Rian Johnson’s Star Wars Trilogy Gets Hopeful Update (But Will it Happen?)

Rian Johnson offers a hopeful update for his Star Wars trilogy, expressing a desire to return to the galaxy far, far away at some point. In an interview with The Independent to promote Poker Face Season 2, Johnson was asked about his mysterious Star Wars project, which was announced several weeks before his Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiered in 2017. The director made it seem like the trilogy is still on the table; it just got pushed to the back burner as he pursued other projects, such as the Knives Out movies.

“What happened? Knives Out!” Johnson said when explaining why his Star Wars trilogy hasn’t gotten off the ground. “I mean, I kind of went down the murder mystery rabbit hole – I’m focused on making other stuff. But that wouldn’t rule out it happening down the line. If I get back in the Star Wars universe someday, I’d be the happiest person.”

Over the years, there have been a plethora of similarly worded updated on Johnson’s trilogy, with claims that it’s still in active development at Lucasfilm despite not gaining any significant traction in the time since it was announced. Johnson has kept himself plenty busy with other projects and doesn’t appear to be in a rush to get back to Star Wars. In addition to Poker Face Season 2, he has Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery due later this year.

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As Johnson continues to spend time crafting entertaining murder mysteries, Lucasfilm has been ironing out its next slate of Star Wars movies. Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu comes out next summer, followed by Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter in May 2027. During Star Wars Celebration Japan in April, Lucasfilm confirmed a bevy of other films are in development, but did not list Johnson’s trilogy among them.

Johnson’s wording implies his Star Wars trilogy isn’t guaranteed at this point. Still, it’s encouraging for fans that he remains open to it. While The Last Jedi proved to be extremely divisive among viewers, a compelling argument can be made that Johnson’s vision is just what the Star Wars franchise needs right now. The filmmaker is renowned for his ability to think outside the box, putting a fresh spin on established Hollywood tropes and formulas. The Last Jedi was infamous for subverting expectations people had about the legendary Skywalker saga, but perhaps Johnson’s approach would benefit a completely new story with new characters audiences don’t have any preconceived notions about. As Andor showed, there’s space in the Star Wars sandbox for captivating ideas that push the property’s boundaries.

While it’s great to hear Johnson’s trilogy hasn’t been cancelled, right now, it seems unlikely it will come to fruition anytime soon. Lucasfilm’s priorities are The Mandalorian & Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter, and after that, there’s no shortage of Star Wars movies in search of a release date. George Nolfi is working on a script for New Jedi Order; James Mangold can now turn his attention to Dawn of the Jedi; Kathleen Kennedy is still waiting for Taika Waititi’s Star Wars script. Based on what’s been said about Johnson’s trilogy, he hasn’t made any headway writing scripts yet, so it will probably be several more years before viewers see it — if they see it at all.