Disney was so pleased with the critically beloved The Last Jedi that before it even released in theaters, they asked Johnson to write them a new Star Wars trilogy and offered to let him direct the first installment. However, the new trilogy has not moved forward since, but Johnson tells Empire that it could still happen down the line.
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During the interview, Johnson explained that the project is still on the table. “I’ve stayed close to Kathleen [Kennedy] and we get together often and talk about it,” Johnson said. “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.” Variety has also pointed out previous statements by Johnson to similar effect. In 2019, he explained the problem to the Evening Standard, saying, “The truth is they’re still figuring out their schedule, their game plan. If it’s possible for me to squeeze in another film before or while working on that, I will.”
Speaking to The Observer in 2019 about his plans for a new trilogy, Johnson said, “We’re doing something that steps beyond the legacy characters. What does that look like? To me, the blue sky element of it is what was most striking about it.” The director added, “I know the way that I’m coming at it, and what’s fun about it for everyone in George Lucas’s films, is figuring out, ‘What’s the next step?’ It really makes you think and figure out what the essence of ‘Star Wars’ is for me and what that will look like moving forward.”
While all parties involved were fully on board, the plans were derailed by the success of Johnson’s Knives Out in 2019. Because he has become a highly in-demand director and has a multi-film contract with Netflix for several Knives Out sequels, scheduling Johnson to work on an entire Star Wars trilogy would truly be a feat of galactic proportions. Plus, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy had made it clear that the new trilogy would not be happening anytime soon.
It’s almost certain that Johnson’s trilogy would not be completed for at least five more years. He tends to take between two and four years working on each movie, and he is still under contract for a second Knives Out sequel with Netflix. However, with Star Wars’ popularity as high as it’s ever been and the success of several Star Wars series on Disney Plus, there is still a thirst for a new, fresh trilogy of films.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now available on Disney Plus.
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Source: Empire, The Evening Standard, The Observer
