There was a time when Rian Johnson was expected to be the future of Star Wars. The Looper director had just finished his bold Star Wars sequel, The Last Jedi, and Lucasfilm’s then-president Kathleen Kennedy signed him up to make a whole new trilogy. Of course, for a myriad of reasons, that didn’t happen, but in a new interview, Johnson shared who he now thinks should take over in a galaxy far, far away.
“As a Star Wars fan, the most exciting thing for me is always seeing when they bring in fresh voices and fresh filmmakers to come in and tell new stories in that world,” Johnson told Variety. “That’s what I am looking forward to seeing more happen.”
The answer came when Johnson was asked about Kennedy’s departure from Lucasfilm, which opened the door for Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan to take over the company. “I love Kathy. I am excited now to see what she does next,” he said.
As for what Star Wars will do next, almost everything currently in the pipeline is not what Johnson said he’s looking forward to. The next two movies are both directed by well-established filmmakers, Jon Favreau and Shawn Levy. Whatever comes after that is also likely to be written by a well-established filmmaker such as Simon Kinberg or Taika Waititi. A Rey movie directed by Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy would qualify as a “fresh voice,” but, as of now, it’s unclear if that’s still happening.
Which isn’t to say Johnson’s wishes won’t soon come true. With two movies coming in the next two years, Filoni and Brennan don’t have to rush to announce more about the future of Star Wars. And it’s quite possible that by the time that happens, some more of those “fresh filmmakers” Johnson is hoping for will emerge.
And, of course, as he’s said many, many times in the past, he’s still open to coming back. “I had the time of my life [making The Last Jedi],” he said. “I am now an even bigger Star Wars fan than I was when going into it. I would feel blessed if that were to ever happen [again].”
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