When Solo: A Star Wars Story opened in cinemas to mixed reviews and a record low box office, the scruffy-looking nerf herder of a film caused Disney to almost fully scrap their plans for the Lucasfilm franchise. Gone were all the many, many spinoffs and prequels the House Mouse had lined up, with just a few key productions still in the pipeline. One such production was a mysterious standalone trilogy of films developed by Rian Johnson, the writer/director who had just delivered Star Wars: The Last Jedi a few months earlier. While The Last Jedi had earned a massive $1.3 billion, it had divided some fans with its iconoclastic approach to the series’ classic characters and mythology, prompting some detractors to hope that Disney would drop his new trilogy down a Sarlacc pit as well. However, Johnson subsequently confirmed that everything was still a go… and then we heard nothing more. That was 2019.
During the recent huge Disney Investors Day event, the studio announced a barrage of new Star Wars developments, including spinoffs from Lucasfilm’s new Disney+ crown jewel, The Mandalorian. However, there was zero mention of Johnson’s trilogy, again leading many to think it had been killed like a Jedi youngling during Order 66.
But the filmmaker has now set the record straight via Sariah Wilson, an author whose new book was inspired by her meeting Star Wars actor Adam Driver. And while he apparently didn’t share much with her during their chat, Johnson did confirm to Wilson that his Star Wars trilogy is still very much happening.
And… that’s it. That’s all the info we have about that. Wilson did also ask Johnson about the relationship between Daisy Ridley Rey and Driver’s Kylo Ren, with Johnson confirming that he fully intended it to be romantic from the start. There. That’s another thing you now know for sure.
As for Rian’s Star Wars trilogy all we know is that it will be take “steps beyond the legacy characters” and takes place in a corner of this galaxy far, far away that we haven’t seen before. I have a feeling that is going to remain all we know for quite some time still as Disney goes all-in on Star Wars series on Disney+.
Last Updated: February 17, 2021
Dee ham
February 17, 2021 at 01:56
a sequel nobody asked for, to a movie that nobody liked.
Is it possible for people to be really this tone deaf?
(reaches for the strongest sedatives he can find)
alright Imma head out. wake me up when this nightmare is over
Kervyn Cloete
February 17, 2021 at 03:59
Firstly, just a slight correction, but this is not a sequel. This trilogy has nothing to do with the existing films. It will be completely its own thing. And secondly, there are a rather large amount of people that liked (or even loved) The Last Jedi.
Daniel Hallinan
February 17, 2021 at 02:10
I’m quite interested in this, particularly due to how much I enjoyed Last Jedi, found its reluctance to just be “another stupid but fun star wars film” refreshing and fascinating, despite how contentious it was among some of the fans, and the ramshackle rebound sequel it prompted due to fear of that contention.
I really enjoyed Last Jedi’s decision to dig into and deconstruct the franchise’s legacy (both in universe and out), so I’m curious (and,surprisingly, a tad excited) if Johnson continues along that vein.
I’ve personally gotten a bit frustrated with Star Wars’ tendency to be desperately self-referential, terrified of exploring the unknown and too nervous to avoid including Big Name characters (part of why I adored
the first season of Mandalorian, but grew disappointed with the season season) – so I’m eager to see if Johnson’s work will finally allow some new ground to be explored.
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 17, 2021 at 03:35
I thought the second season was weak to start but really got going later. And then came that too easily resolved and fan servicey finale.
cloudzn
February 18, 2021 at 10:16
Why do people dislike fan service? There’s nothing wrong with it
Gavin Mannion
February 18, 2021 at 10:58
From a non-fan side it normally makes shows stupid.
You get a decent story and show going then all of a sudden the guy enters wearing a pink tutu and everyone ignores it because “it’s what the comics had”…
cloudzn
February 19, 2021 at 09:25
Except without the comics you wouldn’t have a source material, a little fan service goes a long way.
Gavin Mannion
February 19, 2021 at 11:22
Yeah I’m not completely against it, I normally just roll my eyes and ignore the idiocy
Mandalorian Jim
February 19, 2021 at 07:38
If you’re not aiming to rope in the fans, then who are you making your movies for? I think that’s why many of the video game movies have failed so dismally, because there’s this idea that you should make something that’s accessible to everyone, and yet… the only ones who know about the intellectual property are the fans.
So, go nuts with the fan service, give the fans something that they can enjoy and then tell their friends and family about (and maybe that will get the normies into the theatres too). Perfect example: Joker and Deadpool.
Or look at the Avengers movies or any of the superhero movies, they were clearly made with the fans in mind, and the fact that it resonated with the fans, meant that normies, or even non-fans could get excited about the movies. The fans knew what the tesseract was, while the non-fan is just in awe at the whole spectacle. Thereafter, they’ll go out, maybe even pick up a comic or just check the wikipedia entry, and get excited at the next set of movies.
So, I have no problem with fan service. I have no problem with creators going the extra mile to include fans or to create material that fans will enjoy.
What I don’t like is pseudointellectuals trying to deconstruct heroes, subvert expectations, inject their own insecurities or vile bile into established properties – purely to annoy the fans or because they want to make some unrelated point about the property or the fanbase. If that’s your thing, good, but write or create your own IP where you can happily and successfully do so – (i.e. The Boys*)
*Incidentally, the graphic novels are actually juvenile trash, but the show is actually a lot better. A strange inversion, but I’m not complaining.
cloudzn
February 21, 2021 at 04:25
I agree with you 100% especially on the last paragraph, it’s reminded of the Uzaki chan drama from last year, people were making up crap about the character just because they hated the design. Japan often gets mocked by westerners for fan service but they don’t care because manga and anime are more popular now then ever.
Insomnia is fun
February 17, 2021 at 04:27
TLJ sure deconstructed Luke Skywalker into a version almost akin to what Piccard has become.
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 17, 2021 at 03:30
Given how much I enjoyed Looper & Knives Out I’m perfectly happy to see him do his own thing and step away from legacy characters and explore something new in the Star Wars universe.
Doesn’t change the fact that TLJ was a giant misstep though in the overall story, and it would only have earned $1,299,999,996 at the box office if I’d known *before* I bought the ticket how much I’d dislike the movie.
Insomnia is fun
February 17, 2021 at 04:24
misstep right into a sarlacc pit
Insomnia is fun
February 17, 2021 at 04:23
If I knew beforehand what was going to happen in TLJ I would’ve skipped it like I did the new Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and Ghostbusters
cloudzn
February 18, 2021 at 10:13
Seriously after the damage the TLJ did and his ego about it, alot of fans will say no thanks
Mandalorian Jim
February 18, 2021 at 12:56
If Disney goes ahead with his trilogy they must really hate money.
cloudzn
February 19, 2021 at 09:27
Lol probably but they keep listening to the wrong people and that’s the problem
Mandalorian Jim
February 18, 2021 at 12:55
lol, I seriously doubt this is ever happening. The management and execs at Disney are many things, greedy, evil, potentially psychopaths, but they’re not complete idiots, It definitely seems like they’ve been reigning in the nutcases at LucasFilm. There’s a reason Favreau and Filoni are now the rockstars (post- Mandalorian). And with the high Republic books and material getting lambasted by fans, I SERIOUSLY doubt Disney will ever touch Rian Roundhead again.
Sorry Rian fans….
I think this is just yet another attempt by the old guard at Lucasfilm to test the waters. The problem though….TLJ is so hated that if Disney goes ahead with it, you definitely know they’ve lost their minds, and don’t want to make money.
The people who seem to like TLJ are the kind of people who sit in coffeeshops, stroking their beards, while they sit with a stack of huis genoots, wrapped in a cover of a Dostoevsky novel.
Insomnia is fun
February 19, 2021 at 00:54
He made some good movies. Maybe it was influence from KK or Disney in general. Maybe it started with JJ who played it too safe with TFA. What is undeniable it that TLJ is as divisive as Trump was when he split a country into two. I’m even more concerned that Disney own Star Wars after I read what they did to Lilo and Stitch on Disney+
Lilo for instance does not hide in a dryer when her sister is looking for her. Instead she’s inside some kind of furniture covered by a pizza box because dryers are problematic. Parents can’t teach their kids to not play in dryers apparently. They also changed the scene where they hijack a jet because snowflakes are easily offended.
I fear for what they might do to Star Wars.
Grid10ck
February 19, 2021 at 08:39
What a shame, I recently re-watched the sequel trilogy and actually paid attention this time. The sequel trilogy is nothing but a poor rip-off of the original trilogy.
Rey’s “journey” that was the worst for me, what an absolute joke “because dyad” that’s it. Don’t get me started on what they did to Luke