Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy is ‘effectively dead’
“Knives Out happened. I went and made my mystery films, and that’s what it was.”
Rian Johnson caused a sensation in 2017 with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
At the time, Lucasfilm announced that it would write and direct an entirely new trilogy, with the idea of directing at least the first film. But this project, long awaited by fans, will ultimately never see the light of day.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson’s trilogy is now “actually dead“The director also confides to Rolling Stone that, even if a part of him will always remain in the Star Wars universe, the saga is no longer on the agenda. The main obstacle? His franchise Knives Outthe third part of which with Daniel Craig will be released on Netflix. Rian Johnson explains that after the success of his criminal investigations, he left for another universe, busy developing his own stories.
“(Lucasfilm and I) had a great time together, and they said, ‘Let’s keep working together.’ I said ‘Perfect!’. We were exchanging ideas with Kathy Kennedy. But in the end, Knives Out happened. I went off to make my mystery films, and that’s how it was. If one day the opportunity arises to return to Star Wars, or to do something else, I would be delighted. But for now, I’m doing my own projects and I’m very happy with it.”
With Johnson’s trilogy buried, Lucasfilm refocused its efforts on other projects.
Simon Kinberg’s trilogy has taken over, while several independent films are looming ahead: The Mandalorian & Grogu by Jon Favreau, scheduled for May 22, 2026, then Starfighter by Shawn Levy with Ryan Gosling, expected on May 28, 2027. We can also expect to see Dawn of the Jedi by James Mangold, whose development is ongoing (which will take place 25,000 years in the past), even if its release date remains undetermined. Only then will Kinberg’s trilogy open a new post-Skywalker era, with episodes X, XI and XII. The Star Wars galaxy therefore continues to expand, even without Johnson.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will arrive on Netflix on December 12.
