Highlights
- Taika Waititi aims to recapture the magic of early Star Wars films, like The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, in his upcoming project.
- Waititi is taking his time with the Star Wars film, emphasizing the importance of getting it right and not rushing the creative process.
- Crafting a new Star Wars movie that surprises audiences while staying true to the lore is challenging, but Waititi’s unique voice and approach may make it a fan favorite.
Taika Waititi intends to recapture the lost magic in his upcoming Star Wars film and has revealed that he’s found creative inspiration in The Empire Strikes Back.
First announced in 2020, Waititi’s Star Wars is one of several franchise additions currently in development at Lucasfilm, including James Mangold’s Jedi origin movie and a Lando movie starring Donald Glover. Not much has been officially revealed about Waititi’s untitled movie, but the Thor: Ragnarok director has dropped a few hints along the way. Waititi has previously stated that he hopes to make the film feel new and exciting and expand on the Star Wars universe in a way that surprises fans, potentially with brand-new characters and locations.
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However, Waititi recently revealed that he’s been thinking about the old and the new. In an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the Jojo Rabbit filmmaker talked about his upcoming Star Wars flick. “I want to capture that joy and entertainment of those early ones, like The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, so I’m trying to figure that out. It’ll happen,” he said. Waititi also stated that he’s not rushing the process to ensure he gets it right. This reiterates his previous statements about the long road to a finished Star Wars film, initially slated for an earlier release. According to the director, he’s letting Star Wars “bubble along the side” while he tackles other big projects, including a Tower of Terror film with Scarlett Johansson.
Waititi’s desire to make a film with the same impact as The Empire Strikes Back seemingly aligns with his goal of giving audiences something fresh. The original trilogy captured the imagination of crowded theaters, not by regurgitating past blockbuster hits but by creating something new. However, replicating this enthusiasm may be a tall order for the Oscar-winning director, as recent Star Wars sequels have faced some of the same general fatigue as Marvel and DC movies, partly due to Disney’s strategy of flooding the market with content. In addition, Waititi previously admitted to struggling with the second act of the Star Wars script, explaining that turning his “good idea” into a fully fleshed-out film has proven difficult.
The Star Wars canon is vast and deep, and fans of the franchise hold strong opinions about each of the previous films. Crafting a new Star Wars movie that is both surprising to audiences and faithful to the lore is a tall order for any filmmaker, which may explain Lucasfilm’s break from Star Wars film releases. Although some fans have grown impatient with Waititi over the pace of new project updates, it may be the director’s slow approach, along with his unique voice and a potential role for Barry Keoghan, that could turn this currently untitled Star Wars movie into a new fan-favorite.
The entire Star Wars saga is streaming now on Disney Plus.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space, including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other mediums like comics, video games, TV shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
Source: The Kelly Clarkson Show
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