Posted in: Lucasfilm, Movies | Tagged: star wars, taika waititi

Star Wars: Kathleen Kennedy Hopes Taika Waititi's Movie Happens

Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy doesn't have any new details about Taika Waititi's Star Wars film, but she knows if it happens, it "will be a great Star Wars movie."

Star Wars Celebration 2025 has just started, and we already have some big news about Star Wars on the big screen again. We know that they screened some footage and showed images and concept art from The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will be the first film in theaters since 2019 and will be released on May 22, 2026. We also got some definitive information about Shawn Levy's film, which is titled Star Wars: Starfighter, Ryan Gosling is set to star, and will be released on May 28, 2027.

So, there are two years in a row when Star Wars movies are released, but there are still a ton of other projects in varying levels of development. Some of them seem further along than others, and then there is the film from Taika Waititi. The project was first announced in May 2020, and while it seemed like Lucasfilm was ready to hit warp speed on this project, Waititi wasn't willing to turn in a script he wasn't happy with. Waititi was still in the scripting phase at the last time we heard about this project, and it sounds like things haven't changed much. ScreenRant asked Lucasfilm Megaboss Kathleen Kennedy about the status of the project, and while she didn't have details, she seems optimistic.

"Taika is on Taika time… I've just continually said to him, look, when you feel that you're ready and you can really devote the time, we're going to do it. We'll be waiting… I'm just hoping we get there. That will be a great Star Wars movie."

It sounds like Waititi is one of those creatives who had a pitch Lucasfilm liked so much that they are willing to let him take his sweet time to get that script right. May 2020 was less than six months after The Rise of Skywalker was not as well received by fans as everyone thought it would be and only two months into a pandemic everyone thought would be over by the summer [spoiler alert: it was not, in fact, it is ongoing, get your shot]. Star Wars has a lot of other projects in development, so the studio has other options to focus on while they wait.

The Many Star Wars Films In Development

In April 2023, at Star Wars Celebration, the franchise went from being utterly absent from the big screen to jumping back into movie theaters in a big way. Three projects were announced on stage that day, along with several other projects hanging around in varying levels of development. One of the films that seemed ready to get off the ground was Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's film, which will feature the return of Rey. However, when Jon Favreau joined the ranks, and The Mandalorian & Grogu went into and wrapped production in 2024, it's unclear where Daisy Ridley's return to the big screen falls on this suddenly hectic timeline. The Mandalorian & Grogu will be released on May 22, 2026. Dave Filoni is using his film as a final wrap-up to all of the television shows. So, all seasons need to be released before that can happen.

James Mangold brought on a new writer for his film in July 2024, which reportedly has a working title of Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi. They recently spoke about how freeing it is to write a story that takes place so far away from established canon. At Star Wars Celebration 2025, we learned the title of director Shawn Levy's film, Star Wars: Starfighter. It was confirmed that Ryan Gosling will star, and the film will be released on May 28, 2027.

It was also recently announced that Simon Kinberg is set to write and produce a new Star Wars trilogy of films. Even though Solo: A Star Wars Story underperformed at the box office, everyone loved Donald Glover as Lando, and his Lando TV show switched to a movie in July 2023. Also, supposedly, Rian Johnson wants to return to a galaxy far, far away when he's not making awesome mystery TV shows and movies. Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron was removed from the schedule in September 2022, but in March 2024, she claimed she was writing the film again and had signed a new deal with Lucasfilm to direct the movie.

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