Writer/director Taika Waititi offers an update on his Star Wars movie, revealing writing is still underway but expressing his excitement for it. Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, the Star Wars franchise sparked back to life on the big screen with the J.J. Abrams-helmed Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015 that launched a new trilogy for the Skywalker Saga. After the varying responses to the latter two installments from critics and fans, the studio elected to move towards more anthology efforts in the universe, including a new trilogy from Star Wars: The Last Jedi writer/director Rian Johnson, a Rogue Squadron film from Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins, a Kevin Feige-produced film and a J.D. Dillard and Matt Owens-developed movie.
One of the more exciting projects to have been announced was a film from Waititi, who was announced to direct and write the script with 1917 Oscar nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns. Though initially having denied the rumors he was in the running for a Star Wars film after his work as a guest star and director on The Mandalorian season 1, he was officially confirmed to have signed on for the film on May 4, 2020, also known as Star Wars Day. It became one of many high-profile projects Waititi would attach himself to on the heels of the success of his first blockbuster effort Thor: Ragnarok, which includes the recently-wrapped Thor: Love and Thunder, a live-action adaptation of Akira and a new Flash Gordon film.
In anticipation of the release of Free Guy, Waititi spoke with Wired to discuss the Ryan Reynolds-led film and his large roster of upcoming projects, including Star Wars. Though he wouldn't offer any details regarding the film, the Oscar winner did confirm it is still in the writing stage but expressed his excitement for the work done so far and how in line it is with his unique sensibilities. See what Waititi had to say below:
“It’s still in the ‘EXT. SPACE’ stage [laughs]. But we’ve got a story. I’m really excited by it because it feels very me. I tend to go down that little sincerity alleyway in my films. I like to fool the viewer into thinking ‘ha it’s this’ and then them going, ‘Damn it, you made me feel something!’”
Given the large roster of projects Waititi is working on both in front of and behind the camera it shouldn't come as much of a surprise he and Wilson-Cairns are still in the writing stages of their Star Wars film. That being said Waititi's confirmation that he is now focusing on the film with Thor: Love and Thunder's production having wrapped does indicate a pretty promising timetable for when he might start shooting it and when it will com to audiences. With Jenkins' Rogue Squadron already scheduled for a 2023 release and two unspecified films slated for late 2025 and 2027, it starting to look likely that Waititi's film will be the former.
The other exciting bit to come from Waititi's update on his Star Wars film is his excitement over the tone and story of the project. While Rogue One saw the franchise explore more war film genre territory and Solo attempting more comedic and heist tones, most of the franchise has felt fairly similar in tone and format, making Waititi's confirmation that the film feels in line with his previous works the more exciting for fans of the filmmaker. Only time will tell what the Thor: Love and Thunder director has in store for the Star Wars franchise.
Source: Wired
