Taika Waititi sheds light on the future of his career and where his Star Wars, Akiraand Flash Gordon projects are within your plans. The director is known for his work on films such as What we do in the shadows, Hunt for the Wildand Jojo Coelhowhich strikes a careful balance between hilarity and darker, more emotionally complex topics. Waititi is also known for impacting the Thor subseries in the MCU with 2017 Thor: Ragnarok and 2022 Thor: Love and Thunder.
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When promoting your latest project, Inner Chinatown (for which he directed and produced an episode), Waititi was asked by The playlistof Noteworthy podcast about which project will take priority next. Although the director was hired to develop a Flash Gordon reboot, a live-action adaptation of Akiraand an original Star Wars film, Waititi responded by jokingly questioning whether each production is dead or not after silence on every front. He said:
What was once alive? What is death? You know, death is just a new opportunity. More life to grow and flourish. Everything is always in development. My advice to any filmmaker is, ‘Just say yes to everything.’ Because, you know, things come and go. And you never know what stage things are at. And I was attached to things that disappeared for three years and then bubbled up again. I’m like, ‘Oh, I thought that thing was dead. Now I have to do it again.
What Waititi’s Response Means for Akira, Flash Gordon, and Star Wars
Studio indecision may be responsible for each delay
While Waititi may have a backlog, the director did not hesitate to take on and complete new projects. In addition to producing duties on titles such as Inner Chinatown and the television version of What we do in the shadowshe also had several acting roles in Our flag means death, Free Guyand The Suicide Squad. Waititi is also working on his next feature film with Klara and the Sunwhich began filming in early 2024.
As such, in addition to his busy schedule, Waititi’s comments could indicate that the problem is with the studios. Akira It’s a project that has already gone through several directors, Flash Gordon was changed from an animated project to a live-action film, and Lucasfilm has become notoriously cautious about how to proceed with the future Star Wars films, with several projects languishing in early pre-production. As a result, it’s likely that the studios behind the productions are facing multiple conflicts over how to proceed, and Waititi’s shift in priorities has only increased the delays.
Our take on Waititi’s response
Director’s response lights up industry
While Waititi’s response may not have offered a clear answer to the status of any of the three projects, it’s clear he’s not worried about any of them. Not only has he acted in various roles in various projects since then, but he has also signed on and completed several productions of his own while developing Akira, Star Wars, and Flash Gordon stretched. It seems he is more than used to the scenario.
Furthermore, Waititi’s response suggests that despite the long periods of inactivity, he is still eager to return to each project as soon as they make significant progress into the next phase of production. While no firm timelines have been given, it may not be surprising to see Wait between those involved when each production gains strength. The director/writer/actor is open to whatever happens.
Source: The playlist