First Star Wars film after Rise of Skywalker to come from GOT showrunners

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

It sounds as if Disney and the Star Wars brand are going beyond the wall, as Walt Disney Company chairman Bob Iger has confirmed that the first Star Wars film to follow J.J. Abams' STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER will come from GAME OF THRONES showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

“We did a deal with David Benioff and D.B Weiss, who are famous forGame of Thrones, and the next movie that we release will be theirs,” Iger said while speaking at the MoffetNathanson Media & Communications summit today. “And we’re not saying anything more about that.”

During Iger's Q&A with the MoffetNathanson Media crowd, the Disney figurehead spoke about his company buying out Comcast's 33% stake in Hulu. The move will give Disney complete control over the popular streaming service. Furthermore, Disney will work hand-in-hand with Hulu to create more content for the platform. Additionally, and this is for all you Marvel fans out there, Iger also revealed that AVENGERS: ENDGAME will be coming to Disney+ on December 11th.

After switching the focus back to Star Wars, Iger reminded those in attendance that two new shows belonging to the space saga franchise are destined to launch on Disney+, with plans to wait a total of three years before releasing the next Star Wars feature in theaters. Iger stressed that Disney wanted to take a break from the franchise's yearly release schedule, as this will allow both Benioff and Weiss to plan their film more thoroughly.

“[We thought] it would be smart for us to take a bit of a hiatus while we figure out what’s next. Now, we’re not going to wait until [The Rise of Skywalker] is released and start figuring it out, we’re actually hard at work doing that already,” Iger said. “The conclusion that we reached was that three years was the proper amount of time to not only take a breather and reset, but to really gear up for the next film’s release.” 

As Iger continued to address the crowd, he made sure to mention that he's planned a trip to the Tokyo Disney Resort this weekend. Upon arriving at the park, Iger will bear witness to the opening of the park's newest (and biggest) expansion, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. The attraction will invite Star Wars fans into world like no other, as characters, live shows, high-tech rides and more aim to place guests at the heart of one of history's most beloved franchises. Iger also made mention that some of the park's features will implement VR and AR technology.

“We’re not trying to fake immersion into a place. We’re trying to make it as real as possible with as much scale as possible,” Iger shared.

As we wrap back around to the Benioff and Weiss portion of today's news, it stands to reason that some Star Wars fans will be hesitant to embrace the duo's ideas in light of a significant amount of blow-back for their handling of the final season of HBO's GAME OF THRONES. Whether you're enjoying the show's final episodes or not, one could argue that the events of Season 8 have been divisive as hell. Do the arguments about pacing and squandered character arcs make for rousing internet conversation? Sure. But can the pair be trusted with a property as timeless as Star Wars? You'll have to decide that for yourself, but we're going to have to wait until 2022 to find out.

Lastly, Iger touched a bit on the future of the MCU by telling the crowd that more announcements related to Marvel's upcoming slate can be expected sometime this summer. He also reminded the audience that the Marvel Disney+ series will be a part of the MCU's overall narrative going forward. In other words, if you want to get the whole MCU picture, you're gonna have to let Disney into your wallet more than they already are by subscribing to their exclusive streaming service this November.

As your attorney I advise you to get comfortable while wearing Mouse Ears, because the future of entertainment is Disney, and this wild ride is only just pulling out of the loading zone. Please keep your arms and legs inside the cart at all times and hang on for dear life.