Acclaimed director Taika Waititi has provided fresh insights into his long-awaited Star Wars film, emphasizing a return to the lighthearted spirit of the original trilogy while carving out a unique path in the galaxy far, far away. Speaking at the Sundance Film Festival during the promotion of his new family comedy “Fing!”, Waititi shared his vision for the project, which has been in development at Lucasfilm since 2020.
“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,” Waititi told Variety in an interview. He elaborated on balancing tone: “The stakes are very high, and there are 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 stressed the importance of innovation, noting that the movie needs to be “a little different and more its own thing” to effectively expand the Star Wars universe.
The filmmaker, known for injecting humor into blockbusters like “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” aims to introduce new characters and settings to avoid rehashing familiar elements. In a previous statement, he explained: “Look, I think for the Star Wars universe to expand, it has to expand. I don’t think that I’m any use in the Star Wars universe making a film where everyone’s like, ‘Oh great, well that’s the blueprints to the Millennium Falcon, ah that’s Chewbacca’s grandmother.’ That all stands alone, that’s great, though I would like to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the world, otherwise it feels like it’s a very small story.”
The Star Wars project is being co-written by Krysty Wilson-Cairns, known for her work on “1917” and “Last Night in Soho.” While details remain under wraps, Waititi’s comments suggest a blend of high-stakes adventure with the playful energy hat defined George Lucas’ early entries in the saga.
At Sundance, Waititi is also promoting “Fing!”, a family adventure film where he plays the villain. The movie, based on an original concept, marks another foray into whimsical storytelling for the director.
In the same interview, Waititi expressed enthusiasm for upcoming Marvel projects, particularly “Avengers: Doomsday,” where he “can’t wait” to see Chris Hemsworth reprise his role as Thor. This comes after his successful collaboration with Hemsworth on the Thor films.
Waititi’s Star Wars movie joins a slate of upcoming projects in the franchise, promising to infuse new life into the iconic series with his signature style. Fans eager for more details will have to wait, as no release date has been announced.
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