Its a unique time to be a Star Wars fan. This week, in a single 24-hour span, we saw a trailer for arguably the most exciting property the franchise has ever created, news of a nostalgic look back at the past, and the possibility of the person leading it all stepping away. This all comes with only one new show on the immediate horizon, Andor, and only one new movie on the schedule, The Mandalorian and Grogu, both of which are stories sandwiched in between stories we already know the beginning and end of. So what does the future hold? Wheres the wonder? We dont know the answers to those questions but we know the best place to find them: Star Wars Celebration. Since 1999, Star Wars Celebration has been the ultimate place to, well, celebrate Star Wars. From Denver to Tokyo, Anaheim to Chicago, and London and beyond, Celebration has traveled the world, acting as a homing beacon for fans to revel in the past, present, and future of Star Wars. This years convention takes place in Japan from April 18-20 and already has the past and present locked down. Within a week of the convention, Lucasfilm is gearing up to rerelease Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith for its 20th anniversary as well as the second season of Andor on Disney+. Both are sure to play big roles at the event. Andor. Image: Lucasfilm But both things are also here already. Fans dont travel to conventions to get the same experience they can have at home three days later. They go to conventions to be wowed. To feel special. To hopefully get their moneys worth. And its here where Star Wars Celebration has to deliver, because while the franchises past and present are easily taken care of, we have no idea what the future holds, nor do we feel confident anyone else does either. For the past few years, the best Star Wars stories have been on TV. This goes for both animation in the form of Bad Batch and Visions as well as live-action, with shows like The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew. However, Bad Batch is over, The Acolyte was canceled, and while there will surely be more Visions, thats not enough. Wheres the second season announcement for Skeleton Crew? When might we see Ahsoka season two? Is there anything to really look forward to in Star Wars biggest modern medium? As for the movies, well, thats a whole other nightmare. At the last Star Wars Celebration in London, Lucasfilm attempted to do exactly what were saying here. It brought out three filmmakers (James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, seen at the top of the article) each with a clear and distinct Star Wars movie on the horizon. It was exciting. It was bold. And it was a little presumptuous, since almost two years have passed and very little has changed.The Obaid-Chinoy Rey movie could possibly be happening sometime soon, but its probably too public merry-go-round of writers doesnt inspire confidence. Mangolds idea of the birth of the Jedi is a fascinating one, but hes got lots of other things on his plate, including a recent, not-so-great experience with modern Lucasfilm fans. And Filoni, well, hes got the Mando movie and Ahsoka on his plate for starters. Could his Shadows of the Empire movie even happen before the end of the decade? In the interim, we did learn about The Mandalorian and Grogu movie which is kind of cool, but after the initial excitement, its still unclear why thats a story destined for the big screen as opposed to being two episodes of a show we can watch on our couch. Surely, theres time to explain that and Celebration might be just the place to do so. But even if the story is everything Star Wars should be, its going to be hard to make fans feel like its something beyond an easy cash grab. A TV show turned into a movie because its a known, proven quantity and Star Wars needs an easy win after not releasing a movie for six years and countingthats quite the stigma to outgrow.The Mandalorian and Grogu concept art. Image: Lucasfilm Other mediums like comics, books, video games, and even toys are always great places to find new, funStar Wars stories, and surely all of those will be on full display at Celebration. But the franchises beating heart is on the screen, and we hope Celebration can give us concrete news about what we all have to look forward to. On the other hand, arbitrary dates set for a convention two years in advance shouldnt dictate the creative process. If a Rey movie isnt any closer to being made, tell people that. If James Mangold is going to make a Swamp Thing movie for DC before he does anything Star Wars, tell people that. Dont force things, pun intended. Be open, be honest, and be rebellious. But, also, hopefully having a convention will act as a bit of a lightning rod for Star Wars creators to whip things into shape so they can tell fans We know you love this franchise, and heres how youre going to continue loving it in the future. Ive attended most of the Star Wars Celebrations since 2002 and almost every time I leave excited about the future of Star Wars. Thats because, at almost all of those events, there were projects on the horizon for me to be excited about. Ill never forget hearing Chewie, were home in a stadium full of cheering fans. Seeing the words The Rise of Skywalker appear for the first time ever. Or watching the buzz of those moments reverberate across the convention centers afterward.Will that happen in Japan this April? We dont know. But heres the good news, if it does, youll be the first to know. io9 will be in Japan for Star Wars Celebration and, hopefully, there when an exciting, clear future of Star Wars is revealed to the world. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.