Taika Waititi’s Star Wars Project Paused as He Shifts Focus
Taika Waititi confirmed that his long-developed Star Wars movie has been put ‘on ice’ indefinitely, according to Variety. He noted he has about four other movies in development, including adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, We’re Wolves, The Incal, and Barn 8. The Star Wars film, which has been in development since 2020, remains stalled despite earlier progress with McNamara taking over scriptwriting duties.
From Wellington Indies to Global Recognition
Taika Waititi was born Taika David Cohen on 16 August 1975 in Wellington, New Zealand, according to his Wikipedia profile. His early work gained acclaim at home, with Boy (2010) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) each becoming the top-grossing film entirely funded and produced within New Zealand. His 2003 short film Two Cars, One Night earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. These projects established a tone of heartfelt humour rooted in New Zealand’s landscapes and culture, blending deadpan comedy with emotional sincerity.
Bringing Indie Sensibility to Blockbuster Franchises
Waititi transitioned to major studio films with Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), which he directed for Marvel Studios. He retained his signature style — improvisational energy, character-driven humour, and a willingness to subvert genre expectations — while working within large-scale franchises. In 2019, he wrote, directed, and starred in Jojo Rabbit, a satirical drama about a boy in Nazi Germany whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler. The film won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and received six Oscar nominations total. Time magazine named Waititi one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022, recognising his impact across film and television.
Current Projects and Industry Standing
Beyond the paused Star Wars effort, Waititi is advancing several other films. He is developing a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie, a sequel to What We Do in the Shadows titled We’re Wolves, an adaptation of the graphic novel The Incal, and a film based on the satirical novel Barn 8. He has also remained active in television, co-creating Reservation Dogs and starring in and directing episodes of Our Flag Means Death. His episode of The Mandalorian, in which he voiced the droid IG-11, earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. These projects reflect a filmmaker who balances commercial opportunities with personal, often whimsical, storytelling.
Cultural Roots and Personal Identity Shaping His Directorial Voice
Born on 16 August 1975 in Wellington, Waititi’s lineage blends Māori, French‑Canadian, Russian‑Jewish, Irish and broader European ancestry. He describes himself as a “Polynesian Jew,” noting that his mother’s family were Russian Jewish and Irish while his father’s side includes Māori‑Battery soldier heritage. Though raised without practicing Judaism, Waititi identifies as an atheist who “puts more stock in indigenous beliefs,” a perspective that often surfaces in his films through a blend of mythic storytelling and irreverent humor.
These multicultural roots inform the tonal balance that defines his work: heartfelt sincerity paired with off‑beat comedy. The eclectic mix earned him a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, alongside an Academy Award, a BAFTA and multiple Emmy nominations. His recent foray into television—co‑creating the acclaimed series Reservation Dogs, directing and starring in the comedy Our Flag Means Death, and appearing on The Masked Singer—demonstrates how his personal identity continues to drive a “light‑hearted, joyful, emotional epic” sensibility, as noted by industry observers.
From Short Films to Cult Classics: Early Works That Shaped His Voice
Before his breakout features, Waititi earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film with Two Cars, One Night (2003), a modest New Zealand vignette that put him on the global radar. The short’s success demonstrated his knack for blending dead‑pan humor with genuine pathos—a formula he would later expand in his first feature, Boy (2010). This early recognition helped secure funding for larger projects and cemented his reputation as a filmmaker who could turn everyday moments into resonant stories.
In 2014, Waititi co‑wrote, co‑directed, and co‑starred in the horror‑comedy What We Do in the Shadows alongside Jemaine Clement. The film’s mock‑documentary style and affectionate satire of vampire lore quickly became a cult favorite, spawning a television adaptation in 2019. The series, which Waititi co‑created and produced, was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, underscoring his ability to translate a quirky indie premise into a critically acclaimed TV format.
These formative projects not only garnered prestigious nominations—a nod from the Academy for a short and an Emmy nod for a series—but also laid the groundwork for Waititi’s later blockbuster ventures. The blend of improvisational comedy, heartfelt character work, and a willingness to subvert genre expectations can be traced directly back to the creative risks he took in these early works.
Future Collaborations And Projects
According to Inverse, Taika Waititi is working on a different project with Tony McNamara, the screenwriter who took over scriptwriting duties for the Star Wars movie. Waititi mentioned that he has about four other movies in development, including a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie, a sequel to What We Do in the Shadows titled We’re Wolves, an adaptation of the graphic novel The Incal, and a film based on the satirical novel Barn 8.
Waititi expressed that “ice ages do come to an end” when discussing the possibility of returning to the Star Wars universe, leaving the door open for a potential future project. Although the current Star Wars movie is “on ice,” fans can look forward to Waititi’s other upcoming films and collaborations, including the new project with McNamara.
Sources
- Taika Waititi
- Taika Waititi Confirms His ‘Star Wars’ Movie Has Been Put ‘on Ice’ Indefinitely
- Exclusive: Taika Waititi's Star Wars Movie Is "On Ice" — But There's A Silver Lining
Photo: CaseyJNewell (CC BY-SA 4.0)
