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Taika Waititi Backtracks Denying Star Wars Film Rumors


Star Wars fans had a whole lot to celebrate on May the Fourth.

In the spirit of Star Wars Day, Lucasfilm made two major announcements yesterday. Not only did the studio confirm that it has tasked Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland with the development of a brand new Star Wars series for Disney+, but Lucasfilm also announced that Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi would be directing a brand new movie for the Star Wars franchise.

The news came as a surprise to fans. As exciting as it is to have the critically-acclaimed director helm a movie for Lucasfilm's galaxy far, far away, Waititi had previously denied plans to develop a film for the Star Wars franchise.

Turning into a household name in the Hollywood industry thanks to his work with films like Thor: Ragnarok and JoJo Rabbit, Waititi was rumored to join the Star Wars film franchise a few months back. The director denied these reports, saying that he had no intention of directing any sort of Star Wars movie.

Well, it looks like the joke's on us.

Taking to social media (via Cinema Blend), Waititi has decided to backtrack on the statements saying that he wouldn't direct any sort of film for Star Wars. It turns out the director had been discussing plans to develop a movie with Lucasfilm for quite some time – Waititi didn't want to jinx the deal by confirming the rumors that had begun sprouting earlier this year.

We're more than excited for Waititi's new movie though. We hope Lucasfilm's going to release details about the project soon.

Read: Star Wars: The Mandalorian Director Shares First Look at Baby Yoda in Season 2

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