Taika Waititi to direct new ‘Star Wars’ film

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – Taika Waititi, the New Zealand filmmaker of “Jojo Rabbit” and “Thor: Ragnarok,” will direct a new “Star Wars” film. Waititi had for months been expected to take the reins of the galaxy far, far away, having already directed the season finale of the “Star Wars” streaming spinoff “The Mandalorian.” But the Walt Disney Co. waited until the franchise’s unofficial holiday, May the Fourth, to make Waititi’s hire official. Waititi will co-write the film with Krysty Wilson-Cains, who wrote the World War I thriller “1917” with Sam Mendes. Disney also said that Leslye Headland, co-creator of “Russian Doll,” is also developing a new “Star Wars” series for Disney Plus.

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