What Does Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out' Mean for His Star Wars Films?

Star Wars fans are eagerly awaiting details about writer/director Rian Johnson's upcoming trilogy of films, though the announcement that his next project is the Daniel Craig-starring Knives Out has audiences wondering what impact this will have on his Star Wars projects.

The only official details about Johnson's new Star Wars films that have been released by Lucasfilm are that the Star Wars: The Last Jedi filmmaker will develop the trajectory of the overall trilogy, with Johnson writing and directing the first film. Additionally, the series will be separate from the Skywalker Saga. Other than these concrete details, fans have been left to speculate about a number of factors.

Another confirmed detail about the Star Wars franchise is that the only film that has a confirmed release is Star Wars: Episode IX, which will land in theaters in December of 2019.

Since Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm, fans have been getting one new Star Wars film a year, including films in the Skywalker Saga as well as standalone films. Some fans have been expecting details regarding Johnson's films imminently, though with Knives Out heading into production in November, the filmmaker likely wouldn't begin production on a Star Wars film until mid-2019. This would leave the door open for a number of films to be released in 2020.

Some former viewers will incorrectly interpret this new project as confirmation that Johnson's films will be scrapped, likely a reaction to a small number of viewers not enjoying The Last Jedi. However, as recently as last week, Johnson confirmed he was still working on his films. With Knives Out being a minuscule production compared to a Star Wars film, the entire production schedule will be much shorter, potentially allowing Johnson to continue to work on his trilogy while also shooting, editing, and promoting the Craig film.

The announcement from Lucasfilm about Johnson's trilogy came before The Last Jedi hit theaters and was showered with praise from fans and critics alike. The filmmaker previously shared the importance of making a film before returning to the Star Wars series.

"I do have a couple of well-developed ideas, movies in my head that I had before this came around that I need to find time to do," Johnson shared with CinemaBlend earlier this year. "And whether that means squeezing one in before the next trilogy starts or what have you. I think it's gonna be really important to do that."

Another point worth noting is that, earlier this year, Johnson's producing partner Ram Bergman noted that filming for a new Star Wars project likely wouldn't happen until 2020, leaving open the possibility of Johnson developing multiple projects before his new Star Wars films.

"It's a completely new trilogy that writer-director Rian Johnson, my partner, is going to create. It's all new characters. Everything is new," Bergman expressed to From the Grapevine. As far as that project's timeline, he confirmed, "I can't tell you because we don't know yet. Maybe in two years; it's just in the early stages."

While fans may have been incredibly excited about Johnson's new Star Wars films, we'll have to remain patient for the project to come together as it has been scheduled. Luckily, we'll also get multiple new Johnson films in addition to the upcoming trilogy.

Which Johnson project are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

[H/T Deadline]