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Rian Johnson only had "very conceptual" outline for a "Star Wars" trilogy

By Chris Morgan | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 12:45 PM ET

Director Rian Johnson is busy with his latest Benoit Blanc adventure, " Wake Up Dead Man," but when you are part of the "Star Wars" landscape, you are always going to be prompted to talk about "Star Wars." And when you talk about "Star Wars" it is news. We don't know if you are aware, but Johnson directed a "Star Wars" movie. Everybody had a totally chill and normal reaction to it, so maybe it flew under the radar.

There have been rumors that Johnson was slated to direct a "Star Wars" trilogy that eventually got nixed. It turns out that things were never that close and only reached the "very conceptual" stage according to Johnson.

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The gist of it is that Johnson and former Lucasfilm bigwig Kathleen Kennedy really enjoyed working together and according to Johnson, "I would kick ideas around with Kathy." Then?

The short version is "Knives Out" happened. I went off and made "Knives Out," and was off to the races, busy making murder mysteries. It’s the sort of thing if, down the line, there’s an opportunity to do it, or do something else in "Star Wars," I would be thrilled. But right now I’m just doing my own stuff, and pretty happy.

So yeah, in the end, Johnson's "Star Wars" trilogy was theoretical at best and he pivoted from it because he loves making Benoit Blanc movies. It must be super fun making those movies. Daniel Craig also loves it, and he once said he's rather "slit his wrists" then play James Bond again.

Maybe Johnson will dip back into "Star Wars," but right now he seems content making "Knives Out" movies and producing and having a creative role in Peacock's hit show "Poker Face." The guys loves a breezy mystery!

(h/t Variety)

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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