Rian Johnson is “still talking to Lucasfilm” about his Star Wars trilogy

(Image credit: Disney)

Fresh off being included in the Oscars 2020 nominations for penning Knives Out, director Rian Johnson has shared a tiny scrap of information about his purported Star Wars trilogy – one that should give fans a new hope amid fears that it had been cancelled.

“I’m still talking to Lucasfilm,” Johnson tells Variety. “But they haven’t announced anything on their slate yet.”

It's been a long and winding road to get to this point, and we appear to be getting no closer to the end. Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy was first officially announced back in November 2017, shortly before the release of the divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi. At the time, Johnson outlined his Star Wars trilogy pitch to /Film: “Go [to] new places, meet new folks, come up with a new story to tell in the Star Wars universe. The sky’s the limit… and they really responded to that.”

Rumours swirled early last year that the trilogy had been cancelled. However, Johnson felt compelled to respond via Twitter, saying, “No it isn’t true, I’m still working on the trilogy.”

While Lucasfilm, as Johnson points out, hasn’t announced anything when it comes to new Star Wars movies yet, a 2022 Star Wars film reportedly has a director and – as revealed by The Hollywood Reporter – an announcement is potentially forthcoming about the 2022 movie later this month

It just might not the first chapter of Johnson’s trilogy and could be something else entirely. He has another project on the horizon: a Knives Out sequel. He recently confirmed that a follow-up to the murder-mystery is in the works and also told Variety, “I’m always kind of saying, ‘If this movie does all right, I would be thrilled to another one.’ But a lot has to happen. I have to write a script.”

Whether it's Star Wars, Knives Out, or both, Rian Johnson appears to be well and truly in-demand for the foreseeable future.

Discover what's still to come from Lucasfilm with our round-up of every new Star Wars movie.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.