It was announced today that Rian Johnson, director of the yet-to-be-released eighth installment of the Skywalker Saga, The Last Jedi, will be bringing to the screen an entire new trilogy of Star Wars films. According to the official press release, Johnson will be exploring new characters in a corner of the galaxy that we’ve never seen.
Some have already expressed disappointment that Knights of the Old Republic won’t be the subject of this new saga, but it makes a lot more sense to go with something completely new for the franchise. By the looks of even the early trailers of The Last Jedi, “new” is exactly what he’s going to give us. Though it’s hard to be completely excited about this since we haven’t actually seen The Last Jedi, but Johnson’s track record combined with Lucasfilm’s enthusiasm about him makes this feel like a safe bet.
Here’s Kathleen Kennedy’s quote from StarWars.Com:
“We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “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. Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy.”
There’s no guessing where this trilogy could go, since the release was clear that this is a part of the galaxy that has since been unexplored. Does that mean unexplored on film? Does that mean the unknown regions? Does that mean a different timeline outside the confines of the Empire and First Order and Rebellion altogether?
Anything is possible and, perhaps, that’s what makes this most exciting.
That’s not the only bit of news that came out today, though it is the only part that’s confirmed. Variety is also reporting that 2019 will see the launch of Disney’s new streaming service and it will include an exclusive live-action Star Wars television show. Will George Lucas’s Star Wars Underworld finally see the light of day? Or will an original property get made? I would guess that the television show will be part of the classic era or close to it, to capitalize on popularity and recognizability, but anything is possible.
The Last Jedi hits theatres on December 15, 2017.
Check back for updates.
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