Rian Johnson’s STAR WARS Trilogy Is “Effectively Dead,” According to New Report
Fans who were holding out for Rian Johnson’s long discussed Star Wars trilogy just got a rough update. A new report indicates the trilogy is not happening, and at this point it sounds like the idea has drifted far, far away. Of course, a lot of other fans are sure to celebrate the news.
Back in 2017, when Johnson released Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Lucasfilm announced that he would create and write a completely new trilogy set in the galaxy. Johnson was also expected to direct at least the first film. For a moment, it looked like a major creative shake up for the franchise.
That trilogy never moved forward, and according to a recent update from The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson’s trilogy is now “effectively dead.”
Johnson has talked over the years about how deeply the saga still lives in his mind, even saying a part of his brain “will always be in Star Wars” and that the franchise has become “so much a part” of the way he thinks. Still, all signs point to Lucasfilm moving on.
Back in July, Johnson said that his work on the Knives Out franchise is the biggest reason the trilogy never materialized. In his words:
“[Lucasfilm and I] had a great time working together, and they said, ‘Let’s keep doing it.’ I said, ‘Great!’ I would kick ideas around with Kathy,” Johnson said.
“The short version is Knives Out happened. I went off and made Knives Out, and was off to the races, busy making murder mysteries.
“It’s the sort of thing if, down the line, there’s an opportunity to do it, or do something else in Star Wars, I would be thrilled. But right now I’m just doing my own stuff, and pretty happy.”
His success with the Benoit Blanc films clearly reshaped his priorities. With each movie growing in scale and popularity, Johnson stayed locked into that creative world, leaving little room to return to Lucasfilm in any meaningful way.
While Johnson’s trilogy appears to be dead, Lucasfilm still has big screen plans. The next theatrical release will be The Mandalorian and Grogu, landing in US theaters on May 22, 2024 and Star Wars: Starfighter coming in 2027.
Meanwhile, Johnson is continuing forward with the fourth film in his hit mystery series. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery arrives in select theaters on November 26, 2025, and then debuts on Netflix on December 12.
It’s disappointing for fans who were curious to see Johnson explore fresh corners of the Star Wars galaxy, especially given how unique his storytelling can be. But, with the director fully immersed in his murder mystery universe and Lucasfilm charting its own future, this trilogy feels like one of those Star Wars projects we’ll just have to wonder “what could have been.”