Star Wars universe expands
UNITED STATES: The galaxy far, far away is expanding further on screen, with a new trilogy of Star Wars films outside of the ongoing Skywalker saga, the Walt Disney Co has announced, to be overseen by Rian Johnson, the director of the franchise’s upcoming film The Last Jedi.
Johnson, 43, will write and direct the first of a new Star Wars trilogy that will bring new characters and worlds not yet explored to the screen.
‘‘Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy,’’ said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm.
Disney said no release dates had been set for the new trilogy. CEO Bob Iger said a Star Wars live-action TV series was also being developed for the company’s upcoming streaming service.
Johnson was brought in to write and direct the second film in Disney’s rebooted trilogy of the Skywalker stories, which director George Lucas first brought to the screen in 1977. The Last Jedi, which follows on from 2015’s hit The Force Awakens and is expected to focus on Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), will be in cinemas on December 15.
The final instalment in the current trilogy, Star Wars: Episode IX, will be written and directed by J J Abrams and is scheduled for release in December 2019.
Disney is also making three stand-alone Star Wars films outside of the Skywalker saga, including last year’s Rogue One and next year’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, about the origins of roguish smuggler Han Solo, made famous by Harrison Ford in the original trilogy. – Reuters