"Game Of Thrones" creators to helm upcoming "Star Wars" movie

"Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are leaving Westeros behind and heading to a galaxy far, far away. The Walt Disney Company chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced the pair will be at the helm of the next "Star Wars" film after 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker." 

Iger revealed the news when asked about the long-term vision for the upcoming slate of "Star Wars" films during the 6th Annual MoffettNathanson Media & Communications Summit in New York. "The next movie that we release will be theirs, and we're not saying more about that," he said.

In February, Lucasfilm announced Benioff and Weiss will write and produce a new "series" of "Star Wars" films, "separate from both the episodic Skywalker saga and the recently-announced trilogy being developed by Rian Johnson, writer-director of 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi.'" 

"In the summer of 1977 we traveled to a galaxy far, far away, and we've been dreaming of it ever since," Benioff and Weiss said in a joint statement released in February. "We are honored by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of 'Game of Thrones' is complete."

Another piece of the puzzle was released earlier this month, as Disney announced an adjusted release schedule for the upcoming years. Disney confirmed an as-yet untitled trio of Star Wars films will come out every other year starting in December 2022, CNET reported. Yet, it wasn't known if they were the films being developed by Johnson, or separate stories from Benioff and Weiss. 

With Iger's statement Tuesday, it's clear the next "Star Wars" film after the 2019 release will come from the minds that brought the epic drama of "Game of Thrones" to life. Iger said it was smart "to take a bit of a hiatus" after the 2019 film's release while they "figure out what's next." So, the team settled on three years to "gear up" for the next flick, hence the 2022 release date.

The showrunners are closing the book on Thrones this week, with the series finale Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. A two-hour documentary on the making of the drama will air the following Sunday.