David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the minds behind the incredibly popular Game of Thrones TV show, have walked away from their deal with Lucasfilm to direct a new Star Wars trilogy.
The partnership was a big deal when it was first announced in early 2019, and it looked like the two were going to usher in the new post-Skywalker era for the films. However, they have cited their historic, likely nine-figure deal with Netflix and how much of their time its taking, as the reason why they are stepping back. The first film of their trilogy would have premiered sometime in 2022.
“There are only so many hours in the day, and we felt we could not do justice to both Star Wars and our Netflix projects,” the duo said in a statement to Deadline. “So we are regretfully stepping away.”
Still, there appears to be no hard feelings from either side.
“We love Star Wars,” Weiss and Benioff added in their statement. “When George Lucas built it, he built us too. Getting to talk about Star Wars with him and the current Star Wars team was the thrill of a lifetime, and we will always be indebted to the saga that changed everything.”
President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy doesn’t seem to want to close any doors as to whether the pair could come back and do something with the franchise: “David Benioff and Dan Weiss are incredible storytellers. We hope to include them in the journey forward when they are able to step away from their busy schedule to focus on Star Wars.”
So, are you disappointed or relieved? Do you think that the pair would have done the Star Wars universe justice? Let us know in the comment section below!
