In anticipation of the eighth episode of the Star Wars saga, fans will be happy to know that the film is so good, they will be getting an all-new trilogy from its director. Lucasfilm announced through the StarWars.com website that Rian Johnson, director of "The Last Jedi," will be creating a brand new Star Wars trilogy. Johnson is set to write and direct the first episode, and Ram Bergman will produce, but while Johnson will surely play a role, only time will tell who will actually write and direct the next two.

A galaxy far, far away

Lucasfilm states that this new trilogy will be separate from the episodic Skywalker saga, and will introduce “new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.” Whether the new trilogy will feature any of the characters from the previous films remains to be seen.

There have been quite a few disturbances in the force as Lucasfilm has sought directors to helm the various Star Wars projects. Although Lucasfilm, and their parent company Disney, had great success with "The Force Awakens," directed by J.J. Abrams, other projects have not been quite so successful. Additional filmmakers were brought aboard to help Gareth Edwards rework Rogue One before it was released. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired from the "Han Solo" film before Ron Howard was brought on to finish the film. Josh Trank was fired from his Boba Fett film before he even got started. And the still untitled "Episode IX" film replaced Colin Trevorrow with J.J. Abrams.

A new hope

Yet Lucasfilm assures Star Wars fans that Rian Johnson is one director they are happy to have a longer commitment with.

Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, stated that watching Rian Johnson craft "The Last Jedi" was one of the great joys of her career, and fans can't wait to see the new film to answer the questions the trailers have raised.

With a number of conventions and annual celebrations, Star Wars is one of the most popular film series of all times. In 2012, Disney bought the rights to the saga for $4 billion, which they have almost recouped after "The Force Awakens" earned over $2 billion worldwide, and the first standalone story, "Rogue One," brought in over $1 billion since its release.

With "The Last Jedi" scheduled for release on December 15, and Ron Howard's "Han Solo" film ready to be released next year, and "Episode IX" slated for 2019, Star Wars is just getting more popular with each film.
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