Game Of Thrones creators drop Star Wars for Netflix projects

Oct 31, 2019 06:00 am

LOS ANGELES : The exit of the Games Of Thrones creators from the next Star Wars film left future stories in the sci-fi saga up in the air on Tuesday, although some fans welcomed their departure.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss had been hired in 2018 to write and produce a trilogy of new movies in the blockbuster Walt Disney franchise, with the first scheduled for release in December 2022.

But the pair said they were stepping away from the project to focus on new work for streaming service Netflix.

"We love Star Wars. When George Lucas built it, he built us too," Benioff and Weiss said in a statement late on Monday. But there are only so many hours in the day, and we felt we could not do justice to both Star Wars and our Netflix projects. So we are regretfully stepping away."

Fans seemed relieved at their exit, given widespread disappointment at the conclusion of Game Of Thrones. Others hoped the departure would clear the way for the first woman or person of colour to direct or write a Star Wars movie.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy in a statement called Benioff and Weiss "remarkable storytellers", adding: "We hope to include them in the journey forward when they are able to step away from their busy schedule to focus on Star Wars." - REUTERS