No matter how you felt about The Rise of Skywalker or The Last Jedi, this bit of news is sure to excite anyone who has ever called themselves a Star Wars fan. Director Taika Waititi has been approached to direct a Star Wars feature by Lucasfilm, according to a report coming from from Deadline. There is no clear indication if this is fora Star Wars movie for the big screen, or something for the Disney+ streaming service. But given his recent Oscar nominations, we believe this is for whatever the Star Wars film Disney has on the schedule for December of 2022.
Waititi, for his part, tweeted not long after the news broke. It was just a picture of a very particular Fleetwood Mac album cover.
— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) January 17, 2020
So, you know, take the news with a grain of salt.
Waititi is on a career high at the moment. Just a few years ago his biggest claim to fame was as the director of the cult comedy What We Do in the Shadows. In the five years since then, he’s spun that off into a popular TV series, made a Marvel Studios film, and made the satirical JoJo Rabbit, which has garnered him several Oscar nominations. He is currently directing Next Goal Wins for Fox Searchlight, a much smaller film about the underdog American Samoa soccer team. He is also returning to direct the fourth film in Marvel Studios Thor saga, with Thor: Love and Thunder which is due out on Nov. 5, 2021. There’s also been a Time Bandits series he’s been announced for. Basically, he’s a very busy guy. But few can say no to Star Wars.
Fox Searchlight
Kathleen Kennedy definitely likes to keep things “in the family” at Lucasfilm. When she had a good working relationship with Rian Johnson, she asked him back to do his own trilogy. (Although who knows what the status of that is right now?) And after nailing the season finale of The Mandalorian, not to mention voicing the droid nanny IG-11, it makes sense that she would ask Waititi to direct a Star Wars movie of his own.
Of course, just what this movie entails is a total mystery at the moment. Kennedy has said she is steering away from the trilogy format recently. So it seems likely this will be a stand alone movie. Rumors have been making the rounds that Lucasfilm’s next cinematic Star Wars era would center around the “High Republic,” a time about 400 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga. During this era, it was a golden age for the Jedi, and a time of exploration and expansion for the Galactic Republic. The suggestion has been that different movies from different filmmakers would all take place during this time, and perhaps intersect down the line.
Lucasfilm
Given his working relationship with The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau, I would not be surprised to see his name attached to anything that Taika ultimately does. Even if it’s just as an executive producer. Also, given his Marvel Studios connections, this might also be the Kevin Feige Star Wars movie that’s been promised. Of course, given the sometimes brief time many Star Wars directors have on their films, even if he gets the job, there’s no promise that he’ll keep it. It’s been quite a revolving door at Lucasfilm when it comes to directors. But this fan is rooting for Taika to make it work.
Featured Image: Marvel Studios