Director Taika Waititi has some bad news for Star Wars fans.
Although his latest Marvel movie, “Thor: Love and Thunder” is only a few days from being released, many fans are already thinking about his next projects, including the highly-anticipated film set in a galaxy far, far away.
The New Zealand native recently revealed that he hasn’t finished his script, and indicated that the movie might not be made at all now!
Taika Waititi Is ‘Still Trying To Come Up With Ideas’ For His Star Wars Film
On May 4 2020, Lucasfilm announced that Taika Waititi would co-write a new Star Wars movie alongside “Last Night in Soho” writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns. However, it seems that little progress has been made on the film since that time. When Waititi was recently asked by /Film if he would be able to bring his signature style to the franchise, he revealed that he didn’t really have a concrete idea just yet.
“At the moment it’s just very early, because I … still haven’t even finished the script,” he explained. “I’m still trying to come up with ideas and I’m mostly kind of in that part of the process where it’s still very kind of open.”
“And when I write, I kind of write every idea I’ve ever had and then start to kind of chisel it down into something,” he continued. “But I’m still throwing everything at the wall right now.”
However, in an interview with Total Film, he hinted that he is ready to expand the galaxy and bring in new characters that have never been seen before.
“Look, I think for the Star Wars universe to expand, it has to expand,” Waititi said. “I don’t think that I’m any use in the Star Wars universe making a film where everyone’s like, ‘Oh great, well that’s the blueprints to the Millennium Falcon, ah that’s Chewbacca’s grandmother.'”
“That all stands alone, that’s great, though I would like to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the world, otherwise it feels like it’s a very small story,” he went on.
Earlier this week, when talking to The Wrap, Waititi had bad news for fans hoping for his Star Wars movie would come out in 2023. When asked if he’d begun working on the project, Taika Waititi replied, “Not this year.”
“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,” he explained, adding, “I’m still trying to figure out what the story is.”
Taika Waititi Isn’t Sure His ‘Star Wars’ Film Will Even Get Made!
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Waititi repeated that he is still writing the script. However, even once he finishes it, he doesn’t know that Lucasfilm will approve the project.
“I’m trying to write the ‘Star Wars’ idea at the moment,” he explained. “I’ve got to see how that goes, because once I submit it, that might determine when it gets made or if it gets made, even.”
Fans may remember that “Jurassic World” creator Colin Treverrow was hired on to complete Episode IX of the Skywalker Saga. J.J. Abrams kicked off the Star Wars sequel trilogy with 2015’s “The Force Awakens.” It was then followed by the polarizing 2017 film “The Last Jedi,” helmed by “Knives Out” creator Rian Johnson.
Although Treverrow turned in a completed script, which has since leaked online as “Duel of the Fates,” he parted ways with Lucasfilm and its President, Kathleen Kennedy, over creative differences. J.J. Abrams was just hired back on to finish up the trilogy, and the nine-episode Skywalker Saga, with 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” which many felt was a lackluster conclusion to the story of so many beloved characters.
When Is The Next ‘Star Wars’ Movie Coming Out?
It doesn’t look like fans will be able to head to movie theaters to see a Star Wars film until at least 2025. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy talked about the different projects that were coming to a galaxy far, far away.
She revealed that the proposed Rian Johnson trilogy has been shelved due to his commitments to “Knives Out” and may not happen at all now. Marvel boss Kevin Feige is also rumored to be creating his own Star Wars movie, but his commitments to Phase 4 of the MCU have to come first.
The only other movie proposed so far is Patty Jenkins’ “Rogue Squadron.” The movie was initially scheduled for a December 2023 release date, but it has been postponed indefinitely due to Jenkins’ commitments to “Wonder Woman 3.”
So, although it seems unlikely that Star Wars fans will be able to head to theaters any time soon, at least they have plenty of Disney+ series to look forward to!
