David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will write and produce new projects which will be separate from Rian Johnson's upcoming trilogy and the Skywalker saga.
- Feb 7, 2018
AceShowbiz - David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are going to explore a galaxy far, far away, once they're done ruling Westeros. The "Game of Thrones" creators and showrunners have been tapped to spearhead new "Star Wars" film series.
Disney and Lucasfilm announced on Tuesday, February 6 the duo would write and produce a new series of films, which will be separate from the trilogy that "The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson is developing, and will also stand alone from the Skywalker saga which includes "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" released last December and the upcoming "Star Wars Episode IX" which J.J. Abrams is working on.
"David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today," Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. "Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push 'Star Wars' in ways I find incredibly exciting."
Benioff and Weiss also said, "In the summer of 1977 we traveled to a galaxy far, far away, and we've been dreaming of it ever since. We are honored by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of 'Game of Thrones' is complete."
Disney CEO Bob Iger said during a Disney earnings call on Tuesday that talks with Benioff and Weiss had been ongoing "for a long time." He shared, "They have an idea for number of films and at some later date I'm sure we'll disclose to all of you just what those are. They are focused on a point in time in the 'Star Wars' mythology and taking it from there."
Details of the projects Benioff and Weiss are working on are not available yet.
With them joining the "Star Wars" franchise, the future of HBO's controversial slave drama "Confederate" is in limbo. Benioff and Weiss were set to write and serve as showrunners for the new series, which production was slated to begin after the final season of "Game of Thrones".
The drama "follows a broad swath of characters on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Demilitarized Zone - freedom fighters, slave hunters, politicians, abolitionists, journalists, the executives of a slave-holding conglomerate and the families of people in their thrall."
It soon received backlash due to its premise of modern-day slavery. Benioff and Weiss defended the project at the time, saying that the backlash was "just a little premature."
