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Upcoming Star Wars movie: Taika Waititi chosen as director!

5.5.2020

Translation: Patrik Stainbrook

Taika Waititi will remain true to the Star Wars universe: The Kiwi will direct a Star Wars film. And: a new Star Wars series for Disney+ is also being planned

The relationship between Taika Waititi and the House of Mouse couldn't be better: as announced by Disney on the official Star Wars website, the acclaimed filmmaker will write and direct a new Star Wars film.

Waititi will be supported by Krysty Wilson-Cairns. The author is best known by her screenplay for the widely lauded film «1917», which won three Oscars and was nominated for seven more. Including the original script written by Wilson-Cairns.

The Star Wars film doesn't yet have an official release date.

Taika Waititi, Marvel, Lucasfilm – and Disney

With this, the former independent movie director and screenwriter seems to have finally breached the mainstream. Waititi, who won this year's Oscar for «Best Adapted Screenplay» with «Jojo Rabbit», isn't new to deals with Disney.

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Back in 2017, Waititi directed «Thor: Ragnarok» for the Disney subsidiary Marvel Studios. And it isn't only the most successful Thor movie ever, but also the most popular. He also directed «Chapter 8: Redemption», the last and best rated episode of the successful series «The Mandalorian» for Lucasfilm, another Disney subsidiary.

His next projects? «Next Goal Wins», a film about the underdog national football team from American Samoa. The film – just like «Jojo Rabbit» – is being produced by Searchlight Pictures, another member of the Disney group. Waititi will then devote himself to the Thor sequel «Thor: Love and Thunder», which is scheduled for release on November 5, 2021. And somewhere in between, he'll reportedly be involved in a Flash Gordon animated film for Fox/Disney.

That's a lot on his plate. So when should we expect the Taika Waititi Star Wars movie at the earliest?

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What's already known is that the next film from a far, far away galaxy won't be released until 2022. This seems reasonable judging by Waititi's busy schedule. It's more likely that Marvel producer Kevin Feige will take over the 2022 slot – he's already working on a Star Wars movie. Consequently, Waititi could take over the next slot: 2024. After two individual Star Wars movies, the third slot – 2026 – could mark the start of a new trilogy, led by «The Last Jedi» director Rian Johnson.

So much for the movies. Now to series.

A third Star Wars series is being planned

Disney wasn't satisfied by Taika Waititi's announcement as director on yesterday's «May the Fourth». A new Star Wars series for the in-house streaming service Disney+ was also announced.

What we know: Leslye Headland, famed and honoured with two Emmy nominations for «Russian Doll», will write and produce the new series. This would make her the female counterpart to Jon Favreau, who has the same job with «The Mandalorian».

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The exact plot is under lock and key, but the series is said to be a female-led action thriller with martial arts elements, taking place in a previously unexplored Star Wars era.

This means that three Star Wars live-action series for Disney+ are already in the planning stage: the second season of «The Mandalorian» will be released this October, a third season is already in pre-production. Filming for the live-action Obi-Wan Kenobi series is scheduled to start in January 2021. And the «Rogue One» spin-off series on Cassian Andor is also being planned.

Looks like Star Wars fans have a lot to look forward to. Or as Anakin Skywalker would say:

«This is where the fun begins.»

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Cover image: Walt Disney Media Center

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Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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