It’s been years since it was announced that Rian Johnson would take on a new “Star Wars” trilogy that was seemingly disconnected from the Skywalker Saga. But since that announcement, all we’ve heard is talk from Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy about how it will still happen eventually and Rian Johnson saying that he would still like to do it. But without any movement on the project and all the changes in direction at Lucasfilm, the idea of Rian Johnson coming back to do more “Star Wars” after ‘The Last Jedi’ seems… not likely. Alas, the filmmaker would like to confirm that it will still happen, eventually.
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Speaking to Empire, while promoting the upcoming release of his “Knives Out” sequel, “Glass Onion,” Johnson was once again asked about his “Star Wars” future. And once again, the filmmaker wants people to know it will happen.
“I’ve stayed close to Kathleen [Kennedy] and we get together often and talk about it,” said Johnson. “It’s just at this point a matter of schedule and when it can happen. It would break my heart if I were finished, if I couldn’t get back in that sandbox at some point.”
It’s hard not to believe what Johnson says here, as he definitely is a fan of “Star Wars” and still has reverence for the franchise. But between the fact that he’s knee-deep in “Knives Out” world and Lucasfilm is still trying to get its shit together with the future of “Star Wars” on the big screen, it just still doesn’t seem likely. None of that even takes into consideration the fact that Johnson’s lone entry in “Star Wars” canon, ‘The Last Jedi,’ continues to spark ridiculous debate (often toxic) amongst the fandom. But we don’t have the time or energy to start down that path.
All of that to say, you can believe that Rian Johnson really, really wants to make more “Star Wars” content and also believe that it’s just not going to happen. Perhaps, he can write a detailed outline and turn it into a limited series coming to Disney+ (we know Lucasfilm loves “Star Wars” TV shows, right now). But as a new film trilogy? When Lucasfilm can’t even get one “Star Wars” film off the ground? Yeah, not likely.