Taika Waititi has given a vague tease about his in-development Star Wars movie, saying he wants to “capture the joy and entertainment” of the original film trilogy.
Speaking on The Kelly Clarkson Show (thanks to r/StarWars for the footage), the Marvel director claimed he was inspired by Lucasfilm’s first three films set in that iconic galaxy far, far away – those being 1977’s Episode IV: A New Hope, 1980’s Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, and 1983’s Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
Given its protracted development cycle and Waititi’s stacked in-tray of projects, the filmmaker’s Star Wars flick won’t be the next one fans will see in theaters. And, while the multi-talented entertainer is still keeping schtum on what his film will be about, his latest comments suggest he’s not going to take the Star Wars franchise in a weird and wacky direction, which was a common criticism of Thor: Love and Thunder, his second Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) production.
Asked by Clarkson about the status of his film, Waititi replied: “Yeah, I’ve been developing that for a few years, but – with any film, this one in particular – it’s something I want to get right. So I’m not going to rush it, but it’s bubbling along nicely on the side.
“I want to capture that joy and the entertainment of those early ones, like Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, so I’m trying to figure that out. It’ll happen.”
The wait for Waititi’s Star Wars film goes on
Waiting around for Waititi’s Star Wars movie like… (Image credit: Lucasfilm)
This isn’t the first update Waititi has provided on his overdue Star Wars flick. The writer, actor, and director – who is currently on a press tour promoting his new film Next Goal Wins – has also indicated that it’ll be a while before the movie engages its hyperdrive engage and flies into theaters.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in mid-November, Waititi said: “At the moment, I’m still developing something with them [Lucasfilm]. Like me, they have a lot of projects going on. I think they’re gonna push it until I finish these other projects. I’ve got about four other scripts that I’m trying to finish. My thing is I want to take my time with that and get it right.”
In a chat with Variety, Waititi also appeared to troll Star Wars fans by suggesting his movie will “piss people off”. Clearly, the New Zealander was joking about his film doing just that, but some sections of the fanbase have taken the quote as verbatim, with some opining they’ll skip it when it eventually lands in theaters.
Waititi’s film is one of a number of new Star Wars TV shows and movies that are in development at Lucasfilm. Indeed, on the movie front, a new film starring Daisy Ridley’s Rey, which is set 15 years after Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, is in early development. Other films in the works include a James Mangold-led flick that’ll explore the origins of the Jedi and the Force, as well as a Dave Filoni-developed movie that’ll bring characters from The Mandalorian and other Star Wars shows together for an intergalactic showdown with the Empire’s remnant forces.
Speaking of those Disney Plus TV series, two new shows – The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew – are expected to launch in 2024 alongside Andor season 2. It’s rumored that The Mandalorian season 4 is ready to begin filming, too, despite Lucasfilm and Disney not officially announcing it yet, while a second installment of Ahsoka has also been talked about. In short: there’s plenty more in the way of Star Wars coming soon.
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