Disney turns to Game of Thrones creators for new Star Wars films

The creators of Game of Thrones will do the new Star Wars movies.

The team behind the TV adaptation of Game of Thrones has been asked to swap medieval Westeros for a galaxy far, far away by writing and producing a new series of Star Wars films.

Disney on Tuesday said David Benioff and DB Weiss would be working on a number of films separate from both the central series of stories based around Luke Skywalker and a recently announced trilogy to be created by Rian Johnson.

It means the studio will be cranking out Star Wars movies well into the future.

The announcement provoked such immediate anticipation that the Disney share price rose by one per cent on the news – even without any details of plot, release date or how the new films would fit into the existing universe.

Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president, which is owned by Disney, said: "David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today.

"Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting."

The success of their HBO adaptation of George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire books has made them hot Hollywood property. The long-awaited final season of the TV show is due to be broadcast next year.

They said they had been Star Wars fans ever since the first instalment.

"In the summer of 1977 we travelled to a galaxy far, far away, and we've been dreaming of it ever since," they said in a joint statement. "We are honoured 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."

The most recent Star Wars film, The Last Jedi, was released in December and has earned $1.3 billion so far around the world.

Disney has already committed to making three standalone films: including 2016's Rogue One and this year's forthcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, which charts the origins of the rakish interstellar smuggler Han Solo, made famous by Harrison Ford.