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Rian Johnson to Direct All-New Star Wars Trilogy

A new trilogy will exist separately from the Skywalker Saga.
By  · Published on November 9th, 2017

A new trilogy will exist separately from the Skywalker Saga.

The Last Jedi was only the beginning. Apparently, Disney is so excited about how Star Wars Episode VIII turned out, that they have hired Rian Johnson to write and direct a brand-new trilogy set in the Star Wars universe. Johnson will lay the ground for the new series and is currently attached to direct at least the first film in the trilogy.

According to StarWars.com, “Johnson conceived and realized a powerful film of which Lucasfilm and Disney are immensely proud. In shepherding this new trilogy, which is separate from the episodic Skywalker saga, Johnson will introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.” The one-off stories like Rogue One and Solo were only the beginning of what Disney had planned. The stories still exist within the Skywalker saga in some form (characters have always coexisted in other entries as well thus far), it is almost unfathomable that Disney is finally prepared to open up the universe bigger than ever before. Given how quickly Disney has been going through directors as of late, it would seem like they found someone they trust implicitly in Rian Johnson, giving him the keys to take the franchise in a new direction.

Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm, also seems very pleased about this turn of events. “We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi. He’s a creative force, and watching him craft The Last Jedi from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career. Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy.” There are no other details to share at this time, but this is monumental news that opens significant doors for Rian Johnson to create whatever vision he can imagine. Fans were already excited for what the director of Brick and Looper would bring to Star Wars with The Last Jedi. Now he will get a blank canvas and infinite potential.

Update: During their earnings call, Disney also confirmed a brand new live-action Star Wars TV series that will be exclusive to their streaming service. That will certainly drive a lot of subscriptions to the new service.

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