Star Wars is one of the most popular movie franchises of all time, with generations brought up on the galaxy far, far away. The nine-film Skywalker Saga ended with J.J. Abrams’ The Rise of Skywalker, and it’s already been years since a new movie hit theaters. The next project expected to have this honor is being directed by Taika Waititi, who recently offered an update and some challenges to his developing Star Wars flick.
While the Star Wars franchise continues to expand with live-action shows on Disney+, the movie part of the galaxy has hit a lull. Since Patty Jenkins’s Rogue Squadron was put on indefinite hold, fans have been patiently waiting for an indication of what Taika Waititi has planned with his own movie. The Oscar-winning multihyphenate was recently asked about ScreenRant about his vision for the flick, with Waititi getting honest by saying:
That's yet to be seen. I don't know. I'm still writing. I'm still coming up with the ideas and storylining it and just wanted to make sure that it feels like a Star Wars film. Because, I could say, ‘Oh yeah, we'll just write any old thing and set in space and then put Star Wars on the front.’ But it wouldn't be a Star Wars film without certain elements and a certain treatment, so I've just got to make sure that it stays within that wheelhouse.
There you have it. While Taika Waititi wasn’t able to offer any big updates about what he’s planning for the Star Wars franchise, fans might still be happy with his answer. Namely because he understands how important it is to nail the iconography in just the right way. Given his signature mixture of humor and heart, it seems like he could go seemingly anywhere within the epic space opera.
Taika Waitti’s comments come as he’s promoting his role in Disney’s Lightyear movie. Eventually the conversation turned to his upcoming directing gig for Star Wars. And it makes a great deal of sense that it’s still early in the process, as Waititi is no doubt focusing on completing and releasing his highly anticipated blockbuster Thor: Love and Thunder. Although Waititi is seemingly going to be vigilant about nailing the franchise’s iconography.
Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie was going to be the second release after The Rise of Skywalker, with Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron planned to kick things off. But after having creative differences, that project was put on hold. It’s unclear if the Wonder Woman filmmaker will ever actually get to bring the scrapped blockbuster to life.
Given how Taika Waititi was able to breathe new life into the Thor franchise with Ragnarok, he might be the perfect filmmaker to bring the first post-Skywalker Saga Star Wars movie to life. After all, he’s got a way of putting his own spin on every project that he signs on for. And with the main story wrapped up, the narrative doors are seemingly open.
For now, Star Wars will continue to expand on the small screen in shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
