Way back in 2017, before Star Wars: The Last Jedi even hit the big screen, it was reported that Rian Johnson would return to the franchise to develop an entire new trilogy of movies after the release of the then-untitled Episode IX. But, this being the internet, the lack of further news and the backlash from some fans have led to speculation about Johnson’s future with the franchise.
Though he took to Twitter earlier this year to address the cancellation rumors, no further news has been announced. It didn’t help that new TV shows have recently been confirmed for the franchise, including the Obi-Wan show for Disney+, without a peep about Johnson’s planned Star Wars trilogy. But as before, no news isn’t necessarily bad news.
After a special presentation of Knives Out during Fantastic Fest, we spoke to the writer and director about his thrilling and entertaining murder mystery, which features a star-studded cast that includes Chris Evans, Jaime Lee Curtis, and Daniel Craig.
When asked if he can confirm anything about his future with Star Wars, Johnson gave an enigmatic yet hopeful answer. “I’m still talking to Lucasfilm about it,” the Last Jedi director said.
Though that’s far from definitive, it could very well be that Lucasfilm is just waiting to see how The Rise of Skywalker is received and decide where they’re taking the franchise after that. They already announced a trilogy of movies to be released between 2022 and 2026, including one made by Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and no one outside of Disney knows what the company is planning beyond that.
That being said, while Johnson couldn’t confirm or deny his future involvement with the franchise, he did have something to say about the next release in the franchise–The Mandalorian, which he praised as an example of what he wants for the future of Star Wars.
“I’ve seen some behind the scenes and went to visit the set,” Johnson said enthusiastically. “It looks incredible, and the stuff they’re doing is fantastic.”
“But other than that, I haven’t read any other scripts and don’t know anything about future movies,” he added.
Rian Johnson used The Mandalorian to share what he hopes all future Star Wars projects (including his hypothetical one) offer fans.
“For me, I’m just a Star Wars fan,” Johnson told GameSpot. “What I want is for people to sit down and watch something we’ve never seen in the Star Wars universe before. Tell me a great story, something that’s going to make me feel like I’m 10 years old again watching the original trilogy. I feel like that’s what we all want when the lights go down.”
Check out GameSpot’s Knives Out review for more on Johnson’s latest.
Photo courtesy of Dark Horse.
