Many speculate that one of the biggest reasons for the lack of news on the Rian Johnson trilogy is the fan reaction to The Last Jedi. Episode VIII still generates divisiveness and debate to this day, leading some to conclude that Lucasfilm are pushing off the project, perhaps even canceling it, to avoid making a movie that could receive that sort of scrutiny and backlash. However, Johnson has repeatedly confirmed that these films have not been canceled, even as recently as this fall. It does appear that they are still part of the plan for the franchise.

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Right now, Johnson is focused on his Knives Out franchise. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, a sequel to the 2019 film, releases in theaters and on Netflix this winter. The first received rave reviews, achieving 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and earning over $300 million at the box office. Johnson was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Meanwhile, reviews are out for Glass Onion, which has a similar 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and is the first Netflix film to have a full-scale theatrical release prior to its opening on the streaming service. Suffice to say, Johnson appears to be in his element with these Knives Out films. Many speculated after The Last Jedi that he would be better suited to a spin-off film or an original story rather than following up on what JJ Abrams had done with Episode VII. The success of Knives Out certainly shows that he can excel in making his own story.

With these two whodunnit mystery films, Johnson has also been able to attract all-star casts to the projects. Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas, Toni Collette, and more all appeared in the first outing. Meanwhile, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, and others make up the cast of the second. Daniel Craig is the detective in both of these films, a smooth-talking southerner by the name of Benoit Blanc. (Coincidentally, he appeared in the sequel trilogy as a stormtrooper interrogating Rey in The Force Awakens.) This ability to attract this kind of star power could be crucial for a franchise that is looking to begin a new series of movies and, for now at least, move beyond the Skywalker saga. Bringing in well-known names could boost audience interest.

It’s this whodunnit mystery style that Johnson could easily bring over the Star Wars franchise for his planned trilogy. In recent years, the franchise has excelled when blending the science fiction of a galaxy far, far away with other genres. The Mandalorian is, in many ways, a Star Wars western show, whereas Andor is a political thriller set within the franchise. The Mandalorian has essentially been the center of the franchise for three years now, such is the reception of the series, and Andor might just be a television awards contender given the incredible reaction it has received. Rian Johnson’s trilogy could take the same sort of route, being a mystery film set in the Star Wars galaxy. The possibilities are endless for the plot of his films. He’s been coy on giving away on details of the story, but it seems likely that it will, at the very least, feature Jedi as the main characters.

If the project follows the whodunnit style that Johnson writes so well, his next Star Wars films could be as simple as a Jedi’s mysterious death prompting an investigation into the killer. The killer could be a Sith Lord or another Jedi, or both. Retaining that whodunnit style with a large supporting cast of potential victims (and killers) could also broaden the idea of what Star Wars can be. That was one of the core goals of The Last Jedi, so any future Rian Johnson film would probably push those boundaries once again. Again, the possibilities are seemingly limitless, and the success of Knives Out both commercially and artistically is evidence that audiences would surely be interested in this kind of story.

For now, Star Wars is full steam ahead in its television era. The Mandalorian season three is set to release early next year, and Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew will follow. The Acolyte is another series on the horizon, as is season two of Andor.

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