Between his work on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jojo Rabbit, Our Flag Means Death, and numerous other projects, Taika Waititi has become something of a Hollywood golden boy. Despite his impressive résumé, the actor/director has yet to release a Star Wars movie; however, in 2020, Lucasfilm announced that he is indeed working on a script. So what’s up with that?
Waititi is no stranger to working on Star Wars projects. He made his franchise debut helming an episode of The Mandalorian. But a movie is a different thing altogether.
Waititi’s Star Wars movie was originally supposed to release later this year, but it was not featured in Disney’s slate of 2023 Star Wars projects. Turns out both Waititi and co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns haven’t cracked the script yet. They’re taking the slow and steady approach.
“I’ve got a really good idea for it,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s just as with all films, it’s this middle part. You’re like: ‘What’s going to happen?’ And then you look at all of those films that are so great, you’re like: ‘Well, I guess they can’t meet some smuggler with an alien sidekick’.”
According to Variety, Waititi will also have a role in the movie, although we don’t no how big or small. Last year, Waititi opened up about the script being pushed aside while he works on other projects. “I’m going to be in New Zealand from August until the end of the year with Our Flag Means Death [season 2] and Time Bandits and during that time I will still be writing. I’m still trying to figure out what the story is,” he told TheWrap.
Taika Waititi doesn’t care about leaving a legacy
Waititi is among the most celebrated filmmakers in the world today, but he doesn’t think his name will be remembered in history.
"I’m 47. My God, take the pressure off. People are so obsessed with likes or leaving behind a legacy, being remembered. Here’s the thing: No one’s going to remember us. What’s the name of the director of Casablanca? Arguably one of the greatest films of all time. No one knows his name. How the fuck do I expect to be remembered? So who cares? Let’s just live, make some movies.”"
Waititi’s next movie is Next Goal Wins, a movie where a Dutch coach leads an American Samoa soccer team. With the success of recent soccer-related projects like Ted Lasso, this one could be very successful! Next Goal Wins premieres in theaters on December 29.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels