Taika Waititi Confirmed to Direct ‘Star Wars’ Movie, Co-Written With ‘1917’ Oscar Nominee
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Disney and Lucasfilm have confirmed Taika Waititi will be directing and co-writing a new “Star Wars” feature film set for theatrical release. Rumors broke in January that Waititi was being eyed for a “Star Wars” movie after joining the franchise as a voice actor in “The Mandalorian,” for which he also directed episodes. The “Star Wars” movie gives Waititi another massive Disney tentpole following his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Thor: Ragnarok” and the upcoming “Thor: Love and Thunder.” Waititi will be writing his “Star Wars” movie with “1917” screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns.
Waititi is coming off an Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay earlier this year thanks to his script for “Jojo Rabbit.” Before going back to the MCU with “Thor: Love and Thunder,” Waititi will reunite with “Jojo Rabbit” producer and distributor Searchlight Pictures to release “Next Goal Wins,” an adaptation of the 2014 British soccer documentary. The movie stars Michael Fassbender as Dutch coach Thomas Rongen as he attempts the daunting task of turning the American Samoa soccer team from perennial losers into all-star winners. Wilson-Cairns was Oscar nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category this year for penning Sam Mendes’ “1917.”
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Waititi directed the eighth episode and first-season finale of “The Mandalorian,” now streaming on Disney+. That series was created, written, and executive-produced by Jon Favreau, who, like Waititi, also contributed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2.” Waititi’s “Star Wars” movie is the first theatrical effort to be confirmed by Lucasfilm and Disney following the release of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in December. Other directors with “Star Wars” film projects reportedly in the works include JD Dillard and Rian Johnson.
Incoming news from a galaxy far, far away….
Academy Award winner @TaikaWaititi to direct and co-write a new Star Wars feature film for theatrical release; Academy Award nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns (@WeWriteAtDawn) to co-write screenplay with Waititi: https://t.co/o3Exz8ndy9 pic.twitter.com/Yrt0LQbi7B
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 4, 2020
Another transmission, Emmy Award winner @LeslyeHeadland to write, produce, and serve as showrunner for new untitled Star Wars series in development for #DisneyPlus: https://t.co/o3Exz8ndy9 pic.twitter.com/NM8uIJBGez
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 4, 2020
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