If you were excited for the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi from director Rian Johnson, there’s reason to be even more excited, as Disney has announced Rian Johnson will not only be developing a Star Wars television series, but will also plan the next trilogy of Star Wars films.
Though J.J. Abrams is returning to helm Star Wars episode IX, Disney must be really taken with Johnson’s work on Episode VIII to work a deal this massive.
“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 already knew Disney had plans for Star Wars movies past Episode IX, but it looks like we will have Star Wars in theaters every year for the rest of our lives.
“We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on ‘The Last Jedi,’ ” Johnson and 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.”
It seems that the word of a Star Wars television series was a bit downplayed during the Disney quarterly earnings report, but it should be looked at in more detail. The planned show is a live-action Star Wars series, which is a big departure for Disney and Lucasfilm who have told small screen tales in animated form on Cartoon Network and Disney XD. What is even more important for Disney, Johnson, and creative partner Ram Bergman is this series will be part of the Disney streaming service that is expected to launch at the end of 2019. It’s not really clear at this time if the Star Wars television series will be part of the streaming service launch or not.
What will the Star Wars television series be about? Some have already hoped for a series set in the Old Republic, while others are hoping for something more in line with the live action television series that was in the works years ago.
What is your reaction? Is there too much Star Wars or not enough? Is Disney pushing Star Wars further than it needs to be, or not enough? For me, there can never be enough Star Wars, as long as it is good Star Wars and not a half-assed attempt to grab money from fans.
