Why Was Rian Johnson’s Star Wars Trilogy Cancelled? He Was 'Busy Making Murder Mysteries'

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Johnson talked about how his trilogy never got off the ground, mainly because after The Last Jedi, he focused his moviemaking energy on the Knives Out franchise. As he stated in the interview, “Nothing really happened with it . . . I would kick around ideas . . . The short version is that Knives Out happened. I went off and made Knives Out, and was off to the races, busy making murder mysteries.”

Was Knives Out the Only Reason?

Johnson admits that there was “never any outline or treatment or anything” for his trilogy, but one has to wonder if the Knives Out franchise was the only reason why it never happened. The Last Jedi is, without a doubt, the most divisive Star Wars movie to date. Many people were especially critical of how the film portrayed Luke Skywalker, including Luke’s actor, Mark Hamill. One could wonder if Disney quietly pulled the plug on Johnson’s trilogy because of the movie’s backlash. Nevertheless, Johnson says that he “would be thrilled” if he got the opportunity to work on another Star Wars.

Is Knives Out 3 Coming Out?

Yes, the third installment in the franchise, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, is set for release this December. It looks like Rian Johnson is quite happy making murder mysteries. If he ever does return to the galaxy far, far away, it probably won’t be for a little while. However, if he ever makes more Star Wars projects, he’ll be prepared for the backlash this time around.