'Game of Thrones' meets galaxy far, far away: Benioff and Weiss to write new 'Star Wars'
Here’s some news that’s bound to send geek fandom into hyperdrive: The guys who took us to Westeros are ready to explore whole new worlds. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the Emmy-winning creators of HBO’s Game of Thrones, have signed on to write and produce a series of Star Wars films, Lucasfilm announced Tuesday.
The Benioff and Weiss movies will be completely separate from the central Skywalker Saga, which is set to conclude with 2019’s Episode IX, as well as the new trilogy of Star Wars-themed films that The Last Jedi writer-director Rian Johnson is crafting.
Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy thinks the duo’s transition from George R.R. Martin fantasy to George Lucas sci-fi will be seamless. “David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today,” Kennedy says in a statement. “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.”
Benioff and Weiss are overseeing the final season of Thrones, which is set to air in 2019. Once that wraps, they will blast off into their new roles. “In the summer of 1977 we traveled to a galaxy far, far away, and we’ve been dreaming of it ever since,” they said in a joint statement. “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.”
As usual, Lucasfilm was light on details about the new project, but between Johnson’s trilogy, the Benioff-Weiss films, and the ongoing stand-alone Star Wars Stories (including the upcoming Solo and planned Obi-Wan Kenobi entry), the Disney-owned studio has at least a decade’s worth of films in the pipeline.
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