Why Rian Johnson And Taika Waititi's Star Wars Movies Are Taking So Long, According To Kathleen Kennedy
In November of 2017, just prior to the release of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," it was announced that director Rian Johnson, working with his creative collaborator Ram Bergman, would immediately begin work on three new "Star Wars" feature films, set entirely apart from the Skywalker-centric story already being explored. The actual story or content of this mysterious new trilogy was not revealed, although Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy expressed enthusiasm, saying that Johnson was "a creative force, and watching him craft 'The Last Jedi' from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career."
In May 2020, it was likewise announced that Taika Waititi, the director of "Jojo Rabbit" and an episode of "The Mandalorian," was also going to be co-writing and directing his own "Star Wars" feature film with award-winning "1917" and "Last Night in Soho" screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns. Again, no details were announced, so any actual subject matter of Waititi's "Star Wars" film has to remain in the realm of speculation.
In the most recent issue of Empire Magazine, Kennedy gave the first update in a while on Johnson's and Waititi's "Star Wars" movies. It seems that for one filmmaker, scheduling is an issue, and for the other, well ... he merely writes slowly. Kennedy said:
"Rian and I talk all the time. [...] [He] just keeps getting more and more successful, and it keeps moving things back further and further. One day we'll figure this out. And Taika is working away. He's just, and he won't get mad at me for saying this, slow. We've got a couple of acts, we need a third. And 'Lando' is still on the books, and 'Rogue Squadron' is still on the books. We just want them to be great."
Whither Johnson?
"Lando" is a miniseries about the character of Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams, Donald Glover) set to air on Disney+. "Rogue Squadron" is a film being developed by director Patty Jenkins, the maker of "Wonder Woman."
The last "Star Wars" feature film to play in theaters was J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in 2019. This stands counter to the plans originally announced by Disney back in 2015 when the company purchased Lucasfilm. Initially, Disney had plans to release a new "Star Wars" feature film every year. In the odd-numbered years, the films would be part of a central, numerical continuity. In the even-numbered years, the films would be spinoffs or separate continuities. From 2015 to 2019, Disney was as good as their word, releasing three new numerical episodes, and two spinoffs: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and "Solo."
Due to factors like "Solo" becoming the first "Star Wars" movie to bomb at the box office, that original plan was eventually scrapped. COVID might have also played a role in the recent slowdown of "Star Wars" film releases. The franchise has moved mainly to TV since 2019.
In April of 2023, in honor of the "Star Wars" Celebration press event, Kennedy was interviewed by Variety to further explain the future of "Star Wars" movies and the delays. She added that Johnson has been successful with his Benoit Blanc movies, and finding time to slate "Star Wars" has been a challenge. In her words:
"[W]e're not actively involved in anything at the moment because he's doing another one of the 'Glass Onion' movies and then God knows what else. But he really wants to step back into the space. It's a big commitment of time, so that's really on him."
Whither Waititi?
In the Variety interview, Kennedy again cited Waititi's writing process, although this time described him as being protective rather than slow. She said:
"Taika is still working away. [...] He's writing the script himself. He doesn't really want to bring others into that process and I don't blame him. He has a very, very unique voice. So we want to protect that and that's what he's doing. But we're going to make that one day."
It seems that the films are in development, but it's been taking a while thanks to scheduling. Nothing more complicated than that. Kennedy also said at the "Star Wars" Celebration that the "once-a-year" pattern might have been cheapening the brand, and the "once every three or four years" was probably more feasible.
Meanwhile, "Star Wars" is continuing apace elsewhere. As of this writing, "Young Jedi Adventures" and the second season of the animated anthology series "Star Wars: Visions" have been released. The live-action series "Ahsoka" is set to debut in August, with "Skeleton Crew" possibly coming later in the year. 2024 will see the release of "The Acolyte" and the second season of "Andor. Not yet scheduled are returns for "The Bad Batch" and "The Mandalorian."
Other cinema projects are also still in the early stages of development. James Mangold may begin shooting his own "Star Wars" movie in 2025. Dave Filoni has said that he will be making a "Mandalorian"-adjacent "Star Wars" film. Also, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy ("Ms. Marvel") is working on a new "Star Wars" film that features the character Rey (Daisy Ridley). Kennedy said:
"It's much better to tell the truth, that we're going to make these movies when they're ready to be made, and release them when they're ready to be released."
Patience is a virtue.