Will it be a bust?

I highly doubt there will be a Ryan Johnson's trilogy.

 

They would have already canceled it by now. But can we please stop calling it "Rian Johnson's trilogy"? He doesn't make the the whole trilogy. He's just responsible for the first movie. Yes of course he will be writing an outline for the other two parts too, but the directors of these movies can change that if they want to.

 

I’d like to see him explore the time between the prequels and Rogue One. Jedi’s an all that, the War itself. They could also follow the existing trilogy with a new empire or something. My gut says the current trilogy will end with a title something on the order of “The New Republic”.

 

Current trilogy will end with Ep IX: The Spark of Hope.

New trilogy will be 100+ years after current trilogy.

 

So far I haven't seen any signs that it will be a bust or cancelled. LFL liked his past movie and don't think that has changed that I know of.

 

We don't know the brand's full plans just yet. I wager some illumination comes after Solo. If that film is embraced and makes good money, I think we'll see a reflection of that in whatever announcements they make during the late summer convention season.

As for this specific trilogy, I am not even sure Rian Johnson has fully figured out just what to do with this opportunity. He's also not going to have full creative control. A brand like Star Wars builds their installments via committee and Lucasfilm is notorious for reviewing any and all narrative and design decisions via a somewhat laborious process.

If you've ever been involved as a licensee, you know what I am talking about. Even the color of your box comes under scrutiny. Even the thickness of your clamshell packaging could be rejected. It's just that "fussy" a process.

So those of you predicting Rian takes the franchise in unrecognizable directions are wrong. At least from my perspective they are wrong, because having worked a little with Lucasfilm long ago, my experience is that anything boldly radical is generally reworked to feel recognizable and complementary to the brand's strategy.

I expect this film will want to "modernize" Star Wars to fit a more generic, action-adventure model, where spin-offs and new IP can be developed easily and without being "bogged down" by previous iterations.

It's liberating to a degree that Rian gets to do this, but I doubt it will become so "bizarre and different" that it isn't immediately recognizable as Star Wars. You have a multi-billion dollar brand, the idea there needs to be a "revolutionary change" isn't the situation.

Also all these plans are still written in pencil and film-making like this has become quite agile in the last decade or so. Anyone who has ever been on large projects that use an iterative/agile management methodology know that only short-term work is committed. The large plans (or "epics" in agile vernacular) are loose goals, that adapt to the current circumstances and data.

Your tactics inform your strategy, not the other way around.

In other words, the future of Star Wars is unwritten. And if the Solo film flops (a distinct possibility) I wager all these plans are going to change and evolve to meet market reaction.

 

Gnashing of teeth and petty revenge fantasies aside there is no reason to think so.
If there are better current hands for Star Wars to be in I can't wait to see them in action.

 

You're supposed to say you'll never watch another one of his films and that he's basically a real life Palpatine.

 

Won't be watching. No, thanks.

 

It could go either way for me, that's if this trilogy definitely goes ahead.

I like Rian Johnson, I think he is a fine director and I absolutely loved Looper however I really disliked TLJ to the extent that it is now bottom of my list of Star Wars films. Personally I think a saga film was too big for him and that's regardless of TLJ box office success.

Now as much as I dislike TLJ, with a clean slate and new characters this new trilogy could be amazing!!!

 

I think the first thing that has to happen is there needs to be a plan. Someone said that directors after him can come in and do their own thing. That is a mistake, one that should be learned from. RJ should not have been allowed to essentially reboot the reboot of the Saga.

In general I think he is a good director. He knows how to get actors to deliver (I'm not calling him great... that line gets thrown around far too often for my liking). I think his weakness was in writing, at least in writing the Last Jedi. It really did feel like he needed someone to put him on a leash and temper his craziest desires. Leia flying through space???? Puke. Luke milking a space cow? Come one.

Anyway, I'm not going to bash TLJ here (although I just did, for which I apologize). They need a plan, he needs co-writters, and the freakin story group needs to make sure he doesn't just go and change things simply cause HE wants to change them. Stop trying to be controversial just to get a reaction and make sure the characters are well written.

It is too hard to say at this point what it will be and if it will be successful. Heck, who knows, it could still be cancelled. No one really knows what's going on at Disney and LFL to be honest. Anything is possible.

 

So do I. Those of the strong and dominant kind....

 

Hard to say, it's too early to tell. I don't think so though, as SW movies never really seem to be a bust. And if they are, they still make it well over a billion dollars, which, even though it's not as well as a film should, it's still a lot.

 

I really hope it doesn't bite the dust.

 

Everything Rian Johnson has done thus far has been successful. His track record really is quite remarkable. The fact that some fans were butthurt over the story direction in TLJ and misunderstood their own disprovement as evidence that RJ is a hack does not make it so. Look at his record and relationship with people and you'll find there is zero reason to expect/fear/hope-for a bust.

 

Apologies if I offended you. I had just added some JoJo gifs to my JoJo folder and was thinking of a place in which to use it accompanied by a pun. I meant this as a light hearted joke.

 

My apologies... I must've clicked the "Dislike" by accident. Sorry man, should be sorted out now!

Edit: I actually sat her thinking to myself, "hm... that was a weird red mark for someone to give to @Phil J"

 

All forgiven.

 

Hm... with my dark hair, pale complexion, and prominent nose, I sort of look a bit like an ugly version of Adam Driver... Does that mean you're my Daisy Ridley, man? :-*