Director Taika Waititi has had plenty of ups and downs over the last decade and more, with highs from films like What We Do in the Shadows and Thor: Ragnarok to lower points like Thor: Love and Thunder and Next Goal Wins. He was also announced to be the director of a Star Wars movie as part of a new wave of filmmakers working with Lucasfilm, but as of 2026, this project still has far more questions than answers.
Due to a combination of hold-ups from both Waititi and Lucasfilm, his Star Wars movie has yet to settle into a release timeframe after multiple delays to its production and release. However, at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Waititi spoke with Variety and teased what fans can expect in his project. Mentioning the idea of bringing “a little more of the fun from the original films,” he hopes to take viewers back to the era that first made the galaxy far, far away such an iconic franchise:
“I think you’ve seen it before, but I’m just trying to go back and harness a little more of the fun from the original films, which is what I remember. The stakes were very high, and there were serious things going on, but also, there was a lot of fun to be had in those films, and so that’s what I was trying to bring back.”
What Taika Waititi Could Deliver in New Star Wars Movie
While Waititi’s Star Wars movie has faced more than its fair share of delays, excitement is still building to see what he can do on the big screen in this universe. Along with his roles as IG-11 and IG-12 on screen, Waititi previously brought his expertise as a director to The Mandalorian for the Season 1 finale (titled “Chapter 8: Redemption”), which is regarded as one of The Mandalorian‘s best episodes. Now, the question is what kind of story he will deliver when the time does come for him to bring his work to the big screen.
Star Wars is moving into a different era on the big screen, particularly considering the franchise has not been in theaters since 2019, when Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Unfortunately, the Skywalker Saga’s final movie received less-than-stellar reviews from critics and fans alike, becoming the worst-rated live-action Star Wars film on Rotten Tomatoes by Tomatometer score at 51%.
After The Mandalorian and Grogu debuts in theaters this May, Shawn Levy’s Starfighter (starring Ryan Gosling) is next up for Lucasfilm, with Waititi’s undisclosed movie coming sometime after those efforts. Looking at the Thor director’s past work, fans can surely expect plenty of comedy and wild action sequences to be utilized in this intergalactic adventure.
Based on his directing work in The Mandalorian‘s Season 1 finale (written by series creator Jon Favreau), Waititi clearly has reverence and respect for this franchise’s long history and put his expertise on display behind Din Djarin and Grogu. Throw the inspiration he mentioned from the original Star Wars trilogy into a script and story he is creating, and this fandom could be in for an exciting new addition to the intergalactic saga.
- Birthdate
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August 16, 1975
- Birthplace
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New Zealand
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
