No, the Rian Johnson Star Wars trilogy hasn’t been cancelled – here’s what the director has to say about those rumours

Rian Johnson Star Wars trilogy

The rumours of the death of Rian Johnson’s new Star Wars trilogy have been greatly exaggerated. Whispers have swirled recently about the Star Wars: The Last Jedi director reportedly cancelling his project to go and work on other things. However, Johnson has spoken out and left fans in no doubt: his Star Wars trilogy lives on.

The original report from SuperBroMovies (which has since been removed), states that “according to multiple sources” Rian Johnson would not be proceeding with his original slate of three movies, which were announced in November 2017. Johnson, as reported on StarWars.com at the time, is both writing and directing the first instalment. He also revealed his trilogy pitch at the time, one which will take us to "new places" in a completely fresh take on the Star Wars universe.

But the director, perhaps mindful of the damage such unsubstantiated rumours can cause, chose to nip this one in the bud early and efficiently. In a Twitter reply, he posted: “No it isn’t true, I’m still working on the trilogy. With all due respect to [SuperBroMovies], who I’m sure are lovely kind bros with good fraternal intentions.”

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For what it’s worth, SuperBroMovies has since removed the report, indicating that there is no chance of Johnson ditching his new Star Wars baby. In fact, it seems the opposite – with the director, who received a hefty backlash from some sections of the fanbase after The Last Jedi, determined to do right by the new trilogy. Despite that, no release date(s) have yet been given.

It isn’t the only trilogy in town, though. Earlier this week, we also received confirmation that Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff’s Star Wars project is also going to be a trilogy.

So, that’s six new Star Wars movies on the way. Star Wars 9, it seems, will only going to be a temporary goodbye to a galaxy far, far away.

So, what should Rian Johnson's Star Wars trilogy be about? We think another prequel sounds just right.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.