A Star Wars film series was revealed by Lucasfilm back in 2018. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, known as the creators and showrunners of HBO's popular show Game of Thrones, were slated to both write and produce films within this series. The initial plan was for the first film to be launched on December 16, 2022. However, in 2019, Benioff and Weiss stepped away from the project. The release date that was originally intended for their film was later assigned to the movie Rogue Squadron. On January 10, 2024, Benioff and Weiss verified in an interview with THR that Lucasfilm decided not to move forward with their concept.
Before the announcement of the film series, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, paid a visit to the set of Game of Thrones's eighth and final season to offer guidance to the writers, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The public reveal of the film series by Lucasfilm occurred on February 6, 2018 through a post on StarWars.com. In that announcement, Benioff and Weiss shared their excitement about working on the series, and Kathleen Kennedy, the President of Lucasfilm, lauded their skills in storytelling.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at Celebration Chicago on April 12, 2019, Kennedy revealed that she, Benioff, Weiss, and Rian Johnson, the director of Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, had recently convened to finalize their strategies for upcoming Star Wars films. In another interview at Celebration with Entertainment Weekly, Kennedy indicated that Benioff and Weiss would collaborate closely with Johnson. Furthermore, Kennedy suggested that the future lineup of Star Wars films, including those in this series, could explore time periods either long before or far after the events of the Skywalker saga.
During the summer of 2019, Benioff and Weiss traveled to Italy to meet with George Lucas for research related to the film. However, on October 28, 2019, reports surfaced that Benioff and Weiss had withdrawn from the film series due to conflicts arising from a broad overall deal they had entered into with Netflix, Inc.. Two days later, Variety reported that Benioff and Weiss's concept for the film series centered on exploring the origins of the Jedi, a theme that later was announced to be at the heart of James Mangold's upcoming Star Wars film. The Hollywood Reporter challenged the notion that Benioff and Weiss's departure was solely due to scheduling issues, suggesting that Kennedy was "said to have been unhappy with the Netflix deal" and doubted whether the pair "could develop a sci-fi trilogy while also overseeing film and TV projects at Netflix." They also claimed that the decision for the pair to leave the series happened around August of 2019.
Lucasfilm never issued an official statement regarding Benioff and Weiss's departure, although the original press release announcing the film series was removed from StarWars.com. On January 10, 2024, Benioff and Weiss shared that their Star Wars project, starting with The First Jedi, aimed to delve into the beginnings of the Jedi Order, its reasons for formation, and the creation of the first lightsaber. Benioff and Weiss confirmed that Lucasfilm chose not to proceed with the project and expressed a lack of interest. Despite this, a Star Wars film by James Mangold is still planned to explore the dawn of the Jedi.
In September of 2018, Bob Iger commented that there would be a "slowdown" in the release of Star Wars films, explaining that he felt there had been "a little too much, too fast."
On May 7, 2019, Disney made public its theatrical release schedule for the years 2020–2027, which included a Star Wars film set for release on December 16, 2022. The Star Wars Show also covered this announcement on May 15. On May 14, Iger verified that Benioff and Weiss's initial film would occupy this release date.
Following the departure of the pair from the project, the release date remained on Disney's schedule but was later pushed back to December 22, 2023 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 10, 2020, Lucasfilm announced that the release date was reassigned to the film Rogue Squadron. Ultimately, Lucasfilm decided not to move forward with the project that Benioff and Weiss were developing.
- Game of Thrones Creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to Write and Produce a New Series of Star Wars Films on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Star Wars Show: New Star Wars Films Announced! | The Star Wars Show on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Star Wars Show: GOT Creators Making New Star Wars Films, Up Close with the Falcon, and YOUR Solo Teaser Reactions! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- The Star Wars Show: Star Wars Dates Announced, Plus We Won an Emmy! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)