Star Wars: The Last Jedi Director Rian Johnson Reveals Why His Trilogy Didn’t Happen

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Rian Johnson, the director of The Last Jedi, recently explained what led to Lucasfilm’s decision to move away from his planned trilogy of Star Wars films. He addressed whether the mixed reactions to The Last Jedi influenced the franchise’s new direction.

A video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Star Wars Culture shows director Rian Johnson speaking at the Newport Beach Film Festival. When asked if the negative fan reaction to The Last Jedi discouraged him from continuing with Star Wars, Johnson was direct: “No, not at all.” He explained that the fan feedback actually motivated him, adding, “I’m a lifelong Star Wars fan, so I understand how passionate people are about it.”

Johnson was clearly drawn to the expansive world of Star Wars. He explained, “We all have strong opinions about what we like and dislike, and we love to debate those things.” He pointed out that this has been happening since the very beginning, recalling the passionate reactions to the original trilogy and the prequels. “I remember being in college when the prequels came out, and everyone was talking about them – we all had opinions!”

Johnson understood that Star Wars and its fans were complex. He wasn’t surprised by the divided reaction to The Last Jedi, explaining that the idea of a universally loved Star Wars was never realistic. He pointed out that Star Wars has always meant different things to different people, and that passionate debate among fans is actually a good thing – as long as it’s respectful.

Following the success of 2015’s The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi is the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The story centers on Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, who searches for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to help fight against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his forces. The film was a huge commercial success, earning over $1.33 billion globally, and received generally positive reviews from critics (91% on Rotten Tomatoes). However, audience reactions were much more divided, resulting in a lower score of 41% based on over 100,000 user reviews.

Johnson Calls His Time With Star Wars a ‘Positive Experience’

Although opinions on The Last Jedi were mixed, director Rian Johnson really enjoyed making the film. He’s spoken with many Star Wars fans over the years who have a strong connection to the movie, and he says that interacting with people who’ve seen it has been the most rewarding part of his career.

Although some fans didn’t react well, Rian Johnson was surprisingly positive about the experience. He said his involvement with Star Wars actually deepened his love for the fandom. While he confirmed fan reaction didn’t prevent him from wanting to make more Star Wars films, he didn’t explain why those projects ultimately didn’t happen.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now streaming on Disney+.

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2025-11-06 19:19