We're entering Phase Two of the Disney Star Wars era, for all intents and purposes, and at the moment, there appears to be a very open slate on the film front. For a time, the Game of Thrones showrunners were set to create a new theatrical Star Wars series, with the first film releasing in December 2022, but the duo was fired last October.
As far as we know, Rian Johnson's trilogy is still happening , but there's been no word on the project since late 2017 when it was announced. Taika Waititi was recently tapped to write and direct a Star Wars film, allegedly coming in 2024 - still a long way off. Nobody seems to know what exactly is coming next for Star Wars theatrically, maybe not even Lucasfilm. But if they're open to ideas, a familiar face has thrown his name into the Future Star Wars Projects hat...
NEWS
Gary Whitta shared on Twitter that he and fellow screenwriter Chris Weitz have been cooking up an idea for another Star Wars project. Whitta, who wrote a draft of the script for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and several episodes of Star Wars Rebels , says he would like to work on the idea with director Gareth Edwards:
WHAT THIS MEANS
As Whitta mentions, it won't be as easy as tweeting that he has an idea to grab Lucasfilm's attention. The process will be long and arduous, but having worked with the company before he should be able to get a sit-down with Kathleen Kennedy. It will be interesting to see what he and Weitz have in mind, should the idea ever see the light of day.
Rogue One , despite experiencing major production issues leading to extensive reshoots, has been the most popular Star Wars film under Disney, by far and away. Gareth Edwards was essentially fired and replaced by Tony Gilroy, but he toed the company line and was able to retain his directing credit and do the marketing. Should Lucasfilm green-light Whitta's idea, and would they be willing to work with Edwards again as well?
The future of Star Wars on the big screen is a giant question mark right now. If the release schedules are still to go forward as planned, we can expect the curtain to be pulled back on upcoming films next year during the D-23 convention in Anaheim. Should Whitta's idea come to fruition, it will be several years until it sees the light of day, but fans can always have hope. Rebellions are built on hope.
