Rian Johnson reveals details on his abandoned Star Wars trilogy

While fans believe they bullied Johnson away from Star Wars after The Last Jedi, the filmmaker actually just found a new genre to enjoy.
Text: Alex Hopley
Published 2025-07-14

After 2017's The Last Jedi, most Star Wars fans would have been happy to never see Rian Johnson's name next to a Star Wars project again. They rejoiced, then, when the director's proposed Star Wars trilogy was scrapped.

The films never really got off the ground, according to Johnson, who said in an interview with Rolling Stone that another project simply took his attention far, far away from Star Wars.

"Nothing really happened with it. We had a great time working together, and they said, 'Let's keep doing it.' I said, 'Great!' I would kick ideas around with Kathy. The short version is Knives Out happened," Johnson explained.

"I went off and made Knives Out, and was off to the races, busy making murder mysteries. It's the sort of thing if, down the line, there's an opportunity to do it, or do something else in Star Wars, I would be thrilled. But right now I'm just doing my own stuff, and pretty happy."

Johnson continued to say that his trilogy never had an outline or treatment for it. It seems like it was never more than just a few concepts kicking around. Rumours did point to it leaving the Jedi and Sith behind which, after Andor's success, might not have been the worst idea.

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