Taika Waititi says his Star Wars movie is 'on ice'
Director Taika Waititi told Inverse his long-developing Star Wars film has been shelved for now and that he and screenwriter Tony McNamara are working on a different project together. He did not rule out a return: "Ice ages do come to an end."
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What happened
Taika Waititi said his Star Wars movie is on hold. "I hate to break this to you, but we're going to actually put it on ice and we're working on a different thing together," he told Inverse while promoting his new film, "Klara and the Sun." He was referring to screenwriter Tony McNamara, who had taken over the script.
Why it matters
The project had been in development at Lucasfilm since 2020. The studio's next big-screen plans lean on other filmmakers, including Jon Watts, who US Brief reported Sept. 27, citing Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, is attached to direct the first film in a new trilogy written by Simon Kinberg.
More context
What he wouldn't say: Asked for details on the new project, Waititi checked with his publicist, who told him, "If you have to ask, the answer is no." "It's very iced," he said. "I've got about four other movies I'm trying to do." He added: "Ice ages do come to an end... Who knows?"
Timeline: The film has been in development since 2020, Variety said. In January, Waititi said he wanted to bring back "a little bit more of the fun from the original films." Exiting Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy had said the project was "still somewhat alive." McNamara, writer of "The Favourite" and "Poor Things," later took over the script, Inverse said.
His other projects: Inverse listed a "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" film, the "What We Do in the Shadows" follow-up "We're Wolves," an adaptation of the graphic novel "The Incal" and the novel "Barn 8." Reviews of "Klara and the Sun" have been mixed; Variety's Guy Lodge called Waititi's comic approach "ruinous."
What's still unknown: What Waititi and McNamara are making instead, whether it is for Lucasfilm or Disney, and whether the Star Wars script could be revived later.
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Editorial sourcing notes
Waititi's comments come from his interview with Inverse. Neither report included a statement from Lucasfilm or Disney.
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