Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has opened up about Rian Johnson’s planned Star Wars trilogy, confirming it has been delayed.

Way back in 2017, it was revealed that Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson was being put in charge of his own film trilogy in the universe. Details on what the films would have been about are non-existent but it remains one of the series’ most talked about upcoming projects. Unfortunately, after announcing the projects things became a little bit complicated at Lucasfilm.

Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy Says ‘Star Wars’ Won’t Continue Re-Casting Like ‘Solo’

The relationship between Lucasfilm and the directors it hires has been a bit strained in recent years. While early collaborations with J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson seemed to go well, for the rest it’s a different story. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards was replaced late in the film’s production period. Original Solo: A Star Wars Story directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were infamously replaced after principal photography was completed on the film. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker‘s director Colin Trevorrow was also replaced during the film’s pre-production period.

Following Solo: A Star Wars Story’s disappointing box office returns, Lucasfilm opted to convert several of its planned theatrical projects into Disney Plus series. While several theatrical films are still in the works several of them seem to have been put on the back burner. Patty Jenkins’ planned film Rogue Squadron, for example, was indefinitely delayed. Officially it was due to her commitment to the next Wonder Woman film but rumors persist that it was due to disagreements with Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy. Whether any of this has affected Rian Johnson’s planned films isn’t entirely clear but Kennedy has said that his films won’t be coming for a while.

Lucasfilm President Finally Gives an Update

New Details On ‘Star Wars’ Series From ‘Spider-Man’ Director Jon Watts

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Kathleen Kennedy spoke on Rian Johnson’s planned Star Wars trilogy. While she wouldn’t speak on when or if the films were still happening she made it clear that the films were on the back burner because of his Knives Out sequel and the deal he made with Netflix a while back:

“Rian has been unbelievably busy with Knives Out and the deal that he made at Netflix for multiple movies… I hesitate to use the word trilogies anymore because Star Wars is much more about persistent storytelling.”

Here is the official synopsis for Star Wars: The Last Jedi:

“In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.”

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Star Wars: The Last Jedi stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, Frank Oz, and Benicio del Toro.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. Stay tuned for all the latest news surrounding the future of the franchise and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: Vanity Fair