"[It Was] All Very Conceptual": THE LAST JEDI Director Rian Johnson Opens Up On Scrapped STAR WARS Trilogy

Star Wars: The Last Jedi writer and director Rian Johnson has discussed his unmade Star Wars trilogy, explaining how far it came to happening and whether he had a story in place for the three movies...

News

By JoshWilding - Jul 14, 2025 11:07 AM EST

Filed Under: Star Wars

Source: SFFGazette.com

Star Wars: The Last Jedi split the franchise's fanbase, but it was still a critical and commercial hit ($1.3 billion at the box office and a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score). With that in mind, it's no wonder Disney and Lucasfilm wasted no time in signing Rian Johnson up to take the helm of a brand new trilogy of movies.

Plot details were never revealed, meaning we didn't find out which era of this Galaxy Far, Far Away Johnson intended to explore. Fans were mixed on the prospect of seeing more Star Wars from the writer/director, and the trilogy became yet another unmade project on Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy's watch.

Johnson's attentions eventually shifted to his Knives Out movies, and a lucrative deal with Netflix that means he's now putting the finishing touches to the upcoming third instalment of the Daniel Craig-led murder mystery franchise.

Talking to Rolling Stone (via SFFGazette.com), Johnson elaborated on why his Star Wars trilogy hasn't come to fruition. "Nothing really happened with it," the filmmaker admitted. "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."

"I went off and made 'Knives Out,' and was off to the races, busy making murder mysteries," he continued. "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 clarified that his trilogy was "all very conceptual," confirming that he never developed "outline or a treatment or anything" for the movies. In other words, it's another project announced prematurely by Kennedy.

It's starting to feel like the same could be said for the three features announced at Star Wars Celebration in 2023. Dave Filoni's crossover movie is clearly still a long way off, while work on Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's Rey movie and James Mangold's First Jedi story seems to be going nowhere fast.

For what it's worth, Kennedy recently hinted at a new approach to Star Wars storytelling on the big screen.

"I really think that now we’re in a position where it’s broadened the possibility of stories and filmmakers we can bring in to tell stories that mean something to them – it doesn’t necessarily have to connect to every little thing that’s been done in Star Wars; it can actually be a standalone story that then builds into many, many other stories," she teased.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is up next for the studio, with Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling's Star Wars: Starfighter eyeing a 2027 release.Rian

STAR WARS: Mark Hamill Reveals The Tragic Luke Skywalker Backstory He Created For The Last Jedi

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42 Comments

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harryba11zack - 7/14/2025, 11:06 AM

NonPlayerC - 7/14/2025, 11:39 AM

@harryba11zack -

0bstreperous - 7/14/2025, 11:09 AM

I refuse to watch anything Rian Johnson makes out of spite. The Last Jedi stunk!

Fogs - 7/14/2025, 12:47 PM

@0bstreperous - yeah, I saw where his "conceptual" stuff led the franchise.

The whole was just too big to patch. What a waste the sequel trilogy was, it's unbelievable, the more I think about it.

Fogs - 7/14/2025, 12:48 PM

"hole was just too big to patch"

0bstreperous - 7/14/2025, 12:57 PM

@Fogs - Kennedy really is some kind of feminazi everything has to be a strong independent woman at the expense of men the sequels were ill conceived

Fogs - 7/14/2025, 1:05 PM

@0bstreperous - Rey could've defeated the whole new order herself as long the story was good, I don'tcare. It was just lazy.

0bstreperous - 7/14/2025, 1:16 PM

@Fogs - I feel the same way the agenda came first is my/ the problem

NonPlayerC - 7/14/2025, 1:28 PM

@Fogs - I would have been fine with that too, she could have become the true chosen one for all I care (I guess she did? I didn't really pay attention much to episode IX) if they hadn't made Luke that jaded and pathetic I would have been fine, still miffed they threw out the old extended universe but id have been fine with it

ObserverIO - 7/14/2025, 11:09 AM

"The short version is 'Knives Out' happened."

The long version is Last Jedi happened.

MarvelousMarty - 7/14/2025, 11:10 AM

Absolute knob. I'll never forgive him.

HashTagSwagg - 7/14/2025, 11:11 AM

You f""ked it, you absolutely f""k it

Nonameforme - 7/14/2025, 11:12 AM

Someone put in a thumbs up gif for me.

harryba11zack - 7/14/2025, 11:17 AM

@Nonameforme -

Nonameforme - 7/14/2025, 2:01 PM

@harryba11zack - that's perfect

UnderBelly - 7/14/2025, 11:16 AM

Goes to show Lucasfilm had no plan at all and was quite literally throwing shit to the wall.

It's funny though, it took them Rian Johnson's TLJ to course correct due to fan out cry, but it was the internal feedback and decision making to let him write his own story in the TLJ that gave them confidence in giving him his own trilogy. lol.

For clarity though, i liked TLJ and thought it was the best of the 3. Don't agree with where he went with Luke, but the heart was there and was definitely the most emotional.

Robby - 7/14/2025, 11:17 AM

TLJ was good yall trippin

HashTagSwagg - 7/14/2025, 11:20 AM

@Robby - *Rian Johnson has entered the chat*

Canyoublush - 7/14/2025, 11:31 AM

@Robby - Don’t bother with trying to reason with Star Wars fans. It’s like talking to people with downs. They don’t get it, they don’t understand. TLJ is cinema and the best SW film since ESP. SW fans think they understand SW but they don’t. Lucas was right - “movies haven’t changed. People have changed.”

NonPlayerC - 7/14/2025, 11:56 AM

@Canyoublush - Look the movie may even be objectively a good movie. its got good action a plot, I don't know, but its hard for anyone to see any of that when they butchered the character of Luke. In no way after completing his training with Yoda, refusing to fight Vader, and turning a mass murderer back to the light is Luke Skywalker going to almost kill his innocent nephew because he feels the dark in him. Even mark hammer said he had to create this awful backstory where he fell in love with a woman and had a baby and the baby and the kid killed itself with his lightsaber for him to even play this version of him. He called this version something like Jim Skywalker or something. They had years of blueprints they could have adapted from the extended universe books and just threw it away. it was a slap in the face to fans of the original trilogy. They could have introduced the young new people like red without completely rewriting Luke's new Jedi academy and everything else he does after return of the Jedi. don't tell us we don't understand star wars, there's a reason these movies created a schism in the fandom

Deklipz - 7/14/2025, 12:18 PM

@NonPlayerC - the only people that didn’t ’see that’ because of Luke were a handful of vocal fanboys that can’t stop jerking it to the OT and rage about anything that doesn’t fit their preconceived head-canon. If what you stated were actually true it wouldn’t have made the money it did nor would it have the acclaim that it does from everyone other than a handful of whiny man children.

Fogs - 7/14/2025, 12:52 PM

@Deklipz - Mom jokes and luke (or should we call him jake?) trying to kill a kid and becoming a crazy blue milk drinker nut (not mentioning a quitter who doesn't give 2 shits about his "friends") says you're wrong.

NonPlayerC - 7/14/2025, 1:16 PM

@Deklipz - the original trilogy established Lukes personality and values. how do you take his 3 movie arc from being a naive boy, seeing Vader kill obi wan, becoming the closest thing to a pacifist Jedi (he won't kill Vader and gives Jaba every opportunity to end things peacefully, I won't even bring up more of the extended universe), then regress into someone that would almost kill his nephew, and then just become a hermit and let said nephew help rebuild the empire while he sits there with his thumb up his ass. its cool if you like the movie but you sir are the one that clearly doesn't know Star Wars. it had been what 20 years since we had any Star Wars, of course they were gonna make money, but its strange how episode VII made the most of the new trilogy huh? It had the support of the old fans and young new fans. It was fine but no Luke and they killed off Han, that's fine other than Rey being able to pretty much beat kylo ren (trained by Luke and the Sith) when she's never held a lightsaber before lol then VIII comes and butchers Luke story and there's a full 1/3 drop in ticket sales, and even less revenue for episode IX.

ep VII - $936,662,225
ep VIII - $620,181,382
ep IX - $515,202,542

CabbageMan - 7/14/2025, 11:20 AM

For me, it's not that the Last Jedi was bad. A whole trilogy with Rian's subverting expectations of what Star Wars is may have been interesting, and I would have been disappointed but come to enjoy a full trilogy with Abraham's fanservicey and repetitive approach. The problem is that there was not a plan. The director in turn scrapped the previous thing and started over. And Rian's and Abrahams' visions were the complete opposite. We just ended getting a Frankenstein of a trilogy.

TheVisionary25 - 7/14/2025, 11:24 AM

@CabbageMan - while I disagree about them scrapping the previous thing and starting over to an extent having recently rewatched the trilogy (they surprisingly work well together mostly imo) , I do agree that there should have been some outline atleast in regards to story direction for thus

Honestly I feel if Duel of Fates had happened , that would have been a decent ending to the trilogy rather then the mediocrity that was TROS.

TheVisionary25 - 7/14/2025, 11:21 AM

Damn that sucks since as someone who is a big fan of TLJ and his fan , I would like to see him make another foray into the SW universe but I also feel just for his own sake that it might be best if he sticks to original projects such as the Knives Out series & Poker Face due to the toxicity in the fandom.

Also Lucasfilm and other studios such as Marvel & DC now need to stop making these premature announcements since it can come back and bite them in the ass if they don’t come to fruition or take a long while…

Until concrete movement has been made , don’t make any official announcement (even if the trades catch on) and just quietly develop the project so you don’t get situations like Rogue Squadron or Blade again.

Nomis929 - 7/14/2025, 11:26 AM

dracula - 7/14/2025, 11:26 AM

Wonder

would episode 9 have been better if he directed it

Canyoublush - 7/14/2025, 11:37 AM

@dracula - 1000% but you SW fans complained as usual and they brought back JJ instead and the result is this. Can’t be mad with the final result because this is what yall wanted. As always, with the fandom community, whether it’s SW, wrestling marvel/DC etc fans think they know what’s best for business but they still cry when they get exactly what they asked for. LMFAO!!!!

dracula - 7/14/2025, 12:33 PM

@Canyoublush - nobody asked for JJ back

People asked for an actual plan which they didnt get

abd00bie - 7/14/2025, 12:50 PM

@dracula - Duel of the Fates sounded way better than TRoS

Canyoublush - 7/14/2025, 11:33 AM

Love TLJ. Favourite SW film and objectively I’d say it’s the second best in the entire saga. I can’t get enough of this film. Every time I watch it, I have a different experience. So glad Rian got to make it and I’m content that he will never make another SW film again because he delivered the best one yet.

harryba11zack - 7/14/2025, 11:44 AM

@Canyoublush - glad Rian got to make it and I’m content that he will never make another SW film again because he delivered the best one yet.
So glad Rian got to make it and I’m content that he will never make another SW film again because he delivered the best one yet.

I believe u, and I respect your opinion

ModHaterSLADE - 7/14/2025, 11:42 AM

Force Awakens wasn't perfect, but at least despite its faults it was a fun watch. I found the The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker to just be boring follow-ups with little payoff for sticking with the end of the trilogy.

Fogs - 7/14/2025, 12:57 PM

@ModHaterSLADE - I have to say after the prequels, which were very different from the classic SW we knew, when put in context ep VII somehow FELT like SW.

I cared about the main trio, which says a lot about my impression of iflt. It had potential.

Except for the Starkiller base, that was sooooo dumb. Should've been a big ass star destroyer the remnants found and enhanced and it would've made way more sense.

Fogs - 7/14/2025, 1:03 PM

Oh and Kylo was great in VII IMO. I also liked Han's demise, unlike some.

I was really hoping Rey was Leia's lost daughter somehow, maybe becoming evil while Kylo redeemed in the process. These were a million other ways to evolve it, al better than the crap we got.

NonPlayerC - 7/14/2025, 1:23 PM

@Fogs - he was great other than not being able to over power rey when it was her first time holding a lightsaber while he was trained by Luke and the Sith. truly I like Adam driver and I liked his character but that was glaring to me

ModHaterSLADE - 7/14/2025, 1:42 PM

@Fogs - True

DocSpock - 7/14/2025, 11:52 AM

The whole last trilogy was horrible, and the current living in Mom’s basement wuss generation is trying to walk it back.

They probably think Solo was Godfather level cinema too.

abd00bie - 7/14/2025, 12:48 PM

It was just lip service/damage control to pretend Johnson made a good Star Wars movie, so much that they wanted him for more movies. It was never going to happen

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"[It Was] All Very Conceptual": THE LAST JEDI Director Rian Johnson Opens Up On Scrapped STAR WARS Trilogy

Star Wars: The Last Jedi writer and director Rian Johnson has discussed his unmade Star Wars trilogy, explaining how far it came to happening and whether he had a story in place for the three movies...

STAR WARS: Mark Hamill Reveals The Tragic Luke Skywalker Backstory He Created For The Last Jedi

SUPERMAN BTS Featurette And Photos Spotlight David Corenswet's First Day On Set As The Man Of Steel

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.