The untitled Star Wars project by Taika Waititi is rumored to be further along than some of the his recent interviews might have led on.
Lucasfilm officially confirmed Waititi’s involvement in a statement released by the Star Wars website on May 4, 2020, shortly after he won the Academy Award in Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision newsletter says that the movie could roll into production as early as the beginning of 2023, per multiple sources. The Thor: Love and Thunder director is joined by Academy Award nominee screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns of 1917 and Last Night in Soho fame on the project.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Waititi hinted that he would be moving away from the Skywalker Saga with his movie and not “mess with something that’s so treasured.”
This would be Taika Waititi’s second directorial outing in Star Wars, after delivering The Mandalorian season 2 finale, rated 9.2 on IMDb. He also voiced the fan-favorite character IG-11 in the series.
A voice over in progress: Taika Waititi doing a voiceover bit for IG-11. https://t.co/zCyYfp3xQU pic.twitter.com/tto0Lek0eN
— 💚 I'm kind of obsessed with Grogu 💚 (@love_grogu) July 27, 2021
Waititi previously stated in an interview with The Wrap that he had no plans of commencing the project this year, as he would be busy with other commitments.
"“I’m going to be in New Zealand from August until the end of the year with ‘Our Flag Means Death’ and ‘Time Bandits’ and during that time I will still be writing. I’m still trying to figure out what the story is.”"
Waititi’s comments had dampened the hopes of eager Star Wars fans, who were expecting a Christmas release next year after Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed with Total Film that “late 2023” was the window they were targeting for the movie.
Fans are also eagerly waiting for Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins’ X-wing pilot-centric Rogue Squadron, also slated for a potential Christmas release. However, rumored creative differences between Lucasfilm and Jenkins have potentially delayed the project.
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