Tom Cruise Helped Film a Surprising Scene in "Star Wars: Starfighter," Director Shawn Levy Reveals
Small details are continuing to come out about next year's big Lucasfilm movie.
Fire up the converters and cue up Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll," because Tom Cruise has apparently taken his first steps into a larger world, visiting the set of Lucasfilm's upcoming movie Star Wars: Starfighter and even-- according to director Shawn Levy-- helping to film a scene. More details, including a somewhat surprising reveal, below.
What's happening:
- In an interview with The New York Times, director Shawn Levy (Free Guy, Deadpool & Wolverine, Stranger Things) has revealed that actor Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Minority Report, Mission: Impossible) visited the set during production of Lucasfilm's upcoming new movie Star Wars: Starfighter, which is set for release on May 28th, 2027.
- Apparently during his visit Cruise helped film a scene involving a lightsaber duel in the water. Considering we had very few details about Star Wars: Starfighter's narrative before now, this is actually a fairly big reveal, as we certainly didn't know for sure whether there would be a lightsaber duel of any sort involved in the story. The movie will take place five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, during a period where there aren't very many lightsaber-wielders in the galaxy... that we know of.
- Levy also told the Times that famed director Steven Spielberg (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) visited the set of Starfighter as well, though it doesn't sound like he contributed to the production in the same way.
What they're saying:
- The New York Times: "Tom Cruise was up to his ankles in mud and pond water. He wore a look of great concentration as he stooped over a digital camera, trying to frame the perfect shot. Shawn Levy glanced around in slight disbelief. Cruise just wanted to watch, he told them, but Levy, setting up a scene involving a lightsaber duel in the water, suggested the star jump on one of the cameras. He’d meant it as a joke. But there was Cruise, wading into the muddy pond, holding the camera like a pro."
- Shawn Levy: "Last week Steven Spielberg was here, and now Tom Cruise is wielding a camera, ruining his very nice shoes. Now when you see the movie, you’ll know that part of it was shot by Tom. I mean, how cool is that?"
More Star Wars: Starfighter News:
- Last month we learned that production has been completed on the film, which stars Ryan Gosling.
- Composer Thomas Newman (WALL-E) is set to write the musical score for the movie.
- The cast of Starfighter will also include Academy Award-nominated actress Amy Adams, among others.