Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which is being directed by Rian Johnson, hasn’t even hit theatres yet, and Disney has already locked down the director to launch a new trilogy of films set in the classic sci-fi universe.
The news was announced on StarWars.com today via a blog post, which noted that the new trilogy will be set in a new corner of the galaxy, focusing on new characters, and staying far away from the family drama of the Skywalkers. No other details have been given, but Johnson has been given a ‘blank slate’ to work with, hopefully taking the Star Wars series in a brand new and unprecedented direction.
Rian Johnson is set to write and direct the first film in this new trilogy, before moving to an advisory role on the other two films. His longtime collaborator Ram Bergman has also signed up as producer. The duo was quoted in the blog post, saying “We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on The Last Jedi, Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can’t wait to continue with this new series of films.”
This decision was apparently made because Disney was incredibly happy with the way Johnson handled The Last Jedi and wanted him to take his unique vision and expand the universe beyond the spin-off films that we have been receiving. Both Rogue One and the upcoming Han Solo film take place within the time frame of the original six films, leaving little room for innovation. The Star Wars universe has so much to offer, and this new trilogy will shed light on never before seen planets and the bizarre beings that inhabit them.
There is no release date currently set for this new project. Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theatres December 15, 2017.
