- "Taika's approach to Star Wars will be fresh, unexpected, and…unique. His enormous talent and sense of humor will ensure that audiences are in for an unforgettable ride."
- ―Kathleen Kennedy
A Star Wars film written and directed by Taika Waititi is currently being developed at Lucasfilm Ltd.
Development[]
Initial announcement[]
In January 2020, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Taika Waititi was approached to work on a Star Wars movie.[3] The project was officially announced on May 4 on StarWars.com, confirming Waititi's involvement and the addition of Krysty Wilson-Cairns as a co-writer.[1]
Promotional art shown during the December 2020 Disney investor's call.
During a Disney investor's broadcast in December 2020, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that Waititi was already at work on the film's script. A Star Wars logo designed in Waititi's signature style was shown during the film's portion of the announcement, along with art featuring a diamond-shaped object floating in space.[4] On November 8, 2021, in an interview with Wired UK, Waititi revealed that the film's script was still in very early stages, but that "we've got a story. I'm really excited by it because it feels very me."[5]
Further development[]
- "Taika is still working away. He's writing the script himself and he really doesn't want to bring others into the process, and I don't blame him. He has a very, very unique voice. So I want to protect that and that's what he's doing, but we're going to make that one day."
- ―Kathleen Kennedy
In May 2022, Kennedy revealed in a feature for Vanity Fair that Waititi's film was next in the pipeline of upcoming projects[7] and, in an interview with GamesRadar+, said that it was aiming for a late 2023 release.[8] However it was not included on the 2023 Disney release schedule.[9] In an interview with Screen Rant on June 10, Waititi mentioned that he was still in the writing phase for the film and that he is being very intentional to make the story feel like a Star Wars film.[10] Several days later, on June 14, Waititi mentioned how, in his film, he wanted "to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the [Star Wars] world."[11] On June 27, after rumors arose that his movie would begin to film shortly, Taika Waititi spoke out saying that his project would not enter production in 2022, and that he would be writing through the end of the year.[12] On June 29, Waititi stated in an interview that the final script that he submits to Lucasfilm would determine when it will be produced, or whether or not it will be produced at all.[13]
On March 7, 2023, Variety reported that Waititi's film was still in development, and that he would possibly have an acting role in the project as well.[14] On April 7, in an interview at Celebration Europe, Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that Waititi was now writing the script on his own, indictating the departure of Krysty Wilson-Cairns from the project. Furthermore, she mentioned how she wants to be protective of Waititi's distinct voice in the project.[6] On May 10, Waititi mentioned in an interview that he had several acts written, but was struggling in finalizing the middle act of the film, as he did not want it to feel too derivative of other Star Wars material.[15] According to the Film & Television Industry Alliance's production tracking service, the movie started filming on January 2, 2023.[16]
Credits[]
| Cast | Uncredited cast | Crew | Uncredited crew | Special thanks |
Sources[]
Academy Award Winner Taika Waititi to Direct and Co-Write new Star Wars Feature Film For Theatrical Release; Oscar Nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns to Co-Write Screenplay with Waititi on StarWars.com (backup link)
This Week! in Star Wars New Star Wars Filmmakers, Star Wars Day Fun, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)- Future Lucasfilm Projects Revealed on StarWars.com (backup link)
- This Week! in Star Wars Exciting Lucasfilm Announcements, A New Story From The High Republic, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
