7 Feb – Disney and Lucasfilm have added yet another project in its roster for future "Star Wars" films as they announced that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss of the hit HBO fantasy epic, "Game of Thrones", will write and produce a new film series that will take place in the same universe. It was revealed on StarWars.com that this new series will be separated from the traditional Skywalker saga films and the planned Rian Johnson trilogy that was announced on 9 November 2017. "Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push "Star Wars" in ways I find incredibly exciting," said President of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, while also admitting that both Benioff and Weiss are two of the best storytellers working today.
The surprise announcement indirectly clarifies the Emmy Award winning duo's post-"Game of Thrones" plans. Initially Benioff and Weiss were slated to develop "Confederate", an HBO original depicting an alternate version of America set on the events leading to the American Civil War, where Southern states have successfully seceded and slavery still exists. "Confederate" quickly came under fire for its controversial setting and has since not been updated by HBO. Neither plot details nor release dates have been confirmed for the new "Star Wars" series but Benioff and Weiss said that they will immediately start working on their ambitious project as soon as the final season of "Game of Thrones" is completed. The most recent "Star Wars" movie to hit the big screen was "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", released late last year. Upcoming ones will include this year's "Solo: A Star Wars Story" and 2019's "Star Wars: Episode IX".