Taika Waititi Says His ‘Star Wars’ Movie Has Been Shelved Indefinitely

LOS ANGELES — Taika Waititi Confirms His ‘Star Wars’ Movie Has Been Shelved Indefinitely

Taika Waititi has confirmed that his planned “Star Wars” movie has been put on hold indefinitely, revealing that he and the team are now working on a different project together.

“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,” Waititi told Inverse while discussing the project. His publicist reportedly advised him not to reveal more during the conversation.

“Well, there’s your answer,” Waititi said. “I don’t even know how to dress it up or make it even vague.”

“It’s very iced. I’ve got about four other movies I’m trying to do,” he added. “Ice ages do come to an end… Who knows?”

In January, the director had described his creative vision for the proposed film, saying he wanted to recapture the sense of enjoyment he remembered from the original “Star Wars” movies.

He explained that although the franchise features high stakes and serious conflicts, its stories also leave plenty of room for entertainment and humor.

“The stakes are very high, and there’s serious things going on, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had in those films. That’s what I was trying to bring back,” Waititi said.

He also wanted to develop a story that would occupy a somewhat different space within the franchise, which already has numerous projects and storylines.

“I was trying to work in a world that was a little bit separate to that because they’ve got so many things going on within that space. For me to do something there, it would need to be a little different and a little bit more its own thing,” he said.

Previously, Kathleen Kennedy, who is exiting her role as Lucasfilm boss, described Waititi’s “Star Wars” project as “still somewhat alive.”

Meanwhile, Waititi’s latest directorial effort, “Klara and the Sun,” has received a mixed response from critics and fans.

In a review, Variety’s Guy Lodge criticized the film’s approach to adapting Kazuo Ishiguro’s work, writing that “Jenna Ortega tries hard to illuminate this misbegotten Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation, but Waititi’s decision to play it for strained, whimsical comedy is ruinous.”