Kathleen Kennedy Wants A Taika Waititi ‘Star Wars’ Movie (And Who Can Blame Her?)
Taika Waititihas gone from indie filmmaker to blockbuster super-director with the success ofThor: Ragnarok, which means it’s only a matter of time before he moves on to even bigger things. LikeStar Wars, for example. Lucasfilm PresidentKathleen Kennedyrecently confirmed that she’d be thrilled to have Waititi direct aStar Warsfilm, and Waititi has expressed a vague interest in the past. So don’t be surprised if this becomes a done deal at some point.
After helming hilarious indie comedies likeWhat We Do In the ShadowsandHunt for the Wilderpeople, Taika Waititi graduated to big blockbuster filmmaking withThor: Ragnarok. The film was a hit at the box office, and received some of the best MCUreviews to date, which can only mean that Waititi’s career will continue onward and upward. The filmmaker has already been mentioned as a possible director for the live-actionAkira, and now he can add theStar Warsfranchise to his possible list of projects. Speaking withNewshub, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said she would “love for [Waititi] to direct aStar Warsmovie.” Kennedy then added, “I think he has exactly the right sensibility. It was very exciting to see him step into the Marvel universe and do such an amazing job withThor.”
For his part, Waititi has expressed interest in his patented humorous way, tellingUproxx, “I’m not an idiot. Who would actually say no to Star Wars?” He also had this to say onTwitter:
Waititi is obviously referring to several tumultuous behind-the-scenes events of various recentStar Warsfilms, like the rumors thatGareth Edwardswas essentially removed fromRogue One: A Star Wars Storyso thatTony Gilroycould handle reshoots, the firing ofPhil Lord and Chris MillerfromSolo: A Star Wars Story, the firing ofFantastic FourdirectorJosh Trankfrom anotherStar Wars Anthologyfilm, andColin TrevorrowdepartingStar Wars: Episode IX. TheStar Warsfilms have a high turnover rate.
That said, Waititi is clearly a talented filmmaker, and he would no doubt bring the same sense of lighthearted humor he brought toThor: Ragnarokto theStar Warsfranchise. That said, it would be really, really, really cool if Kathleen Kennedy would start considering female filmmakers to helm one of the many futureStar Warsmovies in the works. There are many talented female directors out there who would probably leap at the chance to direct a film in this franchise. All Kathleen Kennedy has to do is offer them the chance.
