‘Star Wars’ Live-Action Series Announces Jon Favreau as Writer, Executive Producer

Jon Favreau has been tapped to write and executive produce the live-action Star Wars series at Disney’s upcoming streaming services, reports Variety.

“I couldn’t be more excited about Jon coming on board to produce and write for the new direct-to-consumer platform,” said Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, according to Variety. “Jon 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 has previously collaborated with Disney as the director of Iron Man, which ended up forming the bedrock of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also directed Iron Man 2 and served as executive producer of the Iron Man and Avengers films. Favreau has also done live-action before: He directed and produced the hit live-action version of The Jungle Book, which won an Academy Award for its visual effects. And he is currently in production on Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King, which will be released in 2019.