Taika Waititi & The New Star Wars Movie: Will He Direct… Or Not?

The next Star Wars trilogy is becoming a hot topic these days. Last month, we reported that Taika Waititi was approached by Lucasfilm to helm a mystery Star Wars project. Is it true? Kathleen Kennedy hasn’t been shy about her enthusiasm over possibly working with Waititi, so that rumor makes sense. His work on The Mandalorian and in the MCU Thor projects adds more wood to that bonfire. He’s already in the Disney stable, so why not?

Is Taika Waititi going to direct a Star Wars movie?

ET Online asked him about the rumor of discussions and if he was approached by Lucasfilm for Star Wars, to which he replied:

“Listen… what does ‘approached’ even mean? I’ve seen Star Wars and that’s about as far as it got.”

Taika Waititi to ET

There’s your answer, unless he’s deflecting until an official announcement. Waititi is a white-hot Hollywood director right now. His work with Jon Favreau, and his turn as IG-11 in The Mandalorian give him a good connection to the Star Wars universe. That Oscar win more than doubles the demand for his eye behind the camera. But this rumor is bunk.

Don’t think so? Look at his calendar. Next Goal Wins is his current project finishing up, Thor: Love and Thunder is after that. The live-action Akira project is still on his radar, too. He’s also said more than once he’d like to pick back up on a project he left, Bubbles, because he was too busy. We’ll be into the second film of a new trilogy by the time his schedule clears!

Is Waititi right for a Star Wars project?

My answer is no, but I’m willing to wait and see. Thor: Ragnarok was quite honestly the weakest MCU movie in the pantheon, and Thor: Love and Thunder doesn’t feel much better so far. And Jojo Rabbit? It was a brilliant creative comedy, not a Star Wars movie. Now if he said he wanted to do Spaceballs 2? Hell yes and a side of bacon for that plan. I’m not a big Waititi fan (except his Mandalorian work), but credit where it’s due. He’s an incredibly creative filmmaker who’s first short film, Two Cars, One Night, was nominated for an Oscar. He’s good! However, that creative trait doesn’t mix well with Lucasfilm (see: Rian Johnson, Benioff & Weiss).

Kathleen Kennedy: Will there be a female Star Wars director? “Absolutely, without question.”

Kathleen Kennedy has said a female will direct an upcoming Star Wars film. Her BAFTA red carpet claim was clear. A female director will helm a Star Wars project “Absolutely. Without question”. Deborah Chow’s work on The Mandalorian makes her an excellent candidate, but she’s already tapped for the Kenobi series in 2021. If Lucasfilm accepts nominations, Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty, Hurtlocker, Detroit) is an excellent action-film director, and Lilly and Lana Wachowski (formerly the Wachowski Brothers) made The Matrix. Nuff’ said!

Who do you think is up to direct next?

Well, there you have it Hashtaggers. Straight from Waititi’s mouth. It’s not a definitive no, but it’s enough of a no that we are probably not going to see him in the director’s chair, especially not right now. We’re just going to have to wait for the official announcements from Lucasfilm. To learn more about Star Wars and keep up with official announcements, you can also visit the official website at www.starwars.com.

Source: MovieWeb