May the Fourth is the perfect time to announce a new Star Wars film, and that’s exactly what Lucasfilm did today. Not just that, Lucasfilm also announced a new Star Wars series for the Disney+ streaming service.
The untitled Star Wars film will be directed by Taika Waititi. The New Zealand filmmaker and actor will co-write the script with Scottish screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns. Waititi won an Oscar this year for his film JoJo Rabbit, while Wilson-Cairns was nominated for an Academy Award with Sam Mendes for Original Screenplay for 1917.
Waititi is no stranger to Star Wars, or to Disney’s other popular entertainment brand Marvel. He directed the final chapter of the first season of The Mandalorian, as well as provided the voice for assassin-turned-caregiver-droid IG-11. He also directed Thor: Ragnarok and provided the voice for Korg, was the mo-cap actor for Surtur, was one of the three heads for the gladiator Hajo, and was a stand-in for the Hulk in some scenes.
CREATING WRITING
Starting off as a staff writer for the Showtime horror drama Penny Dreadful, Wilson-Cairns went on to win a BAFTA for Outstanding British Film of the Year for 1917 at just 32 years old. The team up of Waititi and Wilson-Cairns on writing and his directorial brilliance should add up to a winning combination for the Star Wars film.
The May the Fourth Lucasfilm announcement also included news of a new Star Wars series for Disney+. American writer and director Leslye Headland will write, and serve as Executive Producer and showrunner for the untitled Star Wars series. Her most recent career success was co-creating the Netflix series Russian Doll with Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne.
The Star Wars series is rumored to be a female-centric show. Would it be too much to ask for a Doctor Aphra series?
At this time, release dates have not been determined for the Star Wars film or Star Wars series. It’s likely to be two years at minimum before we see either of these projects.
