Taika Waititi sheds light on the prolonged development of his Star Wars film, providing insights during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Known for his directorial work on JoJo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok, and Thor: Love and Thunder, Waititi ventured into the Star Wars universe by directing The Mandalorian season 1 finale and voicing IG-11.

While Waititi’s involvement in a standalone Star Wars film was confirmed, updates on the project have been sparse. Addressing the delays, Waititi emphasised his commitment to getting the film right and expressed a deeper aspiration to recapture the joy of the original trilogy. He acknowledged that he’s taking the necessary time to achieve this goal, stating, “I’ve been developing [the Star Wars film] for a few years, but I think with any film, but that one in particular, it’s something I’d really like to get right, so I don’t want to rush it. It’s going to bubble along on the side. I wanna capture that joy and entertainment of those early ones like The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and all those ones, so I’m trying to figure that out. It’ll happen.”

Waititi’s prominent role in a new live-action Star Wars film has stirred excitement and curiosity, especially as it’s been a considerable duration since the franchise released a new live-action movie. However, Waititi’s project remains shrouded in mystery compared to other announced Star Wars ventures. James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy are working on projects with clearer premises, leaving Waititi’s and a Shawn Levy-directed Star Wars film as enigmatic entries.

Despite the lack of specific details, Waititi’s commitment to recapturing the essence of the original trilogy and his promise to introduce something novel to expand the Star Wars universe fuel anticipation. A piece of promotional art, showcased during Disney’s 2020 Investor’s Call, depicting a diamond-shaped object in space adds an element of intrigue, prompting speculation that Waititi’s film, like Mangold’s, might delve into the past. While the specifics of Waititi’s Star Wars project remain undisclosed, the assurance that he aims to create a fresh and meaningful contribution to the franchise provides reassurance to eager fans.