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What Filoni’s New List Means for James Mangold, Taika Waititi, and the Directors’ Club

mmorn

2026-02-03

9 min read

Filoni’s new slate reshuffles careers — why Mangold and Waititi face a pivot and what it means for Lucasfilm’s creative future.

Hook: Why this matters to creators, fans, and morning scanners

Dave Filoni stepping up at Lucasfilm and the new slate he's shepherding is more than industry gossip — it's a career-defining pivot that directly affects high-profile auteurs like James Mangold and Taika Waititi, and it recalibrates what it means to be a Hollywood creator in the Star Wars era. If you’re a podcast host trying to navigate big-studio IP, a fan tracking which projects will actually land, or a podcast host summarizing the latest headlines for morning commutes, the Filoni list rewrites the playbook.

Quick take (most important first)

The Filoni-era slate signals a Lucasfilm shift toward TV/streaming-first strategies, and projects that tie into established character ecosystems. That means: Mangold’s ambitious, generational Jedi epic is on hold; Waititi’s film is in flux; and A-list directors tied to standalone features face new gatekeeping dynamics. For Hollywood directors, the message is clear: adapt to a world where showrunner/creator credibility, franchise fluency, and transmedia thinking matter as much as auteur credentials.

What actually changed in early 2026

Late 2025 and January 2026 brought two headlines that reshaped expectations. First, Kathleen Kennedy exited Lucasfilm and Dave Filoni was elevated to co-president, inheriting the creative helm (reporting: Forbes, Jan 16, 2026). Second, previously public projects by James Mangold and Taika Waititi were publicly described as on hold or otherwise uncertain (reporting: Polygon & Deadline coverage of Kennedy's notes in early 2026).

Those announcements came after several years that taught studios hard lessons about franchise fatigue, streaming economics, and the value of a unified creative vision. Filoni’s track record — helming animated and live-action shows that respect canon (The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Mandalorian) — suggests Lucasfilm will prioritize coherence across TV, animation, and film under his watch.

Filoni’s slate: what it emphasizes

Character continuity: Projects tied to existing characters and arcs (e.g., Mandalorian/Grogu) are prioritized.
TV-first development: Streaming series and limited runs act as incubators for large-scale film ideas.
Creator-driven showrunning: Filoni favors showrunner-producers who can shepherd multiyear arcs.
Risk aversion for standalone epics: High-concept, standalone films that don’t link to on-screen lore are more likely to be delayed or retooled.

Why that matters

Those priorities align with larger studio trends in 2024–2026: consolidation of IP, investment in streaming as audience hub, and an emphasis on franchise-safe storytelling that rewards long-term engagement over one-off tentpoles. For Lucasfilm, the pivot is a reaction to both internal pressure to stabilize the brand and external shifts in how audiences consume serial franchise content.

How this affects James Mangold

James Mangold — director of Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — had a high-concept project tentatively called Dawn of the Jedi, set roughly 25,000 years before the Skywalker saga. Reports (Polygon, Jan 2026) say the script — by Mangold and Beau Willimon — is “incredible,” but the project is “on hold.”

Career impact: short-term vs long-term

Short-term: Hold status stalls momentum in the Star Wars space. For a director used to getting large-scale studio assignments, this is a pause that can be monetarily and creatively disruptive.
Long-term: Mangold retains auteur cachet. A well-regarded script in Lucasfilm’s vault is an asset; if Filoni’s strategy evolves, Mangold could be called back as a producer or to helm a limited series adaptation.

Strategic options Mangold should consider

Negotiate a producer/showrunner role: If Lucasfilm prefers TV incubators, Mangold could reposition the project as a limited series or a series-to-film pipeline, preserving scope while aligning with Filoni’s emphasis on serialized storytelling.
Retain side-project momentum: Use the pause to release mid-budget, auteur-driven films that keep creative credibility high and reduce franchise-dependence.
Leverage public goodwill carefully: Mangold’s team should keep fan engagement measured, sharing script milestones without antagonizing Lucasfilm, which still owns the IP.

How this affects Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi was attached to a Star Wars film blending his trademark humor and visual flair with franchise elements. Like Mangold’s project, reports indicate uncertainty rather than outright cancellation. Waititi’s voice is distinct — comedic, subversive, and visually playfully anarchic — which both intrigues and unnerves a franchise that now prizes canonical alignment.

Career impact: risks and opportunities

Risk: Waititi’s irreverence might be constrained under Filoni’s canon-first approach. There’s a potential clash between Waititi’s style and the studio’s current appetite for narrative cohesion.
Opportunity: Waititi is an A-list creator who can direct at will. If Lucasfilm wants his name attached but not full autonomy, Waititi could pivot to producing, guest-directing an episode, or developing a character-driven limited series where tonal play is more permissible.

Practical moves Waititi’s camp could make

Pursue hybrid commitments: negotiate to direct one emboldened episode in a Filoni-curated series rather than an isolated theatrical release.
Preserve auteurism: maintain independent projects between Star Wars stints to avoid brand pigeonholing.
Use festival circuits and streaming partners to keep momentum when franchise doors close.

What this reshuffle means for the wider directors’ club

A-list directors — Steven Soderbergh, Donald Glover, and others previously attached to Lucasfilm projects — now face a new calculus. The Filoni era favors creators with deep franchise literacy and serialized storytelling chops over standalone auteurs pitching high-concept singular films.

Wider career implications

Less open access to theatrical Star Wars: Hollywood directors can’t assume a simple path to Lucasfilm features anymore.
More value on showrunner competency: Directors who can also develop and shepherd narrative arcs will be prioritized.
Shift toward transmedia collaboration: Successful candidates will work across animation, comics, games, and live-action to maintain canon continuity.

Evidence from case studies: Filoni’s track record and franchise economics

Look at the empirical signals: The Mandalorian and adjacent series under Filoni/Favreau grew fandom by treating character arcs with care and rewarding long-term viewers. Conversely, the sequel trilogy and some standalone Star Wars films saw polarized critical and box-office responses, accelerating Lucasfilm’s desire for a unified creative voice.

"Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon wrote an incredible script, but it is definitely breaking the mold and it’s on hold." — Kathleen Kennedy (quoted via Polygon/Deadline coverage)

Studios learned in the 2020s that streaming engagement and franchise coherence can outperform one-off theatrical bets. In 2024–2026, major studios have reallocated budget toward franchises that can feed multiple revenue streams — streaming subscriptions, merchandising, and live events — favoring serialized approaches.

Actionable advice: What directors should do now

If you’re a director, showrunner, or creative leader looking to stay relevant to Lucasfilm-style franchises, here are concrete moves you can take.

1) Build serialized credibility

Develop at least one limited-series proof-of-concept that demonstrates arc control over multiple episodes.
Show metrics: streaming engagement, completion rates, and social sentiment — these matter to executives in 2026.

2) Become transmedia fluent

Work with animation teams, game writers, or comic creators to show you can translate a story across formats.
Include portfolio pieces that show cross-platform storytelling (story bible, serialized scripts, interactive outlines).

3) Negotiate smarter deals

Ask for producer credits, buyback clauses, and series options rather than single-film mandates.
Protect the right to pursue passion projects if your attachment is delayed — a common clause for high-demand creatives.

4) Preserve public positioning

Use controlled reveals and festival circuits to maintain audience excitement without undermining studio relationships.
Engage fandoms with behind-the-scenes content that signals collaboration, not contention.

How fans and podcasters should interpret the news

For fans who want to plan their watchlists and podcasters who need crisp takes: this is a time for tempered expectations. A paused script is not a dead script, but under Filoni, projects that don’t fit the growing canon will be deprioritized.

Subscribe selectively: follow creators and official Lucasfilm channels for verified updates.
Highlight crossovers that matter: episodes or series that feed into larger arcs are where new lore will likely appear.
Cover the creative angle: podcasts and newsletters that explain how a director’s sensibility maps onto franchise needs will attract engaged listeners.

Predictions for 2026–2028 (what to watch)

More series-to-film pipelines: A limited series will be used to test an idea before greenlighting a theatrical release.
Auteurs in hybrid roles: Big-name directors will be courted as producers or episodic directors before being entrusted with films.
Canon consolidation: Transmedia continuity will be aggressively enforced to reduce franchise confusion.
Smaller theatrical slates: Lucasfilm will focus on fewer films with clear franchise hooks, avoiding scattershot releases.

Actionable takeaways for each audience

For directors: Cultivate serialized storytelling chops, negotiate producer roles, and keep indie projects alive.
For studios: Use limited series to de-risk theatrical investments and invest in showrunners who can steward canon.
For fans: Expect character-driven series to reveal franchise direction; support creators whose work aligns with Filoni’s unified vision.
For podcasters and creators: Focus coverage on creative strategy, not just casting news — that’s where audience interest and loyalty grow.

Final analysis: What Filoni’s list really signals

Dave Filoni’s slate is both an artistic and strategic statement. Artistically, it values continuity, character depth, and serialized payoff — traits that favor TV incubation and creator-showrunners. Strategically, it recalibrates Lucasfilm’s risk profile: fewer standalone auteur experiments, more interconnected storytelling designed to drive long-term engagement across platforms.

For James Mangold and Taika Waititi, the moment is a crossroads. Their scripts and visions are assets, but in the Filoni age those assets may be re-contextualized as TV arcs, producer credits, or deferred film projects. For the broader directors’ club, the memo is clear: Hollywood’s big-IPs now reward transmedia fluency and showrunner-like stewardship as much as single-film virtuosity.

Call to action

Want daily, creator-first briefings on how Hollywood shifts affect your favorite creators and shows? Subscribe to our morning brief at morn.live and follow our Creator Spotlights. Drop a comment or record a voice clip explaining which director you'd bet on to pivot best under the Filoni era — we'll feature top replies in next week’s podcast.

morn

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.