Jon Favreau will write and produce a new Star Wars live action TV series, Lucasfilm announced today.

The studio, which has been responsible for the nine Star Wars movies released to date, announced on Thursday that the Jewish director of films including Elf and Iron Man would be the show’s executive producer.

It is understood that the series, which does not yet have a name or a planned release date, will be made available solely on Disney’s standalone streaming service, which is due to launch next year. Disney bought Lucasfilm five years ago.

In a statement, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said: “I couldn’t be more excited about Jon coming on board to produce and write for the new direct-to-consumer platform.

“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.”

Favreau said: "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."