The news of Star Wars Rebels co-creator Simon Kinberg’s new TV side of Star Wars has thrown the studio a lifeline, giving them more freedom to create new or sequel-like stories without the pressure of committing to a big screen project.
The Star Wars movies announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023 – The Mandalorian & Grogu, New Jedi Order, Dawn of the Jedi, and an as-yet-untitled Mandalorian movie – seemed to be the first step in creating a unified vision for Star Wars’ return to the big screen, although even now, issues are brewing beneath the surface for some of those projects. In the back of my mind, however, despite all the Star Wars ups and downs over the last few years, I was still excited by the prospect of one veteran Star Wars director’s return to the franchise – a return that seems more unlikely now than ever before.
Star Wars Wanted Rian Johnson To Work On A New Star Wars Trilogy
In November 2017, a month before Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released, Star Wars officially announced that Rian Johnson was working on a new Star Wars trilogy. According to the announcement on StarWars.com, “In shepherding this new trilogy, which is separate from the episodic Skywalker saga, Johnson will introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.”
Now, famously, of course, The Last Jedi became a point of no return for the Star Wars fandom, dividing it right down the middle. It’s a division from which the franchise and the fans have arguably never recovered and was made worse when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released two years later. You either hated The Last Jedi or you loved it. There was no in-between (at the very least, those who felt ambivalent or just “okay” about it were drowned out on social media, never to be heard from again).
The Last Jedi became a point of no return for the Star Wars fandom, dividing it right down the middle.
Some argued that Johnson ruined the legacies of characters like Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, and others were excited by Johnson’s fresh ideas and daring concepts, especially since Star Wars: The Force Awakens was an enjoyable but obvious imitation of the original Star Wars movie. I am one of the people who love The Last Jedi, though I can, to an extent, understand why some people don’t – I’m not a fan of the way the movie sidelined Finn, for instance, and while the Canto Bight sequence has a memorable message, it felt out of place with the rest of the film.
We Haven't Heard Anything About This Trilogy Really Since The Last Jedi
Since Johnson’s trilogy was announced seven years ago, there have been no concrete updates on its development. It’s clear Lucasfilm wasn’t expecting the major backlash and media storm The Last Jedi would ultimately cause, and that may well be part of the reason Johnson’s trilogy was shoved to the back of the line. However, Lucasfilm and Kathleen Kennedy, especially, have, over the years, maintained that they are still keen to work with Johnson on his trilogy at some point in the future. In the meantime, Johnson has worked on other projects, including his Knives Out franchise starring Daniel Craig.
As Johnson’s trilogy was never officially canceled – not the way Game of Thrones’ David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ trilogy was, for instance – the door was left open for Johnson to eventually return. I don’t have high hopes, though, especially now that Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars trilogy has been announced. Given the current state of Star Wars, I think it’s highly unlikely the studio would be willing to commit to two entire trilogies simultaneously. It seems to be pinning most of its hopes on one-off projects instead.
I Think Star Wars Has Quietly Canceled Rian Johnson's Trilogy
The news of Kinberg’s trilogy has spread like wildfire, though what it actually is, is still unclear. The story was originally broken by Deadline, who claimed that it is meant to represent Episodes 10 – 12, while The Hollywood Reporter maintained that Kinberg’s trilogy is supposed to present something entirely new. If the latter is to be believed, then Kinberg’s trilogy will overtake Johnson’s trilogy entirely. That, too, was meant to explore characters never seen before in Star Wars.
There seems to be more to it than that, though. In a more recent report by The Hollywood Reporter, insiders have stated that Star Wars is a “nostalgia-based enterprise,” after all, and the New Jedi Order movie just lost its writer. The timing of this incident being so close to the news of Simon Kinberg’s trilogy makes me think these movies could be more closely connected than we think. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing remains to be seen.
Star Wars' New Trilogy Being Episodes 10-12 & Continuing The Skywalker Saga Would Be A Huge Insult To Rey & Daisy Ridley
A brand-new Star Wars trilogy is evidently in the works, but if these movies are intended to be episodes 10-12, it would be a major disrespect to Rey.
Given how Rian Johnson overturned the narrative set forth by The Force Awakens with The Last Jedi – for better or for worse, depending on your point of view – I think it’s unlikely that he’d be willing to overhaul a trilogy that was supposed to be wholly innovative to focus on a singular Skywalker character, no matter how much he may have enjoyed working with that character in the past. A new, unconnected trilogy would have given Johnson the room he clearly wanted to play in the Star Wars universe. Making anything connected to or reliant on Rey would rip that freedom away from him.
A new, unconnected trilogy would have given Johnson the room he clearly wanted to play in the Star Wars universe.
Whatever the case, it does not look good for Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy, and that’s a shame. Love The Last Jedi or hate it, there’s no denying that Johnson is a talented director with a flair for visual storytelling that suits the Star Wars aesthetic to a T. If Rey is truly the character Star Wars is banking all its future hopes on – how popular Disney+ characters like Din Djarin and Grogu fare in cinemas is still to be determined – then what would be the point of producing Johnson’s trilogy, one which was supposed to do something entirely new and unexpected?
Hollywood is a fickle machine, and scripts and projects get turned down and canceled all the time. In that respect, Lucasfilm is no different, but Lucasfilm is ed, in part, by brand loyalty. For many Star Wars fans, myself among them, Star Wars is more than just a brand or a story. It’s a part of who we are. Lucasfilm’s handling of the franchise over the last few years, despite its scattered Disney+ and financial successes, leaves a lot to be desired.
Star Wars Celebration 2023 seemed to be a turning point. Now, I’m not so sure. Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy was one of the few promises Lucasfilm seemed intent on honoring, but now, with Kinberg’s trilogy reportedly on the way, it seems even that promise is about to be broken.
Star Wars Movies |
Release Date |
|---|---|
The Mandalorian & Grogu |
May 22, 2026 |
- Created by
- George Lucas
- First Film
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Cast
- Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
- Star Wars: Visions
- Video Game(s)
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- 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
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
