Disney chairman Bob Iger has confirmed the writers and producers of the next big-screen installment in the Star Wars franchise. Speaking at the MoffetNathanson Media & Communications, Iger said, “We did a deal with David Benioff and D.B Weiss, who are famous for Game of Thrones, and the next movie that we release will be theirs."
A recently published schedule of upcoming Disney movies indicates that Benioff and Weiss' trilogy-starting film will hit theaters Dec. 16, 2022, three years after this December's Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
Last year, it was reported that Benioff and Weiss, who adapted George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels to create HBO's GoT, would create a new Star Wars story that was separate from the Skywalker lore. When speaking on the Benioff/Weiss reimagining, Iger provided as few details as possible, simply saying Benioff and Weiss are on deck, chronologically.
The Last Jedi direcor Rian Johnson was also supposed to get his own trilogy, which now appears to be in cinematic limbo.
In light of this development, some fans are worried about the future of the Star Wars universe, citing the current trajectory of the eighth and final season of Thrones as cause for concern. This season brought in two of the worst-received episodes in the show's history, and fans are not convinced Benioff and Weiss can create compelling new scripts for already-existing universes.
Colin Trevorrow, who was several years ago set to direct Episode IX, faced similar scrutiny. Though his reboot of the Jurassic Park series was successful at the box office, the Jurassic World films were met with a number of unfavorable reviews, often citing their unimaginative rehashing. This led many to question Trevorrow's ability to handle pre-existing IP and create a compelling, original story. Trevorrow ultimately left the director's chair, with the role going to franchise-reviver J.J. Abrams, who started the latest trilogy in 2015 with The Force Awakens.
