The Force is strong with Rian Johnson.
The official Star Wars site announced that Rian Johnson will return to write and direct the first film in an all-new Star Wars trilogy. Johnson recently finished directing Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the eighth film in the Skywalker saga.
According to the announcement, the new trilogy will be separate from the Skywalker saga, with Johnson introducing "new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored." Ram Bergman, his longtime collaborator, will serve as producer.
Johnson, 43, previously wrote and directed the films Looper, The Brothers Bloom, and Brick. He also directed episodes of Breaking Bad and Terriers, and even had a cameo in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as a Death Star technician.
Johnson commented on the news using his official Twitter account...
Obviously I hope you like The Last Jedi. But man now I REALLY hope you like The Last Jedi.— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) November 9, 2017
"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," said Johnson and Bergman 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."
Johnson's film Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrives in theaters on December 15, 2017.