Rian Johnson — a possible villain in your mind depending on your reception of Star Wars: The Last Jedi — briefly discussed his new Star Wars trilogy with Uproxx while promoting his upcoming Knives Out film. When I say briefly, I’m talking as lacking in real information as possible, but it is Star Wars, so why not touch on it.
Johnson said:
“I’m where I can’t say anything about it. Still completely in process with it….’It’s a process’ means it’s a process. So that means it could change, it could shift. There are a bunch of moving parts with it.”
Rian Johnson
See! I told you it was devoid of any real information, but it sounds like he is actively engaged in processes that can’t be discussed at this time. The earliest his trilogy could begin would be in 2024, which is due to the GoT Duo getting the 2022 release window for their project, so there is a ton of time left for Johnson and Lucasfilm to get his trilogy figured out.
I for one am eager to see what he comes up with, especially based on the knowledge that it will be devoid of legacy characters, and set in a brand new part of the Star Wars galaxy, so the potential for this trilogy both wows me and scares me. I do want to see Star Wars that isn’t tied to the Skywalker saga, but in the end, I think that legacy material has to at least be referenced in dialogue, or as Easter eggs, because I don’t want a Star Wars that acts like nothing in the previous live action films existed. Especially when you factor in the legends producing tales that engulf the Skywalker saga. Leaving mention of those tales out of this trilogy would be akin to scrubbing iconic moments and characters from our own history, so I hope that there are still some familiar elements in Johnson’s gamble.
Johnson on TLJ Reactions
Johnson also touched on the divisive reactions to TLJ while talking to Uproxx. He explained how the reactions mirror his own reaction to the middle movie in the Age of Rebellion trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back. He essentially said you have to take the bad with the good when it comes to Star Wars fandom, and he has no anger towards fan critics. Although, I’d like to think that he does hate those bozos who have threatened his or his cast’s safety online. Anyway, Johnson explained:
“Yeah. It sticks,” Johnson said of Empire’s not-so-happy ending. “That’s why that’s the one that, even though at that time I had that reaction to it, it stuck in me and it resonated with me. I remember the Prequels, that acrimony of the prequels. I think people forget exactly the tenor of the danger. We remember because we were in the thick of it. So, I mean, I don’t know. I think that anything with a passionate following always has a passionate following and Star Wars is that, even more so. You can’t be angry at one side of it when it’s also the reason the positive is so passionate, you know? It’s all part of the same thing and it always was like this basic thing. That’s why I love it.”
Rian Johnson
In the end, I feel bad this guy is still taking flack for a freaking movie, but as he explains, such is life in Star Wars fandom, so I think he’s handling it like a mentally stable person. I for one am eager to see what he does next.
