In a bit of news that seemed to come as no surprise for those following these types of things, Game of Thrones duo David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have left their deal for new Star Wars films.
Much was made of the duo’s development of a new Star Wars film or films, but after signing a longterm deal with Netflix, it seemed that there time at Lucasfilm would be cut short.
The two were supposed to bring in a new era of Star Wars, after the original saga was wrapped up with December’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. According to Deadline, they cited the Netflix deal as their reason for leaving. They said their enthusiasm for Star Wars remains boundless but, regrettably, their schedule is full up.
“We love Star Wars,” the pair said in a statement to Deadline. “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.”
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy didn’t close shut any doors in her send-off statement on Monday: “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.”
“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 GOT pair said in a statement to Deadline. “So we are regretfully stepping away.”
This is just the latest in the shakeups that have resulted from what some fans think is “bad Star Wars” from Disney. Earlier this month it was revealed that Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige would be developing a Star Wars film soon, and many in the fan community think that this is just the start of a transition to power at Lucasfilm for Feige.
Could Rian Johnson’s new Star Wars trilogy be on the chopping block after this announcement? Only time will tell…
