Confirmed: Multiple ‘Star Wars’ Movies No Longer in Active Development as 2026 Release Looms

Star Wars’ modern era continues to shift as new updates reshape what’s happening both on-screen and behind the scenes. That includes revisiting one of the franchise’s most fiercely debated chapters: Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi (2017).

Released in 2017, The Last Jedi pushed the sequel trilogy into unexpected territory. Writer-director Rian Johnson picked up right after Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens (2015), sending Rey (Daisy Ridley) to confront the reclusive Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on Ahch-To. Luke’s crisis of faith, rooted in his guilt over Ben Solo’s (Adam Driver) fall, reframed the legendary Jedi in a way that surprised many longtime fans.

Elsewhere, the Resistance—still led by Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher)—fought to outrun the First Order. Finn (John Boyega) teamed with newcomer Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) for a mission that challenged their ideals, while Kylo Ren’s growing conflict led to an uneasy connection with Rey. That thread culminated in one of the film’s biggest shocks: the abrupt death of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), which reshaped the trilogy’s power dynamics.

As the middle entry of the trilogy, The Last Jedi bridged the nostalgia of Episode VII with the arc that would wrap in 2019’s Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker. Though critics largely praised it, the movie swiftly became one of Star Wars’ most debated installments. Johnson’s choices—such as revealing Rey’s parents as “nobodies” and portraying Luke as a disillusioned hermit—split audiences. Some saw the film as a bold exploration of failure and growth; others felt it diverged from decades of character expectations. The humor, pacing, and the Canto Bight sequence added to the conversation.

The discourse widened when Kelly Marie Tran faced online harassment, sparking industry-wide discussions about fan culture. Even now, The Last Jedi remains a contentious but highly influential part of the franchise’s evolution.

Lucasfilm had previously announced that Johnson would helm a brand-new Star Wars trilogy. However, it’s now confirmed that the project is no longer moving forward.

Rian Johnson’s Trilogy Is No Longer in Active Development

In an interview last month, The Hollywood Reporter highlighted the current status. “Johnson had signed on to mount a fresh Star Wars trilogy in 2017, and while that plan is effectively dead, he isn’t saying goodbye yet,” The Hollywood Reporter wrote. “‘A part of my brain will always be in Star Wars,’ he says. ‘It’s so much a part of me and the way I think.'”

Johnson echoed that sentiment on Radio Andy, confirming that the series is not being actively developed.

“Making The Last Jedi was, like, the best experience of my life,” Johnson said. “And I’m still tight with the folks at Lucasfilm. We’re not actively working on it right now, but if, down the line, it makes sense to come back into that universe, I’d be thrilled.”

He had shared similar enthusiasm in 2022. “I’ve stayed close to Kathleen [Kennedy], and we get together often and talk about it,” he told Empire. “It’s just at this point a matter of schedule and when it can happen. It would break my heart if I were finished, if I couldn’t get back in that sandbox at some point.”

The update arrives as Lucasfilm prepares for its theatrical return with Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) and Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter (2027). Additional projects remain in various stages of development, including Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order film, James Mangold’s Force origin story, Dave Filoni’s Mando-Verse crossover, and a potential Taika Waititi film.

Disney also recently halted a Kylo Ren-focused project, The Hunt for Ben Solo, which would have taken place after The Rise of Skywalker. Since its cancellation surfaced, fans have expressed support for reviving it.

How do you feel about the cancellation of Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy? Let us know in the comments down below!