Rumor Alert: Lucasfilm Axes Taika Waititi’s Star Wars Project, Leslye Headland Also Ousted

Recent reports have surfaced that Taika Waititi will no longer be directing his anticipated Star Wars film, and Leslye Headland is also parting ways with Lucasfilm. These revelations come from Matt McGloin of Cosmic Book News, who gathered insider information at the recent Comic-Con event.

According to McGloin, an insider confirmed that Waititi’s involvement with the Star Wars project is off. This decision seems to stem from challenges related to his latest work on ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ It was suggested that the film did not go as planned and Marvel had to step in to complete it without him. McGloin’s source mentioned that because of these issues, Waititi did not finish the reshoots or the final cut of ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’

Waititi has been open about his motivations for working on the Thor movies in the past. On the Smartless podcast in November 2023, he admitted he was mainly motivated by financial reasons. He highlighted that he never had a deep interest in Thor, having barely read the comics as a child. His approach to ‘Thor’ was to emphasize the character’s more outlandish elements, seeing him as a rich, germ-hating space resident.

His comments align with his decision to focus on different projects, as indicated in a Business Insider interview while promoting ‘Next Goal Wins.’ Waititi confirmed he would not continue with the Thor series, choosing to concentrate on other filmmaking opportunities.

Despite these shifts in his career, Waititi had been engaged with his Star Wars film as recently as last year. He mentioned in various interviews throughout 2023 that he was still in the process of writing the screenplay. However, he expressed the desire to balance his professional projects with personal time, including spending time with his family.

The announcement of Waititi’s Star Wars film initially made headlines on May 4, 2020, through the official Star Wars website. The site celebrated Waititi’s involvement, noting his Academy Award for ‘Jojo Rabbit’ and his success with ‘The Mandalorian.’ Krysty Wilson-Cairns was set to join him in penning the script.

However, there have been little to no updates on the progress of this project since then. Waititi himself has voiced uncertainties about the script’s completion and the film’s eventual production timeline. In a candid moment while presenting an award in September 2023, he admitted struggling to finalize the script.

These developments mark a significant shift in Lucasfilm’s direction with their creative talents and projects. As Waititi steps back to explore other creative avenues, it remains to be seen how Lucasfilm will adapt its strategy for future Star Wars narratives.

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