Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi asked Natalie Portman if she’s ever wanted to be in a Star Wars movie… forgetting that she was already in three of them.
During an interview with Rolling Stone, the 46-year-old filmmaker revealed the awkward moment when he asked Natalie Portman if she wanted to join the series, as he works on his own Star Wars film.
“Natalie said to me, ‘What do you do next?’” he explained. “And I said ‘I’m trying to work on a Star Wars thing. Have you ever wanted to be in a Star Wars movie?’ She said, ‘I’ve been in Star Wars movies.’ I forgot about those ones. [Laughs]”
Waititi own Star Wars film is a project shrouded in secrecy. There’s been almost nothing revealed about the film since it was originally announced in 2020, and the filmmaker himself still doesn’t know if it’s going to be made.
“I’m trying to write the ‘Star Wars’ idea at the moment,” he said. “I’ve got to see how that goes, because once I submit it, that might determine when it gets made or if it gets made, even.”
It’s said that the currently untitled Star Wars film will match Waititi’s signature style – a good sign for fans of his previous work such as What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. But as for any concrete details, those are yet to come.
Although the film is expected to appear in theaters sometime in 2023, even that isn’t certain. “Yeah. Well, not 2023, but late 2023,” said Lucasfilm boss, Kathleen Kennedy. “We haven't locked anything in.”
Still, it sounds as though he’s already eyeing up talent for the film, and with Natalie Portman a potential candidate, you have to wonder whether Waititi’s Star Wars will feature a strong female lead like Rogue One. But honestly, that’s little more than speculation at this point.
Either way, it sounds as though Portman herself won’t be appearing in the film – unless of course, they can figure out a way to write Princess Amidala into the movie. I just wouldn’t bank on it.
Find out more about Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie and how it ties into the galaxy far, far away, as well as his appearance voicing a familiar droid in The Mandalorian.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Thumbnail credit: Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty