Taika Waititi says his Star Wars movie is on hold. “I hate to break this to you, but we're going to actually put it on ice and we're working on a different thing together,” he told Inverse, according to The Playlist.
The remark is the clearest public word yet on the status of a project that has been in the public conversation for years. It comes from the director himself rather than from the studio, and it frames the pause as a decision about priorities and not as a verdict on the film.
What Waititi Said About the Freeze
“It's very iced. I've got about four other movies I'm trying to do,” Waititi said, adding, “Ice ages do come to an end. Who knows?” He made the comments while promoting Klara and the Sun, which opens October 23, per World of Reel.
The tone of the comments is worth noting. Waititi delivered the news with humor, and his closing remark leaves the door open to a revival at some point. He did not say the film is dead, and he did not name a timeline for returning to it. What he did indicate is that his attention is divided among several other projects, which helps explain why the Lucasfilm movie has slipped down the list.
The Writer Behind the New Project
The different project is with Tony McNamara, the two-time Oscar-nominated writer of The Favourite and Poor Things. Asked about it, Waititi reportedly checked with his publicist, who told him to stay quiet. His response was, “Well, there's your answer,” The Playlist says. No details have been given.
The exchange reveals little about the project itself, but it does confirm that something is in development and that the two are working together. McNamara is known for sharp, darkly comic screenplays, a style that fits comfortably with Waititi's own comic sensibility. Their pairing on a new film suggests a creative partnership that has continued beyond the Star Wars script, though neither the genre nor the scale of the new work has been revealed.
A Long Road for the Lucasfilm Movie
Lucasfilm announced the film on May 4, 2020, with Krysty Wilson-Cairns co-writing. She left in 2023, and McNamara later took over the script, according to World of Reel. In January, outgoing Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said Waititi had delivered a screenplay and called it hilarious, per The Playlist.
Several features of that timeline stand out. The film was announced more than six years before this latest update, and its writing team has changed at least once during that period. The January comment from Kennedy indicated that a script existed and that the studio had read it, which makes the current pause more notable, since the project had progressed past the idea stage. The remark also came as Kennedy was on her way out of the president's role, and leadership changes at a studio can affect which projects move forward.
Waititi and the Galaxy Far, Far Away
Waititi already has a place in the franchise. He directed an episode of The Mandalorian and provided the voice of the droid IG-11, and his earlier work on Thor: Ragnarok demonstrated how he could bring a distinct comic tone to a large franchise film. A feature in the Star Wars universe from him was therefore widely anticipated, which is why the news that it is on ice has drawn attention.
Why Waititi Is in Demand
Waititi's career has combined large studio films with smaller, personal work. He directed Thor: Ragnarok in 2017 and won an Oscar for the adapted screenplay of Jojo Rabbit, and he co-created the vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, the same property that now appears on his list of possible sequels. That record explains the number of offers on his desk, and it makes his choice of which to pursue first a decision that studios and fans will follow closely.
A Crowded Slate, Not a Cancellation
World of Reel lists other projects on Waititi's slate, including a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory project, We're Wolves, a What We Do in the Shadows sequel, The Incal, Barn 8 and a Flash Gordon remake. The Playlist notes this is Waititi stepping back, not Lucasfilm formally cancelling the film.
The distinction matters. A formal cancellation would mean the studio had ended the project, whereas Waititi's description is of a director setting it aside while he focuses on other work. That leaves the film technically alive, even if there is no active development. The long list of other projects shows how many options are competing for his time, and it suggests that the decision about which to pursue first reflects scheduling and interest as much as any problem with the Star Wars script.
For now, fans of the franchise have no new information about the film's plot, cast or release plans,. Waititi's own words suggest the future of the film is open, but they also make clear that it is not his current focus.