If there were any lingering doubts that the Star Wars universe wouldn’t grow to be as big as a literal universe, they might as well be put to rest. On Tuesday, Lucasfilm announced that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will be be producing a new series of Star Wars films unrelated to all previously announced film projects.
For those keeping track, that means there is the current Star Wars trilogy with Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Co.; an anthology trilogy whose second entry, Solo: A Star Wars Story, arrives in May; the Rian Johnson trilogy; a live-action Star Wars TV series for Disney’s new streaming platform in 2019; and now, a new film series from Benioff and Weiss. If you’re the kind of person who gets worried about franchise fatigue, we can point you to the nearest paper bag to breathe into.
On the bright side, though, it certainly helps that Lucasfilm is bringing in A-plus talent to take over its projects. Johnson made a name for himself with adventurous film projects and some of Breaking Bad’s best episodes before The Last Jedi was (mostly) met with critical acclaim. Ron Howard was an accomplished — albeit, safe — option to take the reins of Solo from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Benioff and Weiss will be coming off of Thrones, one of the most influential shows of the Peak TV era and perhaps the small screen’s last piece of monoculture. They know how to craft stories on the grandest scale; and, much like with Westeros, they’ll be spared no expense in a galaxy far, far away.
As for what this means for Benioff and Weiss’s other projects, the two hinted at a working timeline in their statement announcing the Star Wars films. “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,” they said. This appears to confirm that Benioff and Weiss’s controversial revisionist history drama for HBO, Confederate, which they were going to work on post-Thrones, will be put on the shelf. (It’s probably for the best.)
And one more note for Benioff and Weiss: Star Wars already did the incest thing; you guys don’t need to bring that one over from Game of Thrones.
Disclosure: HBO is an initial investor in The Ringer.
