As a movie enthusiast with over three decades of film-watching under my belt, I can’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia as I reflect upon the rollercoaster that has been the Star Wars saga. The announcement of Rian Johnson’s trilogy back in 2014 filled me with excitement, much like when I first saw A New Hope on the big screen. But, much like Luke Skywalker finding out Leia was his sister, the journey hasn’t been without its twists and turns.
Fans of Star Wars discovered this week that Simon Kinberg, a key figure in creating the animated series “Star Wars Rebels” together with Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck, was planning to create a brand-new trilogy of films within the Star Wars universe. This same week also marks the seventh year since Lucasfilm announced that Rian Johnson, the writer and director of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” would be working on an entirely new Star Wars film trilogy. Although it’s been nearly a decade since this announcement, neither Johnson nor Lucasfilm have provided significant updates regarding the project; however, they haven’t explicitly stated that the project has been cancelled either. With all the activity happening at Lucasfilm under Disney’s ownership, fans are left puzzled about the current status of any announced or reported projects.
2014 saw Rian Johnson, fresh from the success of “Looper” in 2012, appointed as director for “Star Wars: Episode VIII”. With his reputation stemming from critically acclaimed independent films rather than J.J. Abrams, who had experience with blockbusters like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, fans were eager to see Johnson’s narrative style within the Star Wars universe. Just six weeks before “The Last Jedi” was set to premiere, Lucasfilm announced that Johnson would develop a new Star Wars trilogy, writing and directing the first installment himself alongside producer Ram Bergman. However, when “The Last Jedi” hit cinemas, it sparked debate among fans and potentially affected Johnson’s future within the franchise.
In a remarkable turn of events, the film “The Last Jedi” managed to amass an astounding $1.3 billion globally and received a staggering 91% positive feedback from approximately 500 critics, as reported by Rotten Tomatoes. However, not everyone was pleased with the director’s choices, leading some fans to engage in negative review-bombing of the movie. As a result, “The Last Jedi” now holds only 41% positive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. This backlash didn’t stop at the film itself; unfortunately, the cast and crew, including actors like John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran, were subjected to harassment and racial slurs from disgruntled fans.
[RELATED – Rian Johnson Says His Trilogy Will Feel Like Star Wars But in a Way That’s New and Fresh]
The strong, differing opinions about “The Last Jedi” initiated a pattern of Lucasfilm altering their previously declared strategies for numerous reasons over several years. Later on, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller left the production of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” a role eventually filled by Ron Howard. Colin Trevorrow also departed from “Star Wars: Episode IX,” with J.J. Abrams taking over. Since then, creators like Damon Lindelof, Patty Jenkins, Kevin Feige, Josh Trank, and the co-creators of “Game of Thrones,” David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, have either been linked to a movie project or announced plans for one, only to later separate from the studio.
Since the announcement of Johnson’s trilogy movies, both Johnson and Lucasfilm have maintained that the project didn’t get canceled but was merely a timing issue. One of the latest comments on the project from Johnson dates back to December 2022, stating that if it doesn’t happen in the future, it won’t be catastrophic.
Johnson expressed to Insider that while it wouldn’t be catastrophic for anyone, he would feel sad if he couldn’t continue working on Star Wars. He adores the world, its people, and the passion of the fans. Sharing a story in this universe and witnessing the connection is an extraordinary experience, he said. However, Johnson added with a touch of humor, nothing is truly the end until the actual end of the world occurs. So, he’s hoping for another opportunity, but who knows when that will be?
Despite facing harsh criticism, as seen in the response to “The Last Jedi”, it’s understandable how director Rian Johnson or anyone else connected with the sequel might have developed a dislike for the saga due to the way online trolls handled the situation. However, contrary to this expectation, Johnson asserted that his experience actually strengthened his affection for the franchise.
When The New Yorker inquired about his enthusiasm for the franchise in November 2022, Johnson emphatically expressed, “Absolutely! Of course! Goodness gracious. Yes. To clarify, I’d say I adore Star Wars even more now. What truly irks me is the misconception that I had a poor experience, or the belief that it was a distressing ordeal of some sort. The truth is that it was an incredibly enjoyable experience, even during the latter years and the reception.
After the unveiling of his trilogy, Rian Johnson proceeded to release “Knives Out” in 2019, earning over $300 million against a production budget of just $40 million and receiving an impressive 97% positive critique. The film ignited a fierce competition among studios, with Netflix eventually securing the rights, leading to the 2022 sequel “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” and the forthcoming “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”. Johnson also collaborated with Natasha Lyonne on the TV series “Poker Face”, which is now set for a second season on Peacock, and earlier this year, he inked a two-picture agreement with Warner Bros.
Since the release of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” five years ago, only Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian & Grogu” has started filming among all the movies that have been announced so far. As for J.J. Johnson’s trilogy, there hasn’t been any clear confirmation that it’s been cancelled, but the lack of news and other filmmakers openly discussing their struggles has fueled speculation. Also, whenever a new Star Wars project is announced, fans feel both excitement and skepticism because they worry it might be another one that gets shelved before production even starts.
Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Star Wars saga.
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2024-11-09 20:10