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Rian Johnson confirms he's still developing his standalone Star Wars film trilogy. The director had such a great experience with Lucasfilm making The Last Jedi, all parties involved decided to keep the partnership going. Prior to Episode VIII's premiere, the studio announced Johnson would spearhead a new series of movies that's completely disconnected from the Skywalker saga. His pitch was green lit without so much as a story in place, but we do know it's going to follow new characters and take audiences to different places - finally opening new horizons for the property.

Since the time of that initial announcement, Star Wars discourse has gone in a very... interesting direction. Due in large part to Johnson's creative decisions, The Last Jedi proved to be one of the most divisive blockbusters in recent memory. To compound matters, Solo: A Star Wars Story (which debuted five short months after Last Jedi) became the first Star Wars movie to lose money at the box office, immediately casting doubt on other spinoffs. Even with the likes of Obi-Wan and Boba Fett reportedly put on hold, Johnson's trilogy has still been coming through the pipeline. That still appears to be the case.

On Twitter, Johnson responded to a follower's question about the status of his trilogy. In his brief response, the director confirmed he's still working on it. Check out his post in the space below:

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It isn't surprising this is the case. The Last Jedi, for all the polarizing debates it inspired, was still acclaimed by critics and grossed $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office. The film was a major success for Lucasfilm, and it makes sense they'd want to stay in business with Johnson (especially since he's one of the few directors they haven't had issues with). If Kathleen Kennedy were to pull the plug on a project she officially announced, it'd be an even worse look for the studio than one film falling short of commercial expectations. The Solo situation is more complex than its performance being the result of a post-Last Jedi boycott, and Lucasfilm should use the lessons learned to help future Star Wars films thrive. The Johnson Trilogy will be very important for them, and they'll do all they can to make sure it's a hit.

Right now, one of the biggest questions about Johnson's trilogy is when it will be released. After Episode IX, the only Lucasfilm tentpole officially on the calendar is 2021's Indiana Jones 5. With Johnson wanting to map out the complete narrative before beginning production, he still could be a ways away from being ready. Perhaps we'll learn more at Star Wars Celebration 2019, but perhaps this trilogy could begin in 2022, giving fans a full three years to miss the galaxy far, far away onscreen.

Release Date:

• Star Wars 9 / Star Wars: Episode IX (2019) release date: Dec 20, 2019

thank you for the news @kirill baby