Rian Johnson, director of the highly anticipated Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi is writing and directing a new Star Wars Trilogy for Disney/Lucasfilm. The movies will feature completely new, original characters and be completely separate from the Skywalker “Saga” films. The movies will take place in a different part of the Galaxy, previously unseen in Star Wars.

I knew this was coming in some form or another. Star Wars is too popular for Disney to let it lie. I think telling a completely new story with new characters is definitely the way to go. I would have hated (or at least been very skeptical) if Disney tried to do another Saga trilogy. Continuing The Skywalker family story beyond the 9 Episodes would have been a mistake. That was always the story that George Lucas began all those years ago. Adding more Episodes to the Skywalker Saga would just be a shameless cash grab that could seriously damage the Star Wars we all know and love.

I’m of two minds about this. On the one hand, I LOVE Star Wars and there will always be a part of me that wants to see stories in that Universe. BUT! One of the reasons I love Star Wars movies, one of the reasons they’re special, is that they are an EVENT. After the original trilogy there was no guarantee we’d ever get to see any more films. The Prequels, love them or hate them, where a wonderful surprise when they were announced. After Return of the Jedi, talk of continuing the movies were wishpered rumors. THEN we found out we were finally getting the fabled “last” trilogy, the story after Jedi, which was an even bigger surprise and delight. I think this was the trilogy fans always wanted to see. We’d take the prequels, but we really wanted to find out what happened to all our favorite characters after The Empire fell. So between 1977 and 2017 we’ll have seen 9 Star Wars movies (including Rogue One).

While there’s been no release date, my biggest fear is that we’ll get burned out on Star Wars. It would be awful if this incredible world was run into the ground. Going for an original, new story is great, but I’d like to see them wait at least 5-7 years, ideally a decade after Episode IX. Again, there’s no release date, but I doubt they’ll have the restraint to wait that long.

At the very least, The Last Jedi must be pretty fucking good for Lucasfilm and Kathleen Kennedy to hand Rian Johnson his own fucking trilogy. So I take small comfort in that at least.

Stay tuned to World’s Best Media as this story developes…

May The Force Be With Us…

-Paul