Star Wars fans are thrilled to learn Taika Waititi will direct and co-write the next film in the sci-fi saga
- The announcement came in honor of May 4th, unofficial Star Wars Day
- Academy Award nominated writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns will craft the script
- The Kiwi actor/director earned an Oscar last year for JoJo Rabbit
- He previously directed the blockbuster Marvel movie Thor: Ragnarok
- Waititi directed the season finale of The Mandalorian and was one of the leads
The next Star Wars will be directed and co-written by Taika Waititi.
Fans of the series got quite the surprise Monday, learning the man behind Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit will be at the helm of the next addition to the sci-fi saga.
The news came out via StarWars.com in celebration of May 4th, an unofficial holiday celebrating the series.
Big deal: Academy Award winner Taika Waititi will direct the next Star Wars film. He’s seen in February above
The script will be penned by writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who earned an Oscar nomination for her work on 1917 during January’s ceremony.
A release date has yet to be announced, but as of now Disney still has December 16, 2022 reserved for a Star Wars release.
The slot had been reserved for a now-shelved Star Wars film from Game Of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Waititi is no stranger to the George Lucas-imagined universe.
May the Fourth be with you! The news came out via StarWars.com in celebration of May 4th, an unofficial holiday celebrating the series.
Intergalactic: Taika directed season finale of Disney+’s The Mandalorian and played the part of droid IG-11, above
The Kiwi talent directed season finale of Disney+’s The Mandalorian and played the part of droid IG-11.
The director/writer/actor has already proven his ability to handle a blockbuster with his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Thor: Ragnarok grossed $854million, becoming the highest-earning film of the Thor trilogy.
Calling the shots: The director/writer/actor has already proven his ability to handle a blockbuster with his work directing Thor: Ragnarok, which grossed $854million in box offices
Waititi hopes to repeat that success with the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder, which is set for release on February 11, 2022.
An upcoming Disney+ series set in the Star Wars universe was also announced Monday. Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland has been hired as show-runner and no other details have been revealed.
Other Star Wars projects in the pipeline include the second season of The Mandalorian, which is slated for October, as well as a sequel to Rogue One and a series about Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi.