The Real Reason Rian Johnson's Star Wars Trilogy Didn't Happen

Do you remember when Rian Johnson was supposed to make a trilogy of "Star Wars" films? He was hot off the heels of directing 2017's polarizing "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," and it seemed that the folks at Lucasfilm and Disney were open to letting him loose in the galaxy far, far away. Johnson's trilogy would reportedly have been separate from the Skywalker stories and explored a different corner of the galaxy with a brand-new batch of characters. 

Disney has a habit of canceling "Star Wars" projects, and the radio silence regarding Johnson's planned trilogy made it easy to assume that the House of Mouse killed it. However, while speaking to The Independent, the director explained that he got busy with other projects.

"What happened? 'Knives Out!' ... I mean, I kind of went down the murder mystery rabbit hole — I'm focused on making other stuff. But that wouldn't rule out it happening down the line. If I get back in the 'Star Wars' universe someday, I'd be the happiest person."

While Johnson's previous foray into the galaxy far, far away was lambasted by some fans of the franchise, it was heavily praised by others for being unpredictable and taking creative risks — as opposed to relying on nostalgia and lazy fan service. Johnson is still proud of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" after all these years, and it seems like he has unfinished business in this universe. At the same time, he isn't exactly short on work at the moment.

Rian Johnson has been a busy man in the years following "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Most notably, he masterminded the "Knives Out" franchise, which sees Daniel Craig play a private investigator who is tasked with solving some unusual murder mysteries. Netflix paid a whopping $400 million to secure the rights to the films, and the third installment, "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery," is slated for release later this year.

Not only that, but Johnson has also turned his attention to the small screen with "Poker Face," a murder mystery about a casino worker, Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), who has the ability to tell when people are lying. So, she puts her talent to good use by solving homicides across America. A third season has yet to be confirmed, but if it does happen, Johnson might remain too busy to focus on "Star Wars" — assuming that Lucasfilm and Disney are still interested in making his trilogy, which is never a guarantee.

Only time will tell if Johnson will return to the "Star Wars" universe, but it's good to know that he is open to the idea. In the meantime, he has his own original projects to focus on, which are successful and entertaining in their own right.