Lucasfilm wants Taika Waititi to develop a Star Wars film

Fresh off the resounding success of Jojo Rabbit, reports indicate Lucasfilm wants Taika Waititi to develop a Star Wars film. 

In what would be an unlikely meeting of two of the biggest films of the summer, Jojo Rabbit-director Waititi could be headed to a galaxy far, far away. Citing unnamed film industry sources, The Hollywood Reporter says it’s unclear whether Waititi has been invited to work on the film currently being developed by Kevin Feige, or if it’s a separate project.

Watch: Taika Waititi break down a scene from ‘Jojo Rabbit’

Feige and Waititi previously worked together on Thor: Ragnarok. As president of Marvel Studios, Feige has produced all of the company’s blockbuster releases over the past decade or so. CNN reported in September that Feige has been asked to develop a Star Wars film, though precise details remain scant.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker came out just before Christmas, wrapping up the sequel trilogy that began with 2015’s The Force Awakens. However, Disney and Lucasfilm are far from finished with Star Wars. For instance, Web TV series The Mandalorian launched on Disney+ in November.

The series focuses on the titular bounty hunter and is set 25 years prior to the events of The Force Awakens. The Mandalorian has received widespread critical acclaim, boasting a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Waititi directed the series’ final episode, ‘Redemption’, and provided the voice for the droid, IG-11, across its eight episodes. Jon Favreau – who also has a close association with Marvel Studios – created and wrote the entire series, and a second one is scheduled for late 2020.

Jojo Rabbit just nabbed a bunch of Oscar nominations, including for best picture and best adapted screenplay. The film centres on Jojo, a ten-year-old member of Hitler Youth in the dying days of the Second World War. Waititi plays his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler. It’s a knee-slapping comedy that includes sobering moments of clarity on the atrocities of WWII.

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