Director Taika Waititi has one of the busiest schedules in Hollywood. But hopefully now that Thor: Love and Thunder is about to hit theaters, he can finally turn his attention to the Star Wars movie he signed on to direct way back in 2020. Waititi has only been able to provide scant updates about the film over the last two years. Regardless, his latest hint suggests that Lucasfilm is giving him more creative control than many were expecting. Taika Waititi promises
Waititi has been called a “visionary” throughout his career, even when tackling familiar I.P. like Marvel and Star Wars. It’s still early, but it sounds like viewers shouldn’t expect any references to the Skywalker Saga. While speaking with Total Film (via GamesRadar+), Waititi essentially confirmed that his Star Wars story will introduce new heroes and villains rather than lean on the reliability of legacy characters.
“Look, I think for the Star Wars universe to expand, it has to expand,” said Waititi. “I don’t think that I’m any use in the Star Wars universe making a film where everyone’s like, ‘Oh great, well that’s the blueprints to the Millennium Falcon, ah that’s Chewbacca’s grandmother.’ That all stands alone, that’s great, though I would like to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the world, otherwise it feels like it’s a very small story.”
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Ever since Disney assumed control of the franchise, almost all of its Star Wars output has tied into the Skywalker Saga in some way. Even The Mandalorian, the most critically-acclaimed of the live-action shows, couldn’t resist sneaking in a digitally-de-aged Mark Hamill for some easy fan service. But Waititi’s remarks indicate that something fresh is on the horizon, and he isn’t the only one hoping to deliver on that promise. Lucasfilm is also looking to branch out beyond the primary film series with The Acolyte, a new Disney+ series from Leslye Headland that takes place during the High Republic era.
Aside from directing the movie, Waititi is co-writing his Star Wars script with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who previously co-wrote 1917 and Last Night in Soho. Lucasfilm hasn’t announced a release date for the film.
Do you think Waititi is making the right choice by pushing the franchise in new directions? Let us know in the comment section below!
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