Rian Johnson to Create New 'Star Wars' Trilogy
"Star Wars" fans can now rejoice, as Disney has announced a new trilogy in the works, with "The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson heading the project.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the new "Star Wars" trilogy will be entirely fresh, with content veering away from the current storyline. Lucasfilm revealed in a statement that the new trilogy will be "separate from the episodic Skywalker saga" and that "new characters from a corner of the galaxy that 'Star Wars' lore has never before explored" will be introduced.
Developing an entirely new trilogy is certainly a huge task for one man, but it seems Disney and Lucasfilm are confident Johnson will be able to deliver. This much was revealed by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.
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"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," she said. "Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy."
In the meantime, fans can look forward to "The Last Jedi," "Solo: A Star Wars Story," and "Star Wars Episode 9." The sequel to "The Force Awakens" is scheduled to be released in U.S. cinemas on Dec. 15, and it is expected to focus more on Luke Skywalker, the titular last Jedi.
Episode 9, on the other hand, was pushed back to December 2019 earlier this year. Colin Trevorrow was initially attached to the project, but J.J. Abrams has since replaced him at the helm.
Finally, the upcoming Han Solo standalone film is set to hit theaters on May 25, 2018. The film was already in production when Ron Howard was brought in to replace original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The directors of "The Lego Movie" exited the movie due to creative differences with Lucasfilm.
The expected release of the first installment in the new trilogy is in 2021, though neither Disney nor Lucasfilm has yet to confirm any dates.
