Taika Waititi Confirms His Star Wars Film Is 'on Ice'

Few filmmaking announcements in the Disney era generated as much genuine curiosity as the news that Taika Waititi — the director who revitalized Marvel's Thor franchise and delivered the disarmingly warm Holocaust satire Jojo Rabbit — was developing an entry in the Star Wars universe. That curiosity, it now turns out, will need to find another outlet. Waititi has officially confirmed that the project is no longer in active development.

A Candid Admission, No Dressing It Up

Speaking to IGN during a press junket for his forthcoming adaptation Klara and the Sun, Waititi was unusually direct when asked about the state of the Star Wars film he had been developing alongside screenwriter Tony McNamara. "I hate to break this to you, but we're going to actually put it on ice and we're working on a different thing together," he told the outlet. He doubled down on the point with characteristic bluntness: "I don't even know how to dress it up or make it even vague. It's very iced."

The admission closes the chapter — at least for now — on a development saga that stretches back to early 2020, when rumors first surfaced that Lucasfilm and Disney had approached the What We Do in the Shadows creator about helming a theatrical Star Wars installment. A formal announcement followed later that same year.

A Timeline of Slow-Burning Hopes

For a while, momentum appeared genuine. By 2021, Waititi had reportedly completed the film's story. The following year, then-Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy indicated that a late-2023 theatrical release was the target — a window that passed without so much as a production start. Kennedy herself qualified that no release date had been formally locked in, and subsequent years brought only scattered reassurances that the project remained alive in some form.

As recently as earlier this year, Waititi had spoken warmly about the film's potential, suggesting he wanted it to recapture something of the playful energy that defined the original trilogy. That framing made his current announcement all the more deflating for those who had followed the project's winding path. When Kennedy, during the period surrounding her own departure from Lucasfilm, described the project as "still somewhat alive," the qualifier alone signaled trouble.

A Director With a Full Plate

Waitiiti has hardly been idle during this extended developmental limbo. Thor: Love and Thunder arrived in 2022, followed by Next Goal Wins in 2023. Now Klara and the Sun — adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's novel and featuring a cast that includes Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, and Steve Buscemi — is set for a theatrical release on October 23, 2026, though its early reception has been difficult. The film has drawn pointed criticism for its tonal choices, landing at a bruising 23% on Rotten Tomatoes across its initial reviews. For her part, Ortega continues to build considerable industry standing, having recently been among those invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

On a personal level, Waititi has remained visible and seemingly energized, suggesting the creative slowdown on Star Wars reflects the competitive demands of a filmmaker with numerous projects competing for his attention rather than any loss of momentum as an artist. He himself noted that he has approximately four other films he is currently pursuing.

The Door Isn't Welded Shut

Waitiiti was careful not to declare the Star Wars project entirely dead, closing his remarks with a geologically minded metaphor that leaves room for interpretation. "Ice ages do come to an end," he said. "Who knows?" It is the kind of answer that satisfies no one completely — which is, of course, precisely the point. Whether Lucasfilm's evolving slate and shifting leadership will eventually make space for his vision remains to be seen. For now, a galaxy far, far away will have to wait a while longer for whatever Waititi had in mind.