'Game of Thrones' Creators to Write and Produce New 'Star Wars' Film Series
Disney and Lucasfilm have confirmed that "Game of Thrones" creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are set to write and produce their own series of "Star Wars" films. The studios took to Twitter on Tuesday to drop the big news.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement, "David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today. Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push 'Star Wars' in ways I find incredibly exciting."
Shortly after the announcement, Disney and Lucasfilm explained that the "Star Wars" movies that Benioff and Weiss would create would be separate from Rian Johnson's upcoming "Star Wars" trilogy and the main episodic Skywalker saga, which started with "Star Wars: A New Hope" and will wrap up with "Star Wars: Episode IX" in 2019.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
In a joint statement, both Benioff and Weiss admitted that they are excited, terrified and honored all at the same time by this new responsibility. "In the summer of 1977 we travelled to a galaxy far, far away, and we've been dreaming of it ever since. 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 in their statement.
The "Game of Thrones" directors' new "Star Wars" series will come at a time of transition for both of them, as their hit HBO fantasy epic is set to end its run in 2019. Based on George R.R. Martin's book series, "Game of Thrones" has been a massive hit for HBO and has been widely praised by critics for its plot, characterizations and spectacular scenes.
Benioff and Weiss were originally supposed to direct the HBO slave drama "Confederate" after "Game of Thrones" wraps in 2019, but the network reportedly had to set aside the project after it had generated a huge deal of controversy over its plot.
