Taika Waititi Has No Idea If His ‘Star Wars’ Movie Will Even Get Made

With the sun shining and the temperatures rising, it’s safe to say that summer is well and truly here. But as things hotten up, many people up and down the country may be planning on jetting off to enjoy a much needed break overseas. And while going on holiday may be a chance to experience some new sights and scenes, it can also cause some people to miss their home comforts - whether that’s their bed, shower or favourite TV show.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorSPOILER ALERT: This interview contains discussions about some scenes and storylines in “Thor: Love and Thunder.”In “Thor: Love and Thunder,” Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie is now King Valkyrie of New Asgard. However, she has not found her queen. “You know, she’s flirty,” Thompson tells me on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast.” She’s out in the world.

“Thor: Love And Thunder,” Taika Waititi’s follow-up to his 2017 breakout “Thor: Ragnarok,” finally hits theaters on Friday. And advance reviews are, well, okay so far? It sounds like Waititi is still having fun making wacky, colorful superhero flicks, but for some critics, the Marvel formula is a little stale.

interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the “Thor: Love and Thunder” director said that he had totally forgotten that Natalie Portman had starred in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, according to the Wrap. The 46-year-old “Jojo Rabbit” director said that while they were filming “Love and Thunder,” he actually asked Portman if she had ever wanted to be in a “Star Wars” film.“She said to me, ‘What are you up to next?’ I said ‘Oh, I’m trying to work on a “Star Wars” thing. Have you ever wanted to be in a “Star Wars” movie?’ ” said Waititi.“She said, ‘I’ve been in a “Star Wars” movie,’ and I went ‘… should we do another take?’ ”Portman starred as Queen Padmé Amidala in the franchise’s first prequel installment, 1999’s “The Phantom Menace,” alongside Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor and would later reprise her role in 2002 for “Attack of the Clones” and 2005’s “Revenge of the Sith.” Lucasfilm announced on May 4, 2022 that Waititi would be directing his own theatrical “Star Wars” film, but the production company was unclear about when Waititi’s addition to the franchise would debut.

Star Wars, James Bond and The Suicide Squad actors have united for a new film, inspired by true events in Black history. The Woman King tells the story of an all-female unit of warriors called the Agojie, who were the protectors of the African Kingdom of Dahomey back in the 1800s. In the film, a new generation of warriors are led by General Nanisca as they train to fight against a force that want to destroy their very way of life itself: an invasion of Europeans looking to expand their territory overseas and colonise the world.

Rita Ora and Taika Waititi looked more loved up than ever as they shared a sweet kiss on the blue carpet at the premiere of Thor: Love and Thunder.The I Will Never Let You Down singer was among the many celebrities getting a sneaky first look at the new Marvel movie ahead of its release in cinemas on Friday, and put on an affectionate display at the glitzy event in London on Tuesday night.The 31-year-old artist walked hand in hand with her fiancé, who directed the upcoming film, as she showed up in support of him.Rita radiated elegance in a silver Saab Haute Couture dress that was embellished with sparkly jewels.She wore a pair of metallic platform heels and accessorised her look with a pair of diamond chandelier style earrings.Meanwhile, Taika looked dapper in a blue suit with a black lapel and matching black bow tie.In one photo, the couple was pictured posing with one arm wrapped around each other, while another showed Rita planting a kiss on her husband-to-be’s cheek.Taika was also joined by his two daughters Matewa Kiritapu and Te Hinekāhu, who he shares with his ex-wife, film producer Chelsea Winstanle, and proudly wrapped his arms around them.Rita and Taika have mostly kept their romance on the down low since they started dating last year, but it seems they’re becoming more confident with displaying their affection in public.Masked Singer panellist Rita played coy when initially asked about their relationship, and told Australian Vogue last September: ‘I’m in a great place in my life, that’s all I’m going to say about that.’Since then, they’ve enjoyed a series of high-profile events together and haven’t been shy about cosying up on the red carpet.Elsewhere at the Thor: Love and Thunder premiere, Tessa Thompson

Thor: Ragnarok.” He has the complex motivations of Erik Killmonger of “Black Panther,” but with the mesmeric physical transformation we’ve come to expect from Bale.The Brit is a glutton for punishment.Running time: 125 minutes. Rated PG-13 (intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, some suggestive material and partial nudity.) In theaters July 8.Able to shed and gain weight with the seeming ease of Alexa delivering the weather report, he’s Hollywood’s most addictive freak. In his latest role, the actor is stick-thin (no Batman biceps here) and looks like he might have fleas.

With the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series in the rearview, Lucasfilm is gearing up for its next “Star Wars” show, “Andor,” a prequel series to “Rogue One A Star Wars Story” starring Diego Luna again as the title character. Spearheaded by Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”) — who wrote, directed, and oversaw the reshoots and editing of ‘Rogue One’— the “Andor” series follows Cassian Andor’s early rise within the Rebellion as one of its key spies during the tyrannical reign of The Empire.

Disney+ It doesn’t get more classic than this: a marathon of “Star Wars” movies including “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Return of the Jedi” — so why not spend your day off with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford)?Where to watch: TNT (10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.)You might not have realized it, but the 1975 Steven Spielberg horror movie takes place over the course of a Fourth of July weekend as vacationers from the city flock to (the fictional Amity Island beach town — only to find a great white shark lying in wait. Lots of blood, suspense and action (and, of course, that killer shark).Where to watch: Peacock Brush up on the 1992 movie before the series version arrives in August.

Rylan Clark shared a kiss with Ex On The Beach star Declan Doyle during an evening out together, following his split from his husband Dan Neal. The presenter, 33, looked to be having a blast during an outing in London, as he and Declan, 32, flirted outside a restaurant in Marylebone. The pair, who both rocked casual looks for the night in pictures obtained by The Sun, happily chatted away as people sat on picnic benches nearby.

EXCLUSIVE: S. Epatha Merkerson and Judith Light have been tapped to star in an episode of Peacock’s Poker Face, a mystery drama series from Rian Johnson, his T-Street banner and MRC Television.

Russell Crowe (Thor: Love and Thunder) has signed on to star in Julius Avery’s film The Pope’s Exorcist for Screen Gems, Deadline can confirm.

Well before “Obi-Wan Kenobi” became the series it is today and debuted on Disney+, the original idea at Lucasfilm was to tell the story in a feature film. For years, the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” feature film was in development, but nothing ever came to be, largely because “Solo: A Star Wars Story” derailed the idea of having a bunch of spinoff films.

The superhero genre couldn’t be more popular. Marvel and DC films dominate the box office, and the latter has become a juggernaut of intertwined franchises to surpass the dominance of things like “Star Wars.” With that in mind, other studios that don’t have that sort of deep bench of comic book heroes have been adapting obscure or long-forgotten heroes in an attempt to strike gold.

The world premiere of Thor: Love and Thunder just took place in Los Angeles and now critics are speaking out with the first reactions to the new Marvel film!

After its final episode last night, the long-anticipated Disney+ limited series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” comes to a close. But not without a nice little surprise (spoiler alert for those who haven’t watched yet!).

After nearly 20 years of anticipation, fans of “Star Wars” were excited to welcome back Ewan McGregor in the new Disney+ series, “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Upon its debut, the series instantly became one of the biggest hits in the short history of the streaming service and earned plenty of love from critics and fans alike.

Warning: Spoilers below.Disney+‘s “Star Wars” series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” ended its six-episode run on Wednesday and fans saw the return of a popular character that many were hoping to see all along.Liam Neeson’s character from 1999’s “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” Qui-Gon Jinn made a surprise appearance in the miniseries’ finale.Despite the cameo being a brief one, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) had tried on countless occasions to connect with Qui-Gon, but much time had passed since the Padawan apprentice saw his mentor.In the last minutes of the show, Obi-Wan finally reunited with Qui-Gon, even though he was a Force ghost.Neeson, 70, reassured Obi-Wan that he was in fact, watching over him the whole time.Qui-Gon was slaughtered by Darth Maul (Ray Park) in “The Phantom Menace.” The Disney+ episode also featured an appearance from Ian McDiarmid, who reprises his role as Emperor Palpatine. Can we get more Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson please? @starwars #ObiWan pic.twitter.com/ErTt0T9fv3Shortly after the episode aired, viewers rushed to social media to collectively gasp at the shocking cameo.

When Taika Waititi began working with David Jenkins on the HBO Max series “Our Flag Means Death,” he knew he’d eventually want to play one of the main characters. Hopeful that Waititi would eventually be down for it, Jenkins wrote the show’s version of the legendary pirate Blackbeard with the Oscar-winner in mind.

SNL. But for her upcoming role as (Jane Foster plus hammer plus powers) in Thor: Love and Thunder, she was asked for the first time in her career to add muscle to her frame, and the physical change affected her mentally as well.“On Black Swan, I was asked to get as small as possible,” Portman , reflecting on the role—a ballerina—that netted her an Oscar. “[For Thor], I was asked to get as big as possible.

Kate Bush is having a major moment right now.