How Much Longer Disney Plans On Making Star Wars Movies

We joke that Disney, because they have the rights to both Marvel and Star Wars movies, will likely continue to make features in each of those series until most of you reading this are dead and buried. Sequels, prequels, solo movies, spinoffs, reboots... you name it, Disney plans on making it in both of these universes. To confirm the notion, Disney CEO Bob Iger opened up about Star Wars plans on a conference call today and explained where the studio is with regards to the long term vision for a galaxy far, far away:

I had a meeting yesterday with Kathy Kennedy and we mapped out --- well, we reviewed --- the Star Wars plans that we have until 2020. We have movies in development for Star Wars until then, and we started talking about what we're going to do in 2021 and beyond. So, she's not just making a Star Wars movie, she's making a Star Wars universe, of sorts.

That's great news for anyone currently digging on the rejuvenated Star Wars storyline, though it is an admittedly small sample size on which to judge. Right now, we only really have Star Wars: The Force Awakens to talk about, because the next film in the process -- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story -- doesn't drop until December, and it doesn't even build on what J.J. Abrams started in his own movie. For that, we'll have to wait for Rian Johnson's still-untitled Star Wars: Episode VIII, which hits theaters in December 2017.

As far as Johnson's film goes, Iger confirmed, via The Wrap, that the movie is completely finished with filming, and is in the editing process at the moment. Looking beyond that, Iger confirmed that he has been told the pitch on Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars: Episode IX, which is expected to wrap up the trilogy centered on Rey (Daisy Ridley), and that the sequel is in some form of pre-production as we speak.
Daisy Ridley in Star Wars

Not that any of this is a major surprise, but it's always nice to hear that Disney, for the time being, plans to continue a process that -- after one movie -- has generated creative and financial successes. Marvel has its phases, and the current Phase Three is expected to take Marvel Studios through 2020, as well. So it's comforting to hear that Star Wars, which does not have phases, will stay in business through 2021, likely for years and years to come.