Disney has made no secret that Star Wars is one of the keys to its upcoming streaming service. It underscored that Thursday, announcing Jon Favreau would serve as writer and executive producer of the service’s upcoming live-action series based on the films.
Favreau and Disney have a rich history together. He served as director of Iron Man, the film that both set the tone and began cultivating the audience for future Disney Marvel movies, including The Avengers. Those films have gone on to become a multi-billion dollar franchise for the company.
Favreau also directed and produced the live-action film adaptation of The Jungle Book and is currently working on a live-action production of The Lion King.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
The still-untitled Star Wars live-action series does not yet have a release date. The streaming service is expected to launch by the end of 2019.