Rian Johnson 'Star Wars' Trilogy Reportedly On Hold

Director Rian Johnson may not be developing a Star Wars movie for Disney after all.

The "Knives Out" creator has received critical acclaim for many of his movies, but "The Last Jedi" was a clear exception. The second film in the sequel trilogy has been heavily criticized for the way it seemed to divert from the path set in 2015's "The Force Awakens," which was developed by J.J. Abrams.

The film has caused extreme polarization among the fanbase, with some claiming it's the best Star Wars film and others calling it the worst. 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker," which closed out the nine-episode Skywalker Saga, did the franchise no favors and was considered to be a lackluster conclusion to a story that started with "A New Hope" in 1977.

But Johnson's trilogy would have put the Skywalker lineage aside and allowed him to craft his own trilogy from start to finish. However, due to his commitments to other films, it seems that Johnson's very own Star Wars trilogy may never come to be.

In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said that Rian Johnson was “unbelievably busy” with other projects. Although the trilogy was first announced in 2017, it doesn’t seem that Rian has made any progress on the films since then.

“Rian has been unbelievably busy with Knives Out and the deal that he made at Netflix for multiple movies,” Kennedy told the publication. In 2021, Netflix spent $450 million dollars to acquire the rights to two “Knives Out” sequels, with Johnson attached to write and direct both of those films as well.

Kennedy actually seemed to cast doubt on the possibility of a trilogy, and hinted at exploring “much more persistent storytelling.”

Although “The Rise of Skywalker” received a lackluster reception, “The Mandalorian” proved to be a success for the fledgling Disney+ and several new shows have been produced as a result: “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Ahsoka,” “Andor,” “The Acolyte,” and the canceled “Rangers of the New Republic.”

There is no telling when fans will be able to head to theaters to watch a new “Star Wars” film. Patty Jenkins’ “Rogue Squadron” was originally slated for release in 2023; however, it has since been pushed back to allow her to work on “Wonder Woman 3.”

Although Marvel boss Kevin Feige is supposed to be directing a “Star Wars” film of his own, Kennedy confirmed to the publication that “there isn’t anything specifically” planned out regarding that project.

In 2021, “Thor: Ragnarok” director Taika Waititi told Wired that he’s “got a story” that is still in the early stages of development. “But we’ve got a story,” he told the outlet. “I’m really excited by it because it feels very me.”

Many have questioned what a Waititi “Star Wars” movie will look like. Waititi explained that he tends “to go down that little sincerity alleyway in my films.” He added, “I like to fool the viewer into thinking ‘ha it’s this and then them going, ‘D--- it, you made me feel something.’”

Fans are hoping that they get more information about their favorite “Star Wars” projects at Star Wars Celebration. The annual fan event kicks off at the end of the month in Anaheim, California this year. The release of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” was even pushed back two days to coincide with the celebration. It was originally supposed to debut Wednesday, May 25, 1977, to mark the 45th anniversary of “A New Hope.” Instead, the six-episode limited series will now debut on Friday.

Fans can expect to hear more news about season 2 of the animated series “The Bad Batch” at SWC, as well as more news about the upcoming Disney+ live-action series. But when it comes to Star Wars movies? Fans will just have to wait and see.