Most fans remain focused on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but writer/director Rian Johnson is nevertheless peppered with questions by journalists who hope to uncover the first substantial details about the recently announced new trilogy. Although the filmmaker continues to hold his cards close to the vest, he seems to now hint that audiences should count on seeing familiar characters in the new movies.
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“My entire pitch to [Lucasfilm President] Kathleen Kennedy and Disney was ‘Let’s tell a new Star Wars story,” he explained to Wired. “Let’s tell one story over three movies, where we go new places and meet new people. It’s a brand new story that feels like a great Star Wars story,’” he said.
However, fans hoping for a bit more information on the new Star Wars chapter shouldn’t expect much else anytime soon — mainly because Johnson doesn’t have it.
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“That was the extent of it,” he confessed. “I didn’t pitch an idea or a time or anything like that. It was just bright blue sky to tell a new story in, and they were so excited about it. Honestly, I’ve been the rigamarole of releasing this movie so I’m just starting to form clusters of ideas for the trilogy, but really the most exciting thing right now is the potential of it.”
That “potential” seems to point toward something wholly separate from the current series. Under his direction, the next trilogy could easily avoid any reference to past films. When asked if it’s possible there would be no crossover characters, Johnson responded with a succinct, “Yep.” And although that might seem like “the scariest blank slate around” to some, The Last Jedi director said that’s exactly why he is “so excited about it.”