Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm(LOS ANGELES) — Although the pair were set to pilot a new Star Wars trilogy, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss — the creators of HBO’s Game of Thrones — have now stepped down from the project.

The pair’s plans were confirmed by Disney CEO Bob Iger back in May — incidentally, just before Game of Thrones wrapped its divisive eighth and final season.

Deadline reports the pair’s busy schedule, which includes fulfilling a reportedly nine-figure content deal for Netflix, appears to be behind the decision.

“We love Star Wars,” Benioff and Weiss said in a statement to Deadline. “When George Lucas built it, he built us too. Getting to talk about Star Wars with him and the current Star Wars team was the thrill of a lifetime, and we will always be indebted to the saga that changed everything.”

It’s not known who will fill their shoes on the trilogy, which was set to kick off December 16, 2022.  It’s set to be the first Star Wars movie that isn’t a part of the nine-chapter Skywalker Saga, which ends in December with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Iger had explained there would be a pause in Star Wars movies after The Rise of Skywalker, following the under-performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Many blamed that film’s fate on the mixed reception for Rian Johnson’s eighth installment, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

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