Taika Waititi‘s “Star Wars” movie has been in development since 2020, when Disney and Lucasfilm announced the “Jojo Rabbit” Oscar winner would helm a new film in the franchise written by “1917” scribe Krysty Wilson-Cairns. There’s been no big updates in the six years since, but interest in the project was recently revived after exiting Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy said Waititi’s “Star Wars” was “still somewhat alive.”
So what does Waititi have in store for “Star Wars” fans? “I’m just trying to go back and harness a little bit more of the fun from the original films, which is what I remember [from] them,” he told Variety at Sundance at the premiere of “Fing!”
“The stakes are very high, and there’s serious things going on, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had in those films. That’s what I was trying to bring back,” Waititi continued. “I was trying to work in a world that was a little bit separate to that because they’ve got so many things going on within that space. For me to do something there, it would need to be a little different and a little bit more its own thing.”
Kennedy confirmed to Deadline after announcing her exit from Lucasfilm that Waititi has “turned in a script that I think is hilarious and great. It’s not just my decision, especially when I’ve got a foot out the door.”
Waititi is at Sundance with the family adventure “Fing!,” which is based on the children’s book of the same name. Directed by Jeffrey Walker and co-starring Iona Bell, Mia Wasikowska and Blake Harrison, the film centers on a young girl and her parents as they contend with a viscount who is trying to get his hands on their wondrous pet creature. Waititi assumes the role of the movie’s villain.
“It was all on the page, so it was pretty easy for me to tap into that,” Waititi said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible when asked about playing the bad guy. “I’ve always liked those kinds of characters.”
When asked to name his favorite movie villain, Waititi returned the conversation back to the “Star Wars” franchise by naming Darth Vader “one of the greatest villains I’ve ever seen.”
“He taps into a child’s biggest nightmare or fear, which that your parent will turn on you and you won’t be able to bring them back,” he added. “‘Body Snatchers’ is like that as well. Zombies, too, they’re great villains as a collective because it’s the idea of people you love who won’t recognize you and will want to eat your brains.”
Waititi also expressed his interest in seeing the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” which will feature the return of Thor. The director helmed two “Thor” movies with Chris Hemsworth and said it’s not uncomfortable to be sitting out the God of Thunder’s next movie adventure as the Russo Brothers direct Hemsworth this go around.
“Thor was around before me,” Waititi said. “The stuff that Chris and I did and how we shaped him into that new version… that was for the greater good of the franchise as a whole. I can’t wait to see these ‘Avengers’ movies. I was just watching ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ two weeks ago. They’re so good. I’m good friends with the Russos and will love to see what they’re doing.”
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