Taika Waititi promises his Star Wars film will capture the original trilogy’s playful spirit.

Taika Waititi has shared some exciting insights about his long-awaited Star Wars film, hinting at a blend of his signature humor with high-stakes drama set in a galaxy far, far away.

In a conversation with an outlet, the director of Thor: Love and Thunder expressed his intention to recapture the playful spirit of the original trilogy. “I’m just trying to go back and harness a little bit more of the fun from the original films, which is what I remember from them,” Waititi noted.

He emphasized that while the stakes will be significant and serious events will unfold, there will also be plenty of enjoyment woven into the narrative. “That’s what I was trying to bring back,” he added.

Waititi also mentioned that his Star Wars project will be “a little bit separate” from the existing stories in the franchise, aiming to carve out its own unique identity. This approach mirrors the direction of other projects, like Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, which is also steering clear of legacy characters.

Originally announced on Star Wars Day in 2020, Waititi’s film has been in development for quite some time. In 2022, the former president of Lucasfilm indicated that the film was targeting a “late 2023” release.

Waititi has expressed a desire to broaden the franchise by introducing “new characters” rather than relying on familiar faces. “I don’t think that I’m any use in the Star Wars universe making a film where everyone’s like, ‘Oh great, well that’s the blueprints to the Millennium Falcon, ah that’s Chewbacca’s grandmother,'” he explained. “That all stands alone, that’s great, though I would like to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the world, otherwise it feels like it’s a very small story.”

As of now, Taika Waititi’s Star Wars film does not have a set release date.