Eight years afterThe Last Jedi, I think I will finally have to give up on the idea of Rian Johnson’sStar Warstrilogy ever happening.Star Wars: The Last Jedihas been the most interesting part of the franchise for the better part of the last decade, if only for its divisiveness.The Last Jediis regarded by many as one of theworst-rankedStar Warsmovies, while others see it as a bold, unique take on the mythos created by George Lucas.
As a result,The Last Jedisplit the fanbase into two halves, and it is still yet to recover.UpcomingStar Warsmoviesseem to be more conventionally pleasing thanThe Last JediandThe Rise of Skywalker, the latter of which caused more division based on how it tried to appease both haters and fans of the former. In the years since the 2017 movie, writer-director Rian Johnson has received his fair share of criticism and praise forThe Last Jedi.Due to this confusing reception, I think it is time to accept that the trilogy Johnson had planned will never happen.
Lucasfilm Planned A New Rian Johnson Star Wars Trilogy Before The Last Jedi Was Even Released
Rian Johnson’s prospectiveStar Warstrilogy is almost as interesting a case study asStar Wars: The Last Jediitself. In November 2017, a month beforeThe Last Jediwas released worldwide in theaters, an article was posted onStar Wars’official website. This article revealed that Rian Johnson had been asked to write and direct aStar Warstrilogy, set to be a standalone series of films separate from the overarching narrative of the Skywalker Saga.
The statement from Lucasfilm insisted how proud the company was ofThe Last Jediand how smoothly the production had gone under Johnson’s watch…
What made this announcement so interesting was the fact that it came beforeThe Last Jedi’s theatrical release. This timeline and the statement from Lucasfilm highlighted just how proud the company was ofThe Last Jediand how smoothly the production had gone under Johnson’s watch, which led to more stories being planned before any reviews ofEpisode VIIIwere released online. However, only a month later, theStar Warsfandom imploded.
Rian Johnson’s Trilogy Has Been In Limbo For Years
Mainly Due To The Last Jedi’s Divisive Reaction
Upon the release ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi, the division the movie had caused became immediately clear. Audiences around the globe began arguing with one another over whether the movie was a great continuation of the Skywalker Saga or a disgrace to the world and characters George Lucas had built decades earlier. As a result of this intense, vitriolic-fueled debate, Rian Johnson’sStar Warstrilogy entered a state of limbo. The director subsequently took a step back fromStar Wars, focusing on the murder mystery franchise he created:Knives Out.
AfterKnives Out’s success, Johnson ran headfirst into the whodunnit genre with two sequels toKnives Out-Glass Onion,released in 2022, andWake Up Dead Man,set to release in December 2025. Despite the divisionThe Last Jedihad caused, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy was often asked about the trilogy that was planned before its release, simply stating that Johnson was focused onKnives Outfor the foreseeable future, but that the door would always be open for those three movies to happen. For the last eight years,this state of “maybe” is all that has been said about Rian Johnson’sStar Warstrilogy.
I’m Afraid It Sounds Like This Project Has Been Canceled - Can It Ever Be Reborn?
The Door Is Open, But For How Long?
As someone who really enjoysThe Last Jedi- controversially, I know - I have been endlessly disappointed by the lack of news about Johnson’s trilogy. The majority of the criticism of Johnson’s writing came from his handling oflegacyStar Warscharacters, yet I believe it worked. Moreover, once removed from the nostalgia and storylines people associate with the likes of Luke Skywalker, for example, I truly think Johnson’s writing could make for an excellentStar Warstrilogy. Therefore, I am afraid to say it seems as though the trilogy will never happen.
The state of limbo is simply too long to think otherwise, and the vitriolic hate againstThe Last Jedihas not really died down, almost a decade later. Given how much Lucasfilm tried to appease fans and scramble togetherThe Rise of Skywalkerto rectify the mistakes ofThe Last Jedi, I doubt the company would risk its reputation further by allowing Johnson to return. There is still a glimmer of hope, but not one that instills much confidence.
In 2025, Rian Johnson commented on the possibility of the plannedStar Warstrilogy ever coming to fruition. Johnson reiterated the same words Kennedy has for the past eight years, stating he has been focused on other properties. Johnson did say that returning toStar Warswould make him the “happiest person,” but this is hardly a confirmation. So long as Johnson is happy to return toStar Wars, my slim hope remains, but the near-decade of limbo does not indicate his trilogy is anywhere near imminent.
