Rian Johnson made one of the most divisive projects in the history of Star Wars in 2017’s The Last Jedi. Even so, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy signed Johnson to a deal that allowed him to create a trilogy of films that would exist outside the Skywalker saga and explore all new parts of the galaxy. Even as Lucasfilm continues to develop and produce new projects for Disney Plus and plan new theatrical releases, any advancement on Johnson’s trilogy has stayed out of the news.
Johnson has stayed plenty busy, writing and directing 2019’s Knives Out and its sequel, The Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which will premiere on Netflix this December. In speaking with Variety, it seems clear that developing more stories around Knives Out star Daniel Craig’s clever detective Benoit Blanc is his top priority.
If each one of these [Knives Out sequels] can really be what Agatha Christie did, if it can be not just in a totally new location and a new cast, but also trying something exciting, I’ll keep doing it as long as Daniel [Craig] and I are having a good time. I’ll keep making these as long as they let me.
Rian Johnson
If the Knives Out franchise is at the forefront of Johnson’s work, where does that leave Star Wars? Lucasfilm has untitled Star Wars releases scheduled for 2025 and 2027, but it doesn’t sound like fans should expect either of those to be one of Johnson’s projects. When asked when fans could expect to see his Star Wars trilogy take off, the writer/director was pretty candid about the prospects.
I have talked to [Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy] about it and we’re still talking about it. I had such an amazing experience making The Last Jedi. It’s entirely a matter of scheduling. For me, putting this [Glass Onion] out and making the next one of these [Knives Out sequels]…the answer is I don’t know.
Rian Johnson
When pushed a bit further by Variety about whether or not the trilogy will happen at all, Johnson simply said, “God I hope so.“
Not exactly a vote of confidence by Johnson, but it isn’t a death knell either. While Johnson’s Star Wars films may never hit the screen, Lucasfilm seems to have found its sweet spot on Disney Plus, giving fans plenty of Star Wars content to look forward to for years to come.
Source: Variety
