Lucasfilm is excited to announce that Emmy-nominated producer and actor Jon Favreau has signed on to executive produce and write a Star Wars Live-Action TV Show for Disney's new direct-to-consumer platform. Jon Favreau is no stranger to the Star Wars galaxy having played roles in both the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series and in the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Lucasfilm broke the news earlier this morning on it's official Star Wars website. And Star Wars big boss Kathleen Kennedy was the first to comment on the news. She had this to say.

"I couldn't be more excited about Jon coming on board to produce and write for the new Disney streaming channel. Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the Star Wars universe. This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base."

Jon Favreau says he is thrilled to be returning to the Star Wars galaxy. A longtime fan of the franchise, he went onto say this about the Star Wars episodes he'll soon be producing for Lucasfilm and Disney.

"If you told me at 11 years old that I would be getting to tell stories in the Star Wars universe, I wouldn't have believed you. I can't wait to embark upon this exciting adventure."

Disney's collaborations with Jon Favreau extend back a decade, when he helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe as director of Iron Man and Iron Man 2 and as an executive producer of the Iron Man and Avengers films for Marvel Studios. For Disney, he directed and produced the massively successful The Jungle Book, which won an Academy Award for its groundbreaking visual effects. He is currently in production on Disney's highly anticipated reimagining of The Lion King, set for release in 2019.

The untitled Star Wars live-action series does not yet have a release date. And it is not yet clear what the stories will be about. Some hope the show traces back to the Old Republic, while some believe a Star Wars series will focus on the very early days of Emperor Palpatine before he was swayed to the dark side of the Force, when he was involved in a romance that didn't go the way anyone planned.

In recent months there have also been hints that fans may be getting an anthology series that will continue what A Star Wars Story is doing on the big screen, only on a much smaller platform. Some believe Disney and Lucasfilm still aren't quite sure where this is heading, and that's the reason no further details are available in this initial announcement. It has not yet been shared how much Jon Favreau has written, or what he has planned at this stage. This news comes direct from Lucasfilm.