Rian Johnson at the premiere of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out MysteryFaye's Vision/Cover Images
By
Ryan Northrup
Published 40 minutes ago
Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapRian Johnson's Star Wars trilogy is no more, according to a new report. The project was announced not long after the release of Johnson's divisive entry in the franchise, 2017's Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi.
Though Johnson himself doesn't confirm the news regarding his announced trilogy, THR calls the project "effectively dead" in a new interview with The Last Jedi filmmaker. Johnson affirms, however, that his connection to Star Wars will remain intact:
“A part of my brain will always be in Star Wars. It’s so much a part of me and the way I think.”
This latest claim about Johnson's Star Wars trilogy follows a positive update from the director back in 2022. He confirmed to Empire that he had remained in touch with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy about it. “It's just at this point a matter of schedule and when it can happen," Johnson told the publication. "It would break my heart if I were finished, if I couldn’t get back in that sandbox at some point.”
Kennedy herself then confirmed that the project was still alive in April 2023, even though it seemingly wasn't in active development. She told Variety that it was Johnson's busy schedule that was to blame for it not happening:
Rian and I talk all the time. He is unbelievably busy. So we’re not actively involved in anything at the moment because he’s doing another one of the ‘Glass Onion’ movies and then God knows what else. But he really wants to step back into the space. It’s a big commitment of time, so that’s really on him.
The claim that Johnson's trilogy is "dead" isn't necessarily surprising. A number of Star Wars movies have been announced over the last few years, and most don't seem any closer to actually happening. James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi, for example, seemingly hasn't made much progress since it was announced in 2023.
Daisy Ridley as Rey holding a red lightsaber in The Last Jedi
Similarly, the announced Star Wars: New Jedi Order, which is said to follow Daisy Ridley's Rey 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, has also faced setbacks. Set to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the film has cycled through several screenwriters, with George Nolfi reported to have replaced writer Steven Knight back in January.
The two upcoming Star Wars movies that are currently confirmed to be coming out notably have nothing to do with Disney's sequel trilogy. Johnson's The Last Jedi was incredibly divisive, and The Rise of Skywalker was generally poorly received.
Instead of building on this trilogy, the franchise's return to the big screen next May will take the form of Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian and Grogu, a movie spinoff of the hit Disney+ show, The Mandalorian. After that, Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling will hit theaters in May 2027.
Beyond those two titles, it's not clear what the future holds for Star Wars. It's possible that New Jedi Order or Dawn of the Jedi will move forward in years ahead, but it's just as likely that something else gets announced and fast-tracked based on the reception to The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter.
While many questions remain about Star Wars' future long-term, it now seems like Johnson's trilogy will not be among the franchise's upcoming projects. From the director's comment, though, his time in a galaxy far, far away may not be over just yet.
Star Wars
Created by
George Lucas
First Film
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Cast
Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
TV Show(s)
The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
Movie(s)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
Character(s)
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
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Movies
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Star Wars
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