Benzinga - by Franca Quarneti, Benzinga Staff Writer.
David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the creators of the "Game of Thrones" HBO show from Warner Bros. Discovery Inc (NASDAQ: WBD) shed light on their scrapped Star Wars film project.
Initially hired by The Walt Disney Company's (NYSE: DIS) Lucasfilm in 2018 to direct a series of films with the first premiere scheduled for 2022, the collaboration was terminated in 2019 due to scheduling conflicts.
Contrary to initial reports of an amicable split, Benioff revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that Lucasfilm decided against their proposed storyline, which centered around the origins of the Jedi Order, the first lightsabers, and the concept of "The First Jedi."
"[Lucasfilm] ended up not wanting to do a First Jedi story. We had a very specific story idea in mind, and ultimately they decided they didn’t want to do that," Benioff stated.
"We totally get it. It’s their company and their IP, but we weren’t the droids they were looking for," he added.
Weiss also voiced frustration over Rian Johnson, director of "Star Wars: Episode 8 - The Last Jedi," for using the title "The Last Jedi," which interfered with their planned project.
"We wanted to do The First Jedi. Basically how the Jedi Order came to be, why it came to be, the first lightsaber," Benioff said.
Meanwhile, Weiss continued: "And we were annoyed as hell when [Rian Johnson] called his movie The Last Jedi. He completely destroyed the obvious title for what we were working on."
Concerns about the state of Star Wars films have arisen among fans, with numerous projects announced but none released since 2019's "Star Wars: Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker."
Some previously announced films, including "Rogue Squadron" and one by Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, were quietly removed or canceled.
Disney has scheduled three Star Wars movies for May 22, 2026, December 18, 2026, and December 17, 2027; however, whether the studio will meet these dates remains to be seen.
Read Next: Upcoming Star Wars Eclipse Game Defies Tradition: 'There's No Game Over, Anyone Can Die'
Image credits: Screenshot via YouTube.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.