Variant
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss — the creative duo behind HBO’s Game of Thrones — are no longer attached to helm a new trilogy of Star Wars movies.
According to Deadline, Benioff and Weiss — who had previously been tapped to write and produce a post-Skywalker Star Wars trilogy slated for launch in 2022 — have now walked away from their deal with the Disney-owned Lucasfilm. The writers explain that while they are still big fans of the Star Wars universe, they also have a lot on their plate at the moment, having recently penned a massive overall deal with Netflix.
“We love Star Wars,” the duo said in a statement. “When George Lucas built it, he built us too. Getting to talk about Star Wars with him and the current Star Wars team was the thrill of a lifetime, and we will always be indebted to the saga that changed everything. There are only so many hours in the day, and we felt we could not do justice to both Star Wars and our Netflix projects. So we are regretfully stepping away.”
This sentiment is shared by Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, who still hopes to collaborate with the Game of Thrones creators in the future. “David Benioff and Dan Weiss are incredible storytellers,” said Kennedy. “We hope to include them in the journey forward when they are able to step away from their busy schedule to focus on Star Wars.”
The planned trilogy would have followed December’s The Rise of Skywalker, which is set to conclude the nine-film “Skywalker Saga” and leave the door open for different stories starring different characters. Despite D&D’s departure, however, there are still multiple forthcoming live-action Star Wars projects.
In addition to The Rise of Skywalker, the Disney+ original series The Mandalorian is set to arrive in just two weeks, with another series starring Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi also in the works. As far as the big screen is concerned, another trilogy is reportedly being developed by Rian Johnson, director of 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige also has his sights set on the galaxy far, far away, and is reportedly developing a Star Wars film of his own.
Article by CBR.com
