Lucasfilm has confirmed that Jon Favreau is now set to write and executive-produce the long-awaited live-action television series based on Star Wars.
In a statement released to media today, Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy praised Favreau, saying that he "brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the ‘Star Wars’ universe. This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base."
Favreau is known for directing Iron Man and its sequel, which effectively kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it today, and also directed the hugely successful live-action remake of The Jungle Book. The live-action Star Wars TV series has been kicked around the halls of Lucasfilm for years, but it's only since Disney bought up Star Wars that it's moved closer to a reality.
As you'd expected, there's no word yet on when we'll see any of this, but it's undoubtedly going to arrive somewhere around the same time as Disney's standalone streaming service - if not launch with the service itself.
Star Wars on television has, up until now, mostly been in the form of animated series like The Clone Wars and the sequel series, Rebels. Other than the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, no live-action television series set in the Star Wars universe has ever been mounted, so it'll be interesting to see if it can readily translate into television.
