Screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns discusses the importance of Star Wars stories

Disney Investor Day 2020 flooded the Star Wars fandom with more upcoming project announcements than many expected — everything from the official Obi-Wan Kenobi reveal to the news that Taika Waititi would be directing his very own Star Wars project.

We haven’t gotten many updates on the untitled Star Wars movie since his script update earlier this year. But based on a recent interview with the film’s screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cains, there’s likely been at least some development in terms of story. Star Wars fans who double as creatives almost always have ideas stored away even when they’re not actively in use.

Though she was hesitant to say too much about any details related to the project — we’ve all learned from Tom Holland’s Marvel mistakes, even if we don’t actively realize it — she did briefly discuss the importance of Star Wars storytelling in our modern world.

“What I love about Star Wars is that they’re incredibly transformative,” Wilson-Cains told Slash Film. “There’s a little bit nostalgia in them, but they can change and adapt with the times.”

That means the writer isn’t just a fan of the franchise, but that she also understands the power its stories have to reflect fragments of reality through its fiction — something Star Wars has always done, very rarely in a subtle manner.

Some come to Star Wars to escape reality, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But there’s also nothing wrong with drawing healthy parallels between the messages of hope and perseverance embedded in the franchise’s framework and the tough things we encounter in our daily real-world lives.

When Star Wars and our world intersect, it’s meant to be a reminder of where we are and where we can go. The world is full of conflict, war, darkness — it all takes many forms. But it’s also filled with communities that build each other up, and positive outcomes, and light.

Waititi’s Star Wars film will both make us laugh and pull at our heartstrings in ways we’re not expecting. With someone like Wilson-Cairns at the keyboard, there’s no doubt it will accomplish multiple goals from start to finish. Star Wars, after all, has always made us laugh, but also think, and analyze, and decide how we can make our world better in the things we do every day, big and small.

Check back for more updates on Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie and more!