Academy Award-winning director, writer, and actor Taika Waititi confirmed in an interview published in mid-October 2026 that his long-gestating Star Wars feature film at Lucasfilm has officially been placed on hold indefinitely. Speaking during press rounds for his upcoming sci-fi feature Klara and the Sun, Waititi revealed that development on the galactic project has been paused as he and screenwriter Tony McNamara pivot to a new feature together.
Waititi stated candidly that the project is "very iced," explaining that juggling multiple directorial commitments made it difficult to proceed with production at this time. First announced by Lucasfilm in May 2020 following Waititi's acclaimed work directing the Season 1 finale of The Mandalorian, the standalone Star Wars movie was intended to bring a fresh, humorous, and distinct perspective to the franchise. Although script revisions took place over several years, the movie never officially set a production date or casting schedule.
The New Zealand filmmaker first achieved widespread international recognition with indie comedy hits What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). He later entered the global blockbuster realm by directing Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). In 2020, Waititi won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his WWII satirical comedy-drama Jojo Rabbit, which was also nominated for Best Picture.
While Waititi noted that "ice ages do come to an end," leaving open the slim possibility of revisiting the Star Wars universe in the future, his immediate focus remains centered on a busy directorial slate. His latest film, Klara and the Sun—an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's bestselling novel starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams—is set for theatrical release, while Waititi is also preparing an adaptation of Percival Everett's novel James.
The shelving of Waititi's Star Wars project reflects Lucasfilm's ongoing recalibration of its theatrical feature pipeline. For Waititi, setting aside the high-pressure franchise allows him to dedicate his full focus to original, director-driven feature films.
