Taika Waititi May be Starring in His Own 'Star Wars' Film (original) (raw)

The future of “Star Wars” films still isn’t set in stone, but at least we now have a better clue of what is (and isn’t) happening. Two movie projects in the Lucasfilm franchise — Patty Jenkins‘ “Rogue Squadron” and an untitled project from Kevin Feige have been shelved by the studio, IndieWire has learned. One film, however, that has a good chance of moving forward is Taika Waititi‘s standalone film, and the filmmaker behind the last two “Thor” movies has found his leading man for the picture — himself.

Waititi is still working on his untitled “Star Wars” movie and is expected to have a role in it as well, similar in size to his part in his own “Jojo Rabbit” from 2019. It stands one of the best chances of landing in the one remaining slot on Disney’s release calendar for a “Star Wars” movie, which is currently dated for December 19, 2025. The other potential option includes a movie “Lost” creator Damon Lindelof is developing with “Ms. Marvel” director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attached to direct. And Shawn Levy remains in talks to direct an installment for the franchise as well.

As for the films from Jenkins and Feige, neither film is in active development at Lucasfilm. Jenkins said in December that she was still developing it, though Jenkins also said, “I don’t know if it will happen or not.” The movie was initially announced in 2020 for a December 2023 release date, before being pulled from Disney’s schedule in 2022. Feige’s film, which would see the Marvel Studios head produce a project for Lucasfilm, was announced to be in development in 2019, and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” screenwriter Michael Waldron was reportedly working on a script. Waldron is attached to the next season of “Loki” and to “Avengers: Secret Wars.”

Lucasfilm had no comment in an inquiry from IndieWire. And a rep for Waititi did not respond to IndieWire’s request for comment.

Waititi has popped up in some form in most of his directorial efforts, including his “Thor” films, “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” and “Jojo Rabbit.” The filmmaker previously worked in the “Star Wars” franchise via the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” directing a Season 1 episode of the show and voicing a droid in the series. Any plot details about his upcoming film are still being kept under wraps.

Lucasfilm has not released a theatrical “Star Wars” film since 2019, when “Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” concluded the sequel trilogy that began after Disney acquired the company in 2012. The movie was financially successful, but a mixed reception from fans — along with the underperformance of “Solo” the year before — caused the studio to put a halt on releasing “Star Wars” projects for the big screen. Most new “Star Wars” adventures have since been found on Disney+, in the form of TV shows like “The Mandalorian” and “Andor.”

However, we should get more official news soon at the Star Wars Celebration fan event, which is scheduled for April 7-10.

Variety was first to report the news.