‘Thor: Love And Thunder’ Director Taika Waititi Says His Star Wars Film “Is Gonna Piss People Off”
John F. Trent
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Thor: Love and Thunder and The Mandalorian director Taika Waititi recently gave an update on his Star Wars film noting that it will “piss people off.”
While speaking with Variety while promoting his Next Goal Wins film, Waititi confirmed the movie “will be … dramatic pause… a Taika Waititi film.”
He then allegedly added with a laugh, “It’s gonna piss people off.”
Waititi’s Star Wars film was announced back on May 4, 2020 by the official Star Wars website.
The site posted, “Academy Award® winner Taika Waititi, who recently won Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit and directed the widely-acclaimed first season finale episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+, will direct and co-write a new Star Wars feature film for theatrical release.”
The site added, “Joining Waititi on the screenplay will be Academy Award® nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917, Last Night in Soho), who received a BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year on the three-time Oscar-winning film, 1917.”
In 2022, he provided an update to The New York Times telling the outlet, “I’m trying to write the ‘Star Wars’ idea at the moment. I’ve got to see how that goes, because once I submit it, that might determine when it gets made or if it gets made, even.”
He added, “I am cool as well to take six months off and just go hang out with my kids.”
Back in March, he was asked about rumors that he might be starring in the film as well as writing it. He informed Deadline, “Yeah, that rumor’s about three years old. All I’ll say is God forbid I make a Star Wars film about people sitting on mountains playing flutes…”
When Deadline’s Dominic Patten informed him, “Well, they kind of went there with the last few Stars Wars movies with Luke Skywalker,” Waititi replied, “Okay, then I won’t do that, for sure.”
In May, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy informed Empire Magazine that Waititi was having issues with a third act.
She told the magazine, “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.”
However, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at the end of May, Waititi detailed he was struggling with the middle of the movie, not the third act.
He said, “I’ve got a really good idea for it. It’s just as with all films, it’s this middle part. You’re like, ‘What’s going to happen?’ And then you look at all of those films that are so great, you’re like, ‘Well, I guess they can’t meet some smuggler with an alien sidekick.’”
He went on to note the film’s script was not a top priority, “For the most part, I would like to take a few holidays and go and follow Rita around. Just be her little tour toy boy and hang out with her and just watch her perform and get her a cup of tea backstage.”
In September, Waititi also admitted he had not finished his script while presenting Shawn Levy an award at the Toronto International Film Festival Tribute Awards.
He said, “After [Levy] has had his way with that franchise like a cruel, indiscriminate virus he’ll move onto another, and another, and another, and then eventually probably Star Wars.”
Waititi then admitted, “Unlike me I hope he manages to finish a script for that.”
Taika Waititi honors Shawn Levy at the TIFF Tribute Awards: "Shawn has resisted the comfort of sameness in career, resulting in work that is audacious in its range of genres." https://t.co/XkWfqBFsIz pic.twitter.com/kKBOz9In2W
— Variety (@Variety) September 11, 2023
Earlier this month he informed Business Insider, “It’s still marinating. I’ve been writing it.”
However, he noted he has quite a bit lined up before he moves forward with it informing the outlet he wants to do an adaptation of Klara and the Sun as his next film.
He also wants to adapt Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Incal graphic novel.
Waititi’s comment about the film pissing people off should come as no surprise. He also promised he would ruin Thor’s mythos with Thor: Love and Thunder.
He tweeted back in 2019, “I’ll ruin your mythos in a minute, baby.”
The movie received a 6.2 out of 10 from IMDb users and a 76% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Promise clearly delivered.
What do you make of Waititi’s comments about his Star Wars film pissing people off?
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