As part of Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm announced three new Star Wars films that would usher the galaxy far, far away back into theaters. According to recent reports, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy hopes to have director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy‘s untitled New Jedi Order Era film ready to hit theaters in December 2025 but after that, it’s a bit murky. The timing of Dave Filoni‘s “Heir to the Empire” film is entirely dependent on the New Republic Era stories that are being told on Disney Plus and James Mangold‘s untitled Dawn of the Jedi Era project seems like a massive undertaking that could be several years off. But now, a previously announced project that only got a brief mention at Celebration is back in the news and may be ready for theaters sooner than expected.
According to Deadline, Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi is not only still very much on board to direct his Star Wars project but might be ready to do so next year. The trade reports that while Waititi’s next project is likely to be his adaptation of the New York Times best-seller Klara and the Sun, his sights are still set on getting started on his untitled Star Wars film in 2024.
Taika is still working away. He’s writing the script himself. He doesn’t really want to bring others into that process and I don’t blame him. He has a very, very unique voice. So we want to protect that and that’s what he’s doing. But we’re going to make that one day.
Kathleen Kennedy on Taika Waititi’s Star Wars film, Star Wars Celebration 2023
Waititi’s Star Wars project is still cloaked in mystery and has been pushed around on the schedule a few times already. Once upon a time, the film was expected to hit theaters in 2023. With Waititi needing more time on the script, production on the film was delayed to an expected 2023 start which, obviously, won’t happen with the director tackling Klara and the Sun. The good news is that Waititi likely won’t get pulled away from his Star Wars film by Marvel Studios for Thor 5 so it’s likely that he’ll make good on Kennedy’s promise that the film will get made “one day.” Even if production on the film does start in 2024, it’s highly unlikely it would hit theaters in 2025 with Obaid-Chinoy‘s film certainly the priority. However, it’s possible Lucasfilm could add a 2026 date to Disney’s theatrical slate should the film be ready for release by then.
Source: Deadline
