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Taika Waititi wants a Star Wars movie that stands alone
Taika Waititi — Oscar-winning director of Jojo Rabbit and the irreverent Thor: Ragnarok — has once again spoken about his still-mysterious Star Wars project. In a wide-ranging chat with Variety at the Sundance Film Festival, Waititi stressed that his film must feel independent from the dense, interconnected storytelling that has dominated recent Star Wars entries. Announced by Disney and Lucasfilm back in 2020, the project remains unproduced and wrapped in ambiguity, but Waititi’s intentions are becoming clearer: he wants to bring back playfulness and pure cinematic joy.
Waititi argued that Star Wars has always balanced big stakes and serious themes with an essential sense of fun. That lighter, adventurous spirit, he believes, has been diluted in some recent franchise installments. His pitch, according to comments relayed by Lucasfilm’s former president Kathleen Kennedy — who said Waititi delivered a "creative, funny, and different" screenplay — aims to recapture that classic blend of wonder and entertainment without being bogged down by the current saga’s multiple narrative threads.
How this could differ from recent Star Wars films
Rather than slotting directly into the existing continuity or explaining plotlines from other TV shows and movies, Waititi’s film would reportedly carve out its own tone and space. Think of it less like a sequel and more like a standalone adventure — a strategy that recalls Rogue One’s success in creating a single, self-contained story within the universe. Waititi’s comedic instincts and visual flair (on display in Thor: Ragnarok and his vocal/directorial cameos) suggest a take that could be refreshingly offbeat compared with J.J. Abrams’ nostalgia-driven returns or the tonal experiments of Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi.
This approach has risks: a tonal pivot can delight fans hungry for novelty but also polarize purists who want strict continuity. Waititi himself seems aware of that balance; his stated goal is to reintroduce entertainment value without undercutting Star Wars’ mythic core.
From Sundance to the galaxy far, far away
While promoting Fing, a family adventure in which he plays the villain, Waititi praised Darth Vader as one of cinema’s greatest antagonists — a character with profound psychological impact. He also confessed excitement for the upcoming Marvel film Avengers: Doomsday, which reunites Thor with Chris Hemsworth under the Russo brothers. Even when not directly involved, Waititi watches and celebrates how shared universes evolve.
Industry context matters here: franchises are juggling fatigue, streaming expectations, and a market that rewards immediate brand recognition. Creators like Waititi are being asked to balance personal voice with franchise safety. A standalone Star Wars film could be a model for future tentpole risk-taking: a high-profile director applying an unmistakable style while preserving the world’s lore.
Fans and critics are divided in anticipation. Some see Waititi as the perfect person to inject mischief and heart back into Star Wars; others worry his humor might clash with the saga’s gravitas. Behind the scenes, Waititi’s collaborative nature — he often acts in his projects and co-writes scripts — could make this film feel intimate despite its billion-dollar umbrella.
"If Waititi's Star Wars movie gets the green light, it should play like a director's love letter to adventure filmmaking," says film critic Anna Kovacs. "His blend of absurdist humor and emotional clarity could restore a forgotten lightness to the franchise — but it'll have to respect the stakes that make Star Wars feel epic."
Whether Disney and Lucasfilm will move forward remains a business decision as much as an artistic one. For now, Waititi’s promise of a funny, distinct Star Wars film is one of the more intriguing possibilities in franchise cinema — a reminder that even the most established universes can benefit from a bold, singular voice.
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