Taika Waititi Says His Planned Star Wars Film Is on Hold, Not Formally Canceled
The director told Inverse that the long-developing project has been paused while he works on other films, without announcing a restart date.
Quick read: An October 18 interview with Inverse establishes that Waititi's Star Wars movie is paused. The director offered no timetable for returning and did not announce that Lucasfilm had permanently canceled it.
The director describes the project's current position
While promoting his film Klara and the Sun, Taika Waititi told Inverse that his long-planned Star Wars project is now on hold. The filmmaker said he and collaborator Tony McNamara were turning their attention to another project. Waititi did not supply a production start date, casting announcement, release window or revised plot description for the Star Wars feature.
The interview is stronger evidence than an anonymous production rumor because it records the director's own account of his work. It is not, however, a formal cancellation statement from Lucasfilm. Waititi left open the possibility that the project might eventually resume. IDS is using the label Development Watch rather than presenting the film as completed or permanently abandoned.
A project first announced years ago
Lucasfilm publicly announced Waititi as the director of a new Star Wars theatrical film in 2020. Over the following years it remained in development rather than proceeding to a dated theatrical release. Public updates have occasionally described the project's creative direction, but no completed cast list or film shoot has been announced.
Waititi already has a connection to live-action Star Wars through The Mandalorian. He voiced IG-11 and directed the first season's final episode. Those credits establish his past work in the franchise but are not evidence about the settings, characters or continuity of his proposed feature. Rumored storylines should not be treated as confirmed content.
What this means for the theatrical slate
The delay does not change the official May 28, 2027 release date currently assigned to Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter. It also does not provide new release information for the other Lucasfilm projects in development. Each title needs to be assessed independently using current first-party announcements.
Because film development can reverse course, an indefinite pause is not the same as a permanent cancellation. A future script update, studio statement or confirmed production start would justify changing the IDS status. Until then, no speculative release year should appear beside Waititi's film in any schedule presented as confirmed.
Source trail
What this report is based on
- Inverse: Taika Waititi Star Wars film interview ↗October 18, 2026 original interview with the director.
- Variety: Waititi confirms film on hold ↗October 19 follow-up corroborating the director's statements.
IDS labels unconfirmed information explicitly and updates stories when official information materially changes the status.