Taika Waititi Says He Asked Natalie Portman If She Ever Wanted to Be in ‘Star Wars': ‘I Forgot About Those Ones!’

UPDATE: This is now official. Star Wars’ social media accounts just confirmed the news that Amandla Stenberg has joined The Acolyte (see post below). Stenberg said she was “so excited to finally announce I’m joining Star Wars: The Acolyte Honored is an understatement. May the Force be with you”.

Star Wars fans the “most toxic”, admitting that he himself was once part of the problem.READ MORE: Obi-Wan Kenobi star Moses Ingram: “Being in Star Wars feels too big to fathom”Speaking to Jim Norton and Sam Roberts on SiriusXM, the actor addressed the abusive behaviour of some fans, as well as their general unwillingness to accept diversity in the franchise.“The Star Wars fan base really seems to be the most kind of toxic at the moment,” he said.However, Pegg admitted that he was part of the problem when he mocked Jar Jar Binks in his TV series Spaced. Ahmed Best, who played the alien character, revealed in 2018 that he considered suicide due to the abuse he received for the role.“I’ve apologised for the things I’ve said about Jar Jar Binks because of course there was a fucking actor involved and he was getting a lot of flack,” said Pegg.“It was a human being and because it got a lot of hay, he suffered and I feel terrible about being part of that.”Pegg, who has had roles in both Star Wars and Star Trek, went on to explain how the latter has a far more progressive fan base.“I find the Star Trek fans have always been very, very inclusive,” he said.

Naman Ramachandran The U.K.’s Pinewood Studios, home to the James Bond and Star Wars franchises and Disney and Marvel, has submitted a planning application for an expanded screen hub.After being granted planning permission in April for a screen industries growth hub known as Screen Hub U.K. and a film-inspired visitor attraction, Pinewood has submitted plans for an expanded Screen Hub scheme of 1.4 million sq ft and a nature reserve to Buckinghamshire Council.

reported Mediaite. Pegg — who had stopped by SiriusXM’s “Jim and Sam” radio show — said that he believed that “Star Wars” fans were the hardest. “To be honest — and as someone who kind of was, you know, kicked off about the prequels when they came out, the ‘Star Wars’ fanbase really seems to be the most kind of toxic at the moment,” said Pegg.

Jim and Sam” show with Jim Norton and Sam Roberts last week, Pegg was asked which of the different franchise fan bases between “Star Wars,” “Star Trek” and “Dr. Who” have been the most toxic to deal with. “As someone who was kicked off about the prequels when they came out, the Star Wars fan base seems to be the most toxic at the moment.

EXCLUSIVE: Grounded is the latest videogame that is being adapted as a TV series.

“Thor: Love And Thunder,” Taika Waititi’s follow-up to his 2017 breakout “Thor: Ragnarok,” finally hits theaters on Friday. And advance reviews are, well, okay so far? It sounds like Waititi is still having fun making wacky, colorful superhero flicks, but for some critics, the Marvel formula is a little stale.

Zack Sharf Natalie Portman told Entertainment Weekly that “Thor: Love and Thunder” has one of the most visually stunning scenes she’s ever seen on film, and it just so happens to have been filmed in a random Best Buy parking lot. How’s that for movie magic? The “Black Swan” Oscar winner isn’t revealing just yet which scene in the film it is, but she said she can’t watch the movie without being reminded of Best Buy.“There’s one scene that’s one of the most visually beautiful scenes I’ve seen on film, and we shot [it] in real life in a Best Buy parking lot,” Portman said.

interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the “Thor: Love and Thunder” director said that he had totally forgotten that Natalie Portman had starred in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, according to the Wrap. The 46-year-old “Jojo Rabbit” director said that while they were filming “Love and Thunder,” he actually asked Portman if she had ever wanted to be in a “Star Wars” film.“She said to me, ‘What are you up to next?’ I said ‘Oh, I’m trying to work on a “Star Wars” thing. Have you ever wanted to be in a “Star Wars” movie?’ ” said Waititi.“She said, ‘I’ve been in a “Star Wars” movie,’ and I went ‘… should we do another take?’ ”Portman starred as Queen Padmé Amidala in the franchise’s first prequel installment, 1999’s “The Phantom Menace,” alongside Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor and would later reprise her role in 2002 for “Attack of the Clones” and 2005’s “Revenge of the Sith.” Lucasfilm announced on May 4, 2022 that Waititi would be directing his own theatrical “Star Wars” film, but the production company was unclear about when Waititi’s addition to the franchise would debut.

Star Wars, James Bond and The Suicide Squad actors have united for a new film, inspired by true events in Black history. The Woman King tells the story of an all-female unit of warriors called the Agojie, who were the protectors of the African Kingdom of Dahomey back in the 1800s. In the film, a new generation of warriors are led by General Nanisca as they train to fight against a force that want to destroy their very way of life itself: an invasion of Europeans looking to expand their territory overseas and colonise the world.

Natalie Portman, director Taika Waititi, and Tessa Thompson pose together at the UK Gala Screening for their film Thor: Love and Thunder on Tuesday (July 5) in London, England.

“Thor: Love and Thunder,” out on July 8.However, it wasn’t the easiest task for the “Black Swan” star, who discussed with Vogue Australia how hard it was to come back to set after a decade away.While it was “incredible” and “surreal” to return to the Marvel world, Portman noted that she felt like she had to “figure out how to fit in” again.“It’s so strange when something is very familiar but also, you’re kind of the new kid,” the “Black Swan” star said. Her costars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, as well as director Taika Waititi, had previously worked together on the third film, “Thor: Ragnarok” in 2017.“Because Chris and Tessa and Taika had worked together on ‘Ragnarok,’ and so successfully and so it was like they were all reuniting and I was this newbie in there trying to figure out how to fit in,” she explained.The Israeli-born filmmaker went on, “But also they’re just the nicest people, and also I know Chris and Tessa so well from previous work together, and also I had done ‘Thor’ movies twice before.”Portman appeared in both “Thor” and “Thor: The Dark World.” She also collaborated with Thompson, 38, on the 2018 drama “Annihilation.”“So there was a lot of familiarity and comfort in that world too, but it was this weird mix of being the veteran and the newbie at the same time,” she said.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic“Thor: Love and Thunder” has a pleasing, let’s-try-it-on-and-shoot-the-works effervescence. Like most Marvel movies, the fourth entry in the Thor saga would seem to have weighty matters on its mind, starting with Thor’s hammer, the smashed fragments of which have been reassembled — and, more to the point, claimed — by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Thor’s old flame. By possessing the mystique of that hammer, she has become the Mighty Thor.

With the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series in the rearview, Lucasfilm is gearing up for its next “Star Wars” show, “Andor,” a prequel series to “Rogue One A Star Wars Story” starring Diego Luna again as the title character. Spearheaded by Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”) — who wrote, directed, and oversaw the reshoots and editing of ‘Rogue One’— the “Andor” series follows Cassian Andor’s early rise within the Rebellion as one of its key spies during the tyrannical reign of The Empire.

With “Thor: Love And Thunder” hitting theaters next Friday, Taika Waititi‘s Hollywood star continues to ascend. And with another project in the books, the director looks ahead to his upcoming projects: “Next Goal Wins,” another season of “Our Flag Means Death,” and his “Star Wars” film that was announced back in 2020.

Lucasfilm announced that Taika Waititi would co-write (with “1917” and “Last Night in Soho” scribe Krysty Wilson-Cairns) and direct a new, theatrically released “Star Wars” film. Since then, not much has been revealed.

For fans of Taika Waititi’s take on Thor in Thor: Ragnarok, the premiere of the writer-director’s latest MCU go-round, Thor: Love And Thunder, has been a long time coming. But it seems there may be yet more to come. At the Hollywood premiere on Thursday, its star, Chris Hemsworth said he hopes to continue the role for more films, especially if he can carry on working with Waititi.

Chris Hemsworth stripped down for a nude scene that the star says has been a long time coming.The 38-year-old Australian superstar walked the red carpet at the world premiere of in Hollywood on Thursday, and he spoke with ET's Cassie Di Laura about the revealing new Marvel blockbuster.The actor's chat was hilariously crashed by the film's director, Taika Waititi, who briefly took over interviewing duties to ask «What is it about Taika that is, like, very special, and that made you wanna come back again?»«Obviously a contractual obligation,» Hemsworth quipped. «If it was my choice it wouldn't have happened.»When the pair were asked about the nude scene, Hemsworth joked, «Oh yeah, you took my pants off didn't you?»«In the movie! In the movie,» the actor quickly clarified.«He didn't even know we were shooting,» Waititi deadpanned.