Taika Waititi’s Judge Dredd: Impact on Star Wars Film

Taika Waititi’s recent announcement about Judge Dredd has left fans wondering about the future of his Star Wars film. As he embarks on a new franchise, what does this mean for his long-awaited project in a galaxy far, far away?

Taika Waititi’s New Legendary Action Franchise Movie Probably Spells the End for His Star Wars Film

Taika Waititi just sent the film world into a tailspin with the revelation that he’s bringing Judge Dredd back to the silver screen with the help of Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3, The Fall Guy). Waititi is apparently a fan of the hard-edged lawman, and his satirical sensibilities would make a perfect fit for the vibe of the original Judge Dredd comics. However, the news raises a question: what’s going to happen to his Star Wars movie? Waititi’s long been attached to direct a standalone Star Wars film, with Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy providing a brief update at this year’s Star Wars Celebration. “Taika is on Taika time…” Kennedy said, saying she wasn’t going to rush Waititi. “Taika Time” or not, the Judge Dredd news means that Waititi’s Star Wars movie might have hit a massive roadblock.

Taika Waititi Is Fast-Tracking ‘Judge Dredd’, Meaning That His ‘Star Wars’ Project Will Be on the Back Burner

The Judge Dredd film is slated to take up a great deal of Taika Waititi’s time, as The Hollywood Reporter says that studios are scrambling to hop on board the Waititi/Pearce package. What’s more, there’s plans for the new Judge Dredd to launch an entire franchise in the vein of Marvel Studios or DC Studios (and unlike other attempts at a cinematic franchise, the Judge Dredd comics have enough characters and concepts to pull it off). That means his Star Wars project could hit the backburner, but it wouldn’t be the first time that Waititi’s been attached to a project that didn’t go forward. He departed a live-action adaptation of Akira, which was one of the final nails in the coffin for Warner Bros.’ attempts to bring the post-apocalyptic anime to life. Waititi also wanted to do an animated version of Flash Gordon, though producer George Nolfi recently cast doubt on it ever coming to the big screen.

These projects do showcase that Waititi loves comic books. Akira, Flash Gordon, and Judge Dredd all started out as comics, and they do stray off the beaten path which matches Waititi’s sensibilities. When Thor: Love and Thunder was announced, Waititi even said that he developed the film based on his love for Jason Aaron‘s Thor run at Marvel. Aaron even served as a consultant on the film, even having conversations with Waititi during filming. Based on this, it feels like Waititi is probably going to put all his energy into bringing Judge Dredd to life, and Star Wars will just have to wait.

Taika Waititi’s ‘Star Wars’ Movie Could Go the Way of Other Projects

Taika Waititi is hardly the first filmmaker to see a Star Wars project stall out, as many attempts to expand the franchise have fallen by the wayside. From Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron to Rian Johnson‘s planned Star Wars trilogy, fans have come to expect whenever a Star Wars movie is announced that it has a chance to never see the light of day. It hasn’t helped that other filmmakers, including Colin Trevorrow and Josh Trank, were booted from their planned Star Wars films. Currently, Lucasfilm is sticking to sure bets with The Mandalorian and Grogu — which is piggybacking off the success of The Mandalorian — and Star Wars: Starfighter, helmed by Shawn Levy— who’s delivered blockbuster hits including Free Guy and Deadpool & Wolverine.

There might be hope on the horizon, though, as Kathleen Kennedy hinted that she’s waiting until Waititi is done writing the script to his Star Wars film: “I’ve just continually said to him, ‘Look, when you feel that you’re ready and you can really devote the time, we’re going to do it. We’ll be waiting…’ I’m just hoping we get there. That will be a great Star Wars movie.” Maybe Waititi will be able to bring his vision for Star Wars to the silver screen, but the Judge Dredd news has thrown his status in a galaxy far, far away into question.