Six years after Lucasfilm announced that Taika Waititi would bring his filmmaking talents to a galaxy far, far away, the director has confirmed that his planned Star Wars movie is no longer moving forward in active development.
In a new interview with Inverse, Waititi revealed that he and screenwriter Tony McNamara have decided to pursue another collaboration instead of continuing work on the long-gestating Lucasfilm production.
“I hate to break this to you, but we’re going to actually put it on ice and we’re working on a different thing together,” Waititi said.
The filmmaker offered little hope of an immediate revival, acknowledging that his attention has shifted to several other movies.
“It’s very iced. I’ve got about four other movies I’m trying to do,” he explained. Nevertheless, Waititi left the door open for a possible return, remarking, “Ice ages do come to an end. Who knows?”
The comments provide the clearest indication yet that the project, first announced in May 2020 by Kathleen Kennedy’s Lucasfilm, has effectively stalled despite years of development and multiple screenplay revisions.
A Project That Never Found Its Footing
Waititi’s involvement initially appeared to be a promising addition to Lucasfilm’s theatrical ambitions.
The director had established himself through critically acclaimed productions such as Jojo Rabbit and commercially successful blockbusters like Thor: Ragnarok. His contributions to the first season of Disney+’s The Mandalorian also demonstrated an existing working relationship with the studio.
However, translating that relationship into a feature film proved considerably more difficult.
Lucasfilm initially paired Waititi with screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns before Tony McNamara eventually became involved in the screenplay.
Taika Waititi is IG-11 in the Disney+ series THE MANDALORIAN.
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The project remained in development throughout the subsequent years, occasionally resurfacing through comments from Waititi and Lucasfilm executives without receiving a production start date.
In January 2026, Kathleen Kennedy indicated that a screenplay had been submitted and expressed enthusiasm about its comedic approach.
That apparent progress makes Waititi’s latest announcement particularly noteworthy.
Rather than advancing toward production under Lucasfilm’s new leadership, the film has instead been set aside while its director pursues other opportunities.
Lucasfilm’s Announcement Problem
The situation illustrates one of the most persistent difficulties facing Disney’s stewardship of Star Wars: the considerable distance between announcing a theatrical project and actually delivering it.
Over the past decade, Lucasfilm has attached prominent filmmakers to numerous proposed productions, generating headlines and expectations that frequently outlast the projects themselves.
Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron was reportedly scrapped despite its high-profile announcement, Kevin Feige’s proposed film never advanced into production, while the planned projects involving David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Rian Johnson have similarly failed to reach theaters.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: Kathleen Kennedy onstage during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)
James Mangold’s proposed exploration of the earliest Jedi has also reportedly encountered development delays and is effectively dead in the water. Not to mention the Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy Rey movie which never got off the ground following its high profile announcement at Star Wars Celebration.
Individual projects can stall for perfectly ordinary reasons. Screenplays change, directors become unavailable, and studios routinely reconsider their investment priorities.
The concern for Lucasfilm is the frequency with which these situations have occurred.
Cartman as Kathleen Kennedy in South Park – Paramount+
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A company responsible for one of Hollywood’s most recognizable entertainment properties has repeatedly struggled to establish a reliable theatrical production pipeline.
That history presents a substantial challenge for Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, who inherited responsibility for Lucasfilm following Kennedy’s departure.
A Different Direction for Star Wars
Waititi’s decision also raises questions about the type of filmmakers and stories Lucasfilm intends to prioritize moving forward.
His proposed movie was expected to explore new territory rather than simply revisit familiar characters and settings.
That ambition remains important for a franchise whose theatrical future cannot depend indefinitely on nostalgia for the original trilogy.
However, originality alone doesn’t guarantee that a project will connect with audiences. Disney must also demonstrate that its creative leadership can identify promising concepts, develop workable screenplays, and move productions forward within reasonable timeframes.
Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray in Star Wars: Starfighter – Disney, Lucasfilm
The upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling and scheduled for 2027, represents another opportunity to establish a theatrical identity beyond the Skywalker saga.
Meanwhile, Waititi is moving ahead with other productions, including the critically panned Klara and the Sun, starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams.
Neither Lucasfilm nor Disney has formally announced the cancellation of his Star Wars movie, leaving open the possibility that it could eventually return to development.
For the moment, however, another filmmaker has moved on from a Kathleen Kennedy-announced project that once appeared central to Lucasfilm’s theatrical future.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 23: (L-R) Taika Waititi and Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios attend the Thor: Love and Thunder World Premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in [Hollywood], California on June 23, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
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