Rian Johnson, the director of The Last Jedi, has given a disappointing update about his Star Wars trilogy, which now seems to be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a highly controversial movie. Many would rank it as the worst Star Wars film, yet it certainly has its fans who believe it was a bold continuation of the saga.
Interestingly, though, this controversy was not anticipated by Lucasfilm. A month before The Last Jedi was released in theaters, Lucasfilm confirmed that they were incredibly proud of what Rian Johnson had achieved, revealing that he had been hired to write and direct an entire Star Wars trilogy as a result.
However, this trilogy is not expected to be part of the slate of upcoming Star Wars movies. The reasons for this have been outlined ever since, yet Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has reiterated that Johnson is welcome back whenever he wishes. Now, though, the filmmaker has given another update that sadly makes me think his Star Wars trilogy is completely ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.
Rian Johnson’s Star Wars Trilogy Was Never A Solid Pitch In The First Place
The Idea Was More Conceptual
The most recent update from Rian Johnson came in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. The director was asked about the planned trilogy, with Johnson admitting “nothing really happened with it.” Johnson simply reiterated what the original announcement from Lucasfilm said in 2017: the working partnership was rewarding, and both parties agreed to tell more Star Wars stories.
Johnson insists it was only conceptual and that there were never any story outlines or treatments…
Johnson said that this led to a few ideas before he began work on Knives Out. The Knives Out franchise has been the main aspect cited when either Johnson or Kennedy is asked about the former’s trilogy, given that the final installment is currently being worked on for a December 2025 release.
Despite saying he would be happy to return to Star Wars, Johnson reiterates how much he is enjoying working on original ideas. To further prove his Star Wars trilogy was never that concrete to begin with, Johnson insists it was only conceptual and that there were never any story outlines or treatments.
The Last Jedi’s Controversial Reception Seems To Have Affected Lucasfilm’s Plans
Johnson’s Trilogy May Have Been Made Otherwise
If I had to guess another reason as to why Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy never happened, it would be Lucasfilm’s plans changing after The Last Jedi‘s controversial release. Of course, the filmmaker’s work on the Knives Out series is likely the main reason. That said, there is no denying that Lucasfilm has attempted to course correct since 2017 and the release of The Last Jedi.
J.J. Abrams being rehired to work on Episode IX is proof of this, as The Force Awakens was mostly liked. The story of The Rise of Skywalker was then criticized for undoing several aspects of The Last Jedi. For instance, the latter’s reveal that Rey was someone of no specific bloodline was retconned in favor of her being Sheev Palpatine’s granddaughter.
In fact, Palpatine being in the movie at all after his defeat in Return of the Jedi seemed more like a way to ᴀssuage audiences after The Last Jedi killed off Supreme Leader Snoke. For these reasons, The Rise of Skywalker was almost as divisive as The Last Jedi, causing an even greater attempt to course correct.
Lucasfilm stopped developing movies in the franchise entirely, instead shifting the focus to Star Wars‘ many TV shows. These shows focused on bringing back beloved characters like Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, or focusing on the franchise’s New Republic timeline so as to avoid sequel connections entirely.
2026’s The Mandalorian and Grogu will be the franchise’s return to the big screen, which will again be set in the New Republic era. All of this just proves how Lucasfilm has seemingly tried to avoid connections to the sequel trilogy, likely due to the backlash that those who disliked the three movies have directed towards the studio since 2015.
This more than likely stopped Rian Johnson’s trilogy from moving beyond the conceptual phase. Johnson himself was no stranger to online vitriol, nor were some of his cast members, like Kelly Marie Tran. Therefore, the trilogy was likely avoided to remove the possibility of even more controversy, which sadly continues to be true today.
I Can Still Dream Of Rian Johnson’s Return
The Filmmaker Would Still Like To Return To Star Wars
Although this all means that Rian Johnson’s trilogy is likely completely ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, I am still hoping for his return. I am one of those who enjoys Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and I think Johnson is an incredibly talented writer and director. Naturally, I would like to see him return to Star Wars if he were given the opportunity.
The aforementioned comments that Johnson would also be happy to return are promising. In May 2025, Johnson also told The Independent, “If I get back in the Star Wars universe someday, I’d be the happiest person.”
This all proves that Johnson has not been burned by the controversy directed at Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Nonetheless, it seems as though any last hope of his trilogy still happening is gone, but that will not stop me from dreaming that he could come back one day.
