Rian Johnson to helm new Star Wars trilogy; Unconnected to Skywalker saga

The resurgence of Star Wars may have only began just two years ago and we're in the middle of an all-new trilogy filled with mystery but Disney is planning out more movies until the end of time. We already know we're getting a Han Solo movie, Episode IX, and an extra spin-off which is rumored to potentially be an Obi-Wan movie set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

Now, Disney has announced an all-new trilogy that is set to be crafted by Rian Johnson, director and writer of The Last Jedi. The trilogy will be separate from the Skywalker saga but it's unclear if this will be Episode X – XII, it may be outside of the "mainline" films. Johnson will explore an all-new part of the galaxy and introduce brand new characters, meaning we probably won't be gliding off of nostalgia and references like we have with some of these other movies.

“We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “He’s a creative force, and watching him craft The Last Jedi from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career. Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy.”

“We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on The Last Jedi,” Johnson and producer Ram Bergman said in a joint statement. “Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can’t wait to continue with this new series of films.”

There are no release dates for any of these movies and Rian Johnson is only attached to direct and write the first film in the trilogy, no other directors have been announced to help tackle this trilogy at the moment. Whatever the case may be, this shows both tremendous trust and confidence in Johnson. Clearly they believe he delivered a quality Star Wars movie and want to see him expand the universe.

Rian Johnson's Star Wars debut will come in the form of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on December 15th, 2017.