The exit of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss from their planned Star Wars trilogy could have heavy implications on Rian Johnson's proposed films in the franchise. Benioff and Weiss are coming off of the concluding season of HBO's Game of Thrones but they would have been newcomers to Lucasfilm. Johnson, on the other hand, wrote and directed 2017's Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
With the Skywalker saga officially coming to an end with December's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the Game of Thrones duo was supposed to introduce a new era for the franchise. And so, the Benioff and Weiss trilogy was set to launch in 2022. Benioff and Weiss stated that their busy schedule - and, more specifically, their partnership with Netflix - was the reason for exiting the Star Wars trilogy. Considering they were given a nine-figure deal with Netflix following Game of Thrones' conclusion, it makes sense that they would pursue multiple projects that stood the chance of lasting for many years to come, rather than develop just three movies over the course of the next seven years.
Thankfully, since Star Wars is such an expansive brand with an entire galaxy open for filmmakers to play around in, Lucasfilm has plenty of other projects in development. Besides Johnson's trilogy, Kevin Feige and Lucasfilm president, Kathleen Kennedy, announced their plans to collaborate on a Star Wars film. But of course, whether or not Johnson's Star Wars trilogy still happens has been on the minds of plenty of fans.
Rian Johnson's Star Wars Trilogy Is Still (Officially) Happening
Over the past two years, Johnson has routinely said that he's still developing his proposed Star Wars movies. He had no update but he shared that he was currently working with Lucasfilm and the ball was in their court for any type of schedule. Benioff and Weiss' exit potentially gives Johnson an easier path to develop his trilogy. The studio could solely focus on his new storyline and it helps that they now have three release dates that need to be filled. With Johnson's trilogy at the forefront, it's very possible that his films could acquire the December 2022, 2024, and 2026 release dates.
Lucasfilm Could Cancel Rian Johnson's Star Wars Trilogy
It's worth noting, though, that Johnson also recently seemed unsure if his Star Wars trilogy was still in the works. Of course, there's a chance that Johnson's Star Wars trilogy will be the next to hit the chopping block. With Benioff and Weiss bowing out, Disney and Lucasfilm might be shifting their plans as they look to their long-term future. If that's the case, they could potentially put Johnson's plan on the backburner. Lucasfilm is gearing up to debut The Mandalorian on Disney+ on launch day and a number of other projects for the streaming service are in development. This could slow down any immediate need to get post-Skywalker saga movies out there. The fate of Johnson's Star Wars trilogy will surely be made public in the near future.
