Tom Cruise Operates Camera for Starfighter Lightsaber Scene

Director Shawn Levy revealed that action star Tom Cruise made an unexpected contribution to the upcoming Star Wars film Starfighter by operating a camera during the filming of a key lightsaber duel scene. The involvement occurred during production on the London set in November 2025, adding a layer of Hollywood intrigue to the project, which wrapped principal photography in December and is now in post-production.

Starfighter, set for theatrical release on May 28, 2027, marks Levy's entry into the Star Wars franchise and follows events five years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The story centers on a father-son dynamic, with Ryan Gosling starring as a pilot tasked with protecting his Force-sensitive young relative, played by newcomer Flynn Gray, as they evade mysterious pursuers across the galaxy. The ensemble cast includes Mia Goth, Matt Smith, Aaron Pierre, Amy Adams, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, and Daniel Ings. Cinematographer Claudio Miranda, known for Top Gun: Maverick, and composer Thomas Newman, who scored films like American Beauty, round out the creative team. The screenplay comes from Jonathan Tropper, a frequent Levy collaborator.