No rush on Taika Waititi’s Star Wars — the franchise has bigger problems
Taika Waititi’s Star Wars film looks a way off — and with the franchise wrestling bigger issues, that might be no bad thing.
If you love a bit of Hollywood chaos, you might remember when Taika Waititi was all set to helm his own Star Wars movie for Lucasfilm. Well, don’t hold your breath for that project anytime soon. Waititi’s film has, very officially, joined the long list of Star Wars announcements that led to absolutely nothing visible on screen, at least for now.
Taika Waititi revealed he and Tony McNamara have 'put their Star Wars movie on ice' to shift focus elsewhere.
Back when Waititi’s project was first announced in May 2020, he was riding a lovely wave courtesy of his Oscar win for Jojo Rabbit, not to mention Thor: Ragnarok still fresh in everyone’s memory. Waititi was, to be blunt, Hollywood’s current darling and looked like a pretty bold pick for the Star Wars universe. But that was six years ago. Fast-forward to 2026, and things are much less rosy. His Marvel follow-up, Thor: Love and Thunder, made plenty of money but barely limped through with fans or critics. Then came Next Goal Wins – you might blink and miss its impact – and early word on Klara and the Sun is not exactly kind.
No shock, then, that Waititi says he and Tony McNamara have shifted their sights. Waititi did float the idea that 'ice ages do end,' but let’s be honest: in Hollywood, that’s often code for 'we’ll never mention this again unless someone else brings it up.' Lucasfilm, facing bigger headaches than Taika’s sci-fi fever dreams, clearly agrees the timing’s not right.
Lucasfilm’s Star Wars schedule is in total reboot mode, with Taika Waititi’s film shelved as the studio reels from recent misfires and reshuffles.
Lucasfilm Sets Its Sights Elsewhere
Honestly, Star Wars is in a bit of a mess right now. The Mandalorian and Grogu, which was supposed to bring the magic back to cinemas, just didn’t do it. So rather than gamble on Waititi’s wild tone for a full-length film, Lucasfilm are heading back to safer ground. Next up on the launchpad: Shawn Levy, with Starfighter supposedly landing in May 2027. Levy’s coming fresh off the blockbuster high of Deadpool & Wolverine and trusty mainstream stuff like Stranger Things, so he ticks all the right boxes for a ‘let’s not panic the investors’ approach.
- Shawn Levy directs Starfighter, now slated for May 2027
- Jon Watts, who did the Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy, will make the first movie in yet another planned Star Wars trilogy, with Simon Kinberg (of X-Men fame) as writer
- Waititi and McNamara’s film is officially 'on ice,' with no plans in motion
Lucasfilm is, not unreasonably, looking for less risk and more reliable hands. Whether these upcoming films will actually restore the force at the box office is anyone’s guess, but after so many misfires, it’s clear that directors like Waititi – brilliant but unpredictable – are not currently Lucasfilm’s priority.