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Published Jan 24, 2026, 3:26 PM EST
Hannah Gearan (she/her) is has been writing for ScreenRant for over three years. Her deep cinema love traces back to age 11, when she equipped herself with a spiral-bound notebook, rated all the films she watched, and declared herself a critic. About a decade later, she received a BA from Wesleyan University, where she studied Film, Environmental Studies, and Writing. Hannah’s short film, Toxic Faucets, has screened at numerous film festivals, including the Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston). As a Movie News writer now, she draws upon her vast experience studying, making, and analyzing film as she approaches dynamic breaking stories.
Taika Waititi teases how his Star Wars movie will be tonally different from the original movies. Waititi's entry into the galaxy far, far away has been long awaited ever since the film was officially announced on May 4, 2020. The film has since been stuck in development, experiencing several delays along the way.
Even now, Waititi's Star Wars entry does not have a confirmed release date. Since the film's original announcement, the multihyphenate has gone on to be involved in numerous other projects, including directing Thor: Love and Thunder, Next Goal Wins, and two episodes of the TV series Time Bandits.
In an interview with Variety, Waititi explains how much his Star Wars film is similar to and different from the originals. He was asked to define what he will "bring to that world [of Star Wars] that we might have not seen before." On the one hand, the film he is making will have high stakes and "serious things going on," solidifying it as part of this new era of Star Wars.
At the same time, he wants to "harness a little more of the fun" and spirit that came from the original films. He wants to "bring back" this energy, as much as he also wants to do something new. Check out the full quote from Waititi below:
"I think you've seen it before but I'm just trying to sort of go back and harness a little more of the fun from the original films. Which is what I remember. The stakes are very high, and there are serious things going on, but also there's a lot of fun to be had in those films, and that's what I was trying to bring back."
This will not be the first time that Waititi has tried to put a light spin on a major series. His MCU debut, Thor: Ragnarok, put a delightfully rompish spin on the Norse superhero that the previous films had not seen before.
Fans of his work loved the way the New Zealander was bringing in the spirit of his early films like Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows, but into the mainstream landscape. It put a playful wit into the franchise that was new to viewers.
It seems like Waititi is trying to capture a similar essence with his Star Wars movie, focusing on the "fun to be had" rather than harping on the most serious elements. In an era of the franchise where many have been disappointed with shows like The Acolyte or theatrical releases like Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker, this could be a breath of fresh air.
That said, Waititi will still need to work within a tone and framework that Star Wars audiences will respond well to. Though Thor: Ragnarok was lauded, the follow-up, Love and Thunder, did not receive nearly as strong reviews. As such, audiences could be going into Waititi's Star Wars with a much more cautious optimism than before.
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