Star Wars: Taika Waititi Breaks Silence on New Directing Gig

Leave it to Taika Waititi to pull the ultimate bamboozle. Despite trying to debunk reports of his Star Wars arrival earlier this year, the fan-favorite filmmaker has now broken silence on his new gig after Lucasfilm made the job official early Monday. Taking to Instagram Monday afternoon, Waititi shared two screenshots of news articles announcing his new gig, toting his pro-level “psych out” skills. “Guess it wasn’t a rumour after all,” the filmmaker says. “Psyyyych!”

Waititi’s untitled Star Wars movie was one of two projects announced on Monday, National Star Wars Day, the other being an untitled female-led series for Disney+. That show will be created, written, and run by Russian Doll scribe Leslye Headland. Release dates, plot details, or characters involved for either project were announced. Waititi will be co-writing his feature alongside Oscar-nominated screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns.

After reports of Waititi’s involvement initially surfaced in January, Variety asked the filmmaker if the reports were true. At the time, Waititi exclaimed he’d “f-cking love” making a Star Wars film. The Oscar-winning filmmaker previously directed the Season One finale of Disney+’s The Mandalorian.

I wish there was a better story, I’ll put it that way,” Waititi admitted to Variety of the reports. “Are there discussions about the Star Wars film? Like, yeah, I discussed with my friends in 1996 how cool Star Wars was. That’s what they’re going off. I think people see me hanging out with people, especially with Star Wars, and think I’m having some big discussions about it. I would f—ing love to.”

He added, “If it was right, I would want to do any kind of movie if it made sense, and if it felt not like career suicide.”

Waititi’s Star Wars feature has yet to set a release date. The next Star Wars project for release is the sophomore outing of The Mandalorian, due out in October pending any delays caused by the Hollywood coronavirus shutdown.

What Star Wars properties do you think Waititi is directing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!