adventure. It's new characters, it's a new timeline. It inherits legacy themes, but it's really trying to give Star Wars [fans] — and just movie audiences — something fresh, something new. And with a spirit of play and big-hearted adventure with moments of real levity that, frankly, A New Hope had in a revolutionary way.

We're really trying to sort of take that tone as a North Star every day. My crew, my DP, Claudio Miranda, Gosling is my kind of central collaborator in the lead role. It's certainly been a dream come true. My 10-year-old self is on set with me every day. In fact, he's going to catch a flight tonight to go back to the set and keep shooting on Monday. But it's a huge invigorating opportunity because Lucasfilm has been so encouraging of me doing something new. There's no pressure to be derivative or limited by an obligation to what came before. There's just a love of what came before."

Star Wars: Starfighter is currently in post-production and is set to arrive in theaters in 2027. Stay tuned at Collider for more from the Palm Springs Film Festival.