Rian Johnson Says His Scrapped ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Was ‘Very Conceptual’ and ‘Never’ Had an ‘Outline or Treatment or Anything’: ‘Nothing Really Happened With It’

“Knives Out” director Rian Johnson is opening up about his scrapped “Star Wars” trilogy.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Johnson, who directed 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” lifted the curtain on his long-rumored “Star Wars” trilogy that never got off the ground. He explained that at the time, he and Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy were developing ideas for the three-film saga. However, after “Knives Out” came along, Johnson’s focus largely shifted to the murder mystery blockbuster.

“Nothing really happened with it,” Johnson said. “We had a great time working together, and they said, ‘Let’s keep doing it.’ I said, ‘Great!’ I would kick ideas around with Kathy. The short version is ‘Knives Out’ happened. I went off and made ‘Knives Out,’ and was off to the races, busy making murder mysteries. It’s the sort of thing if, down the line, there’s an opportunity to do it, or do something else in ‘Star Wars,’ I would be thrilled. But right now I’m just doing my own stuff, and pretty happy.”

Johnson added that his trilogy was “all very conceptual” and that he never developed an “outline or a treatment or anything” for the project.

Back in 2022, Johnson said he “would be sad” if he never directed a “Star Wars” film again, but added “it wouldn’t be the end of the world for anyone.”

“But I would be sad,” he said. “I love the world. I love the people. I love ‘Star Wars’ fans. I love the passion of how they engage in it. There’s nothing like telling a story in this world and then experiencing people truly connecting to it and letting you know that. It’s extraordinary.”