5 Oct 2018

Taika Waititi to direct episode of new Star Wars series

2:59 pm on 5 October 2018

Kiwi director Taika Waititi is heading to a galaxy far, far away to direct an episode of a new Star Wars television series.

The first official picture from new Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian.

The first official picture from new Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian. Photo: Disney

Waititi - who has already had a taste of blockbusters with Thor: Ragnarok has been named as one of the directors of The Mandalorian by series creator Jon Favreau today.

Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi Photo: AFP

The new series, which will be set between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens and will follow the "travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic", according to Favreau.

It will be the first live-action Star Wars TV show, and is expected to premiere on Disney's untitled streaming service.

Other directors named today for the series include actress Bryce Dallas Howard, Deborah Chow and Rick Famuyiwa.

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