The plan was to have Rian Johnson lead the way for a new Star Wars trilogy, but following Star Wars: The Last Jedi's divisive release roughly five years ago, those plans were put on hold. Now it looks like it will be staying that way, according to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.
Lucasfilm was so pleased with what Johnson cooked up on Star Wars: The Last Jedi that even before the film's December 2017 release, the production company announced that Johnson would write a new trilogy separate from the main Skywalker storyline and that he would also direct the first installment. But while critics praised the film, particularly the risks it took as well as its departure from the way previous Star Wars stories were told, audiences were much more divided.
Whether it was because of the split fan reaction or Johnson's busy schedule, either way, it doesn't look like Johnson will be returning to a galaxy far, far away anytime soon. In a Vanity Fair issue that highlights some upcoming Star Wars projects, Kennedy commented on the status of Johnson's involvement with the Star Wars universe, implying that the trilogy will not be happening anytime soon. “Rian has been unbelievably busy with Knives Out and the deal that he made at Netflix for multiple movies... I hesitate to use the word trilogies anymore because Star Wars is much more about persistent storytelling," Kennedy said.
Based on her comments, it appears Star Wars will shift its focus to more standalone films rather than the recent trilogies audiences have been presented with thus far. Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi will likely be the first filmmaker to contribute to this new format of Star Wars films, while Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins will follow with her Rogue Squadron project (which has seen several delays already). Another film is said to be produced by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, but Kennedy added that there is no update on that project.
While The Last Jedi was not received well by some fans, it ultimately came down to a lack of vision or direction for the new sequel films that added up to an uneven and very divisive trilogy. It would no doubt still be interesting to see what Johnson can do with his own trilogy/story, especially looking at some of his other acclaimed works like Looper and Knives Out.
But after signing an estimated $469 million deal with Netflix that will see him returning to direct two Knives Out sequels (with Knives Out 2 slated to release in late 2022), it looks like Johnson is hard at work on his mystery films. Johnson will also serve as executive producer and creator of the upcoming Poker Face, a new mystery drama series on Peacock starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. As for the Star Wars universe, upcoming projects such as Disney Plus' Obi-WanKenobi series should keep plenty of fans satisfied for quite a while.
Stars: The Last Jedi is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: Vanity Fair