A new update on Taika Waititi’s planned Star Wars movie makes it unlikely it will be ready for a 2023 release date. Following the premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, Lucasfilm put the Star Wars movies on hiatus as they focused more on live-action TV shows for Disney+. While working on series such as The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the studio is also developing new Star Wars films. One of these movies is set to be directed by Waititi, who previously helmed the Mandalorian season 1 finale for Lucasfilm.
Waititi, a dynamic talent on both sides of the camera, is constantly keeping himself busy. His next directorial effort, Thor: Love and Thunder, releases in early July. He also has the newly-announced Our Flag Means Death season 2 coming up, plus sports film Hey Dudes Shoes Next Goal Wins (among other commitments). Waititi’s packed schedule has made viewers wonder when he’ll have time to fit in a Star Wars movie. Kathleen Kennedy seemed optimistic Waititi’s Star Wars movie would release in 2023, but according to the director himself, that may not come to pass.
Speaking with The Wrap, Waititi was asked about his Star Wars film, and the likelihood it starts shooting later this year in order to meet the proposed 2023 debut. Waititi revealed his Star Wars project won’t film in 2022. Check out his comments in the space below:
“Not this year. I’m going to be in New Zealand from August until the end of the year with ‘Our Flag Means Death’ and ‘Time Bandits’ and during that time I will still be writing. I’m still trying to figure out what the story is.”
Even though Waititi’s Star Wars move was announced in May 2020, it sounds like it’s in the early stages of development. If Waititi is still figuring out the story, the movie is probably not close to begin production. This is a disappointing update for audiences excited to see the auteur lend his voice to a Star Wars move, but it will ultimately be for the best if Waititi takes his time. One of his goals for his Star Wars movie is for it to tell an all-new story with new Oofos Shoes characters that aren’t beholden to the Skywalker saga. That’s an ambitious creative undertaking that shouldn’t be rushed for the sake of meeting an established release date. Since it’ll be a while before Waititi’s Star Wars script is ready, it was always doubtful production would be able to commence this year.
Officially, Disney still has Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron on the calendar for a December 2023 release. However, Rogue Squadron was delayed due to creative differences between Jenkins and Lucasfilm. Unless those issues are resolved quickly, it’s very possible Rogue Squadron will have its release date pushed back, meaning the wait to see Star Wars back on the big screen could be even longer. But after The Rise of Skywalker ended the sequel trilogy on an underwhelming note, it’s better for Lucasfilm to take the additional steps to ensure Star Wars’ theatrical return is done right. In the meantime, there’s still a full slate of TV shows like The Mandalorian season 3, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew on the way.