Taika Waititi’s name has seemingly been everywhere since What We Do in the Shadows surprised the world with how beloved it’s become. Since then, he’s been attached to everything from cult classics like Jo-Jo Rabbit to punchy television series like Reservation Dogs to big-budget Marvel films like Thor: Ragnarok. And it’s likely because he turned just about everything he touched to gold that he was tapped for an upcoming unnamed Star Wars spinoff project. That project, however, seems to be back in development hell, or at least on an indefinite hiatus, and the reason why is actually pretty surprising.
Usually, when production on a film stops, the blame can be placed at the feet of the studio, or whatever bigwigs are running the show. This time, however, it comes down to the fact that Waititi and screenwriter Tony McNamara would simply prefer to be doing other things. Speaking with Inverse, he said, “I hate to break this to you, but we’re going to actually put it on ice, and we’re working on a different thing together. Well, there’s your answer,” Waititi says. “I don’t even know how to dress it up or make it even vague.”
But, according to some franchise fans, that isn’t the worst thing in the world. “Problem with being an auteur is that you have to develop and cultivate a certain brand or style and go all-in on that style. Problem with Taika is that he went all-in on the wrong direction. He needs to take a break and reinvent himself,” said one fan when commenting on why Waititi is no longer working on legacy projects like Marvel or Star Wars. Others blame the director’s most recent work, Klara and the Sun, an adaptation of the dystopian novel of the same name, for its poor critical reception (early reviews have it at a dismal 25% Rotten Tomatoes score).
Other fans, however, say the franchise itself is burning out, dragging projects like this down with it. One stated, “It’s weird how both Star Wars and Star Trek both just need a 10-year break. I mean, I love ’em both, but I can’t even keep up with some of the crap they churn out.” And some responsibility definitely rests with Lucasfilm here, as they seem to jump on directors they think are hip, then scrap their projects (as seen with Rian Johnson and Colin Trevorrow and their promised projects), move on to greener pastures, and repeat the process ad nauseam.
As for what else Waititi has going for him? “I’ve got about four other movies I’m trying to do,” he says. Those projects include a sequel to What We Do in the Shadows, a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reboot, a graphic novel adaptation of The Incal, and an adaptation of the novel Barn 8.
