During the production of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, writer-director Rian Johnson had such a good time that he pitched a separate Star Wars trilogy to Lucasfilm – one that would involve entirely new characters in a completely different part of the galaxy – that he was set to begin work on after the release of Episode VIII.
However, development of Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy came grinding to a halt when The Last Jedi irreparably divided the fan base and the director was termed “Ruin Johnson” by a very vocal minority. Entrusting three tentpoles to Johnson now would be a risk for Lucasfilm, but it might be a risk worth taking.
Should: Star Wars Desperately Needs New Stories
After the Star Wars sequel trilogy used the nostalgic iconography of the original trilogy as a crutch and both “Anthology” movies, Rogue One and Solo, went back to the well of the relatively short period between Episode III and Episode IV, the vast, unlimited scope of the Star Wars universe desperately needs new stories.
The saga’s timeline spans thousands of years. Johnson’s trilogy reportedly has nothing to do with the Skywalkers. He can finally start to tell new stories on the big screen in the Disney era.
Shouldn’t: The Last Jedi Was A Trainwreck
While The Last Jedi isn’t necessarily a bad movie – for all intents and purposes, it’s well-made, and it’s true to Johnson’s vision – it was a huge disappointment for a lot of Star Wars fans.
From the characterization of Luke Skywalker as a bitter attempted murderer to Leia’s weird Force flight through space to the unnecessary detour to Canto Bight to the slap-in-the-face answers to questions about Snoke’s identity and Rey’s parentage, Johnson let down a lot of fans and should probably leave the franchise alone from now on.
Should: Johnson’s Vision Of The Star Wars Myth Deserves A Second Chance
When Johnson was hired to write and direct The Last Jedi, he was determined to not give fans what they wanted. The director had his own take on the Star Wars mythos that deconstructed and challenged the traditional tales of heroism.
This didn’t really work for The Last Jedi, because its primary function was as the middle chapter in the sequel trilogy and Johnson’s story didn’t line up with The Force Awakens or set up an exciting finale. But it could work for an unrelated story.
Shouldn’t: Other Directors Are Better-Suited To Star Wars
There are plenty of directors who are better-suited to the Star Wars universe than Rian Johnson. The franchise needs a filmmaker with a fun sensibility and experience working with humor, spectacle, and big ensembles.
Instead of giving three movies to Johnson, Lucasfilm should give movies to Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Vaughn, Patty Jenkins, Edgar Wright, James Gunn, and any of the other promising filmmakers working right now.
Should: It’s About Time Disney Made A Star Wars Trilogy With A Roadmap
When the filmmakers have a roadmap for the story from the beginning, Star Wars trilogies can be beautifully told three-part stories. George Lucas proved that with both the original and prequel trilogies, which each tell an epic space opera from beginning to end.
The sequel trilogy showed what happens with the other method – fumbling through the dark and hoping it works itself out along the way – and it was a disaster. It’s about time Disney made a Star Wars trilogy with a plan.
Shouldn’t: Three Movies Are A Big Commitment
Three movies are a huge commitment. It’s one thing to entrust a Star Wars trilogy to George Lucas, but any other director’s Star Wars movie is essentially fan fiction.
If Rian Johnson makes the first installment in his trilogy and fans unanimously hate all his new characters and storylines, what’ll happen to the next two movies? It might be best for Lucasfilm to take Star Wars projects one movie at a time.
Should: There Are Tons Of Eras In The Timeline To Explore
Although the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire have been covered by tons of different stories, there are a bunch of eras in the Star Wars timeline that still haven’t been explored in live-action movies.
From the Old Republic to the High Republic to the Hundred-Year Darkness to the New Sith Wars, there’s plenty of fertile ground on which Rian Johnson can tell new stories.
Shouldn’t: There Are Enough Star Wars Movies In Development As It Is
Disney is taking a break from releasing Star Wars movies for a while after The Rise of Skywalker to give disappointed fans a chance to like the franchise again before having new stuff to check out.
But there’s already plenty of Star Wars movies in development without piling a whole new trilogy on top. Kevin Feige’s producing a Star Wars movie; J.D. Dillard’s directing a Star Wars movie; Taika Waititi’s directing a Star Wars movie that he’s writing with 1917’s Krysty Wilson-Cairns – it’s enough already; see how those do first.
Should: Johnson’s A Great Filmmaker
While The Last Jedi had a litany of problems, there’s no denying that Rian Johnson is a great filmmaker. He directed Looper and Knives Out, which were both fantastic, and helmed two of Breaking Bad’s finest episodes: “Fly” and “Ozymandias.”
Although he’s currently working on a new Benoit Blanc mystery, if Johnson ever gets around to his Star Wars trilogy, there’s a chance it could turn out terrific.
Shouldn’t: Star Wars Fans Can’t Agree On Him
Some Star Wars fans loved The Last Jedi, but at least as many hated it. Allowing Rian Johnson to make three whole Star Wars movies would basically be an intentional move to further divide the franchise’s fan base.
Unlike revered directors like Jon Favreau and Deborah Chow and Dave Filoni, Star Wars fans can’t unanimously agree that Johnson is awesome.
