Thor Ragnarok director Taika Waititi to helm new Star Wars film | Hollywood - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Thor Ragnarok director Taika Waititi to helm new Star Wars film

Associated Press | By
May 05, 2020 10:49 AM IST

Taika Waititi, the New Zealand filmmaker behind Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok, will direct a new Star Wars film.

Taika Waititi, the New Zealand filmmaker of Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok, will direct a new Star Wars film. Waititi had for months been expected to take the reins of the galaxy far, far away, having already directed the season finale of the Star Wars streaming spinoff The Mandalorian. But the Walt Disney Co. waited until the franchise's unofficial holiday, May the Fourth, to make Waititi's hire official.

Taika Waititi holds his Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in Beverly Hills.(REUTERS)
Taika Waititi holds his Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in Beverly Hills.(REUTERS)

Waititi will co-write the film with Krysty Wilson-Cains, who wrote the World War I thriller 1917 with Sam Mendes. Both Waititi and Wilson-Cains were screenplay nominees at the Academy Awards earlier this year; Wilson-Cains for the original script to 1917 and Waititi for his adapted Nazi satire Jojo Rabbit. Waititi won.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

 

The announcement potentially suggests the new path forward for Star Wars theatrical films following considerable upheaval in Lucasfilm's development plans. Last October, Game of Thrones David Benioff and DB Weiss departed their planned trilogy. Rian Johnson, director of The Last Jedi, was developing a separate trilogy but its status is unclear. Johnson has instead been focused on a sequel to his 2019 film, Knives Out.

In December, Lucasfilm wrapped up the Skywalker saga with the release of The Rise of Skywalker. But that release was the worst reviewed of the previous eight Star Wars films and not as strong at the box office. It grossed $1.08 billion.

To help rejuvenate the franchise, Disney has turned to Marvel president Kevin Feige (who produced Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok) and Jon Favreau, creator of the well-received The Mandalorian.

Also read: The Mandalorian review: Spectacular Star Wars show deserves better than Hotstar as Disney+ has inauspicious launch in India

The Mandalorian, for which a third season is reportedly already in the works, has also opened up other series options for Star Wars. Other shows in development include an Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff starring Ewan McGregor and a spinoff from Rogue One based on the character Cassian Andor.

Disney added another series to its plans Monday, announcing that Leslye Headland, the co-creator and executive producer of the acclaimed Netflix series Russian Doll, is also developing a new Star Wars series for Disney Plus. No release date was released for either project.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Get more updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On