• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & EntertainmentStar Wars

Disney Says ‘The Last Jedi’ Director Will Launch a Whole New ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 9, 2017, 6:02 PM ET

Star Wars fans can get ready to explore a new part of a galaxy far, far away.

Walt Disney said on Thursday that it’s signed a deal with Rian Johnson, director of the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi, to create a brand new trilogy of Star Wars films. In a press release on StarWars.com, Lucasfilm said the new movie trilogy “will introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.”

When The Last Jedi hits theaters on Dec. 15, it will be the second installment of Disney and Lucasfilm’s current trilogy of the Star Wars saga, with the final film of that trilogy expected to be released in 2019. “We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. “He’s a creative force, and watching him craft The Last Jedi from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career. Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy.”

Disney did not announce specific release dates for the new trio of films, but it would stand to reason that they won’t hit theaters until after 2020, when the last of three currently planned Star Wars spin-off films is expected to be released. “No release dates have been set for the new films, and no porgs were available for comment,” Lucasfilm said in the press release, a reference to the furry creatures that will make their debut in The Last Jedi.

The Last Jedi is expected to be one of the highest-grossing films of 2017 after its predecessor in the current trilogy, 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, set box-office records and grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. Last year’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first in the series of spin-off films, also fared well at the box office, grossing more than $1 billion globally.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Meanwhile, during Disney’s quarterly earnings call on Thursday, CEO Bob Iger also announced that the company is already developing a TV series from the Star Wars universe that will air on the standalone streaming service that Disney plans to launch before the end of 2019. In August, Disney announced plans to create its own subscription-based streaming service to compete with the likes of Netflix and other growing streaming entertainment players. In addition to the Star Wars TV series, Iger said Disney’s streaming service will also feature TV series based on other Disney properties such as Pixar’s Monsters Inc. animated movies and the Disney Channel’s teen musical franchise, High School Musical, along with an original series from its Marvel Studios unit. (Disney currently airs multiple Marvel series on Netflix.)

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

art
LawCrime
Father-daughter duo duped New York City art world with at least 200 fake Banksy, Warhols, Wyeths, prosecutors say
By Jake Offenhartz and The Associated PressApril 30, 2026
23 hours ago
gen z
Arts & EntertainmentMedia
57% of Americans between 13 and 17 years old get news from social media at least once a day
By David Bauder, Linley Sanders and The Associated PressApril 30, 2026
23 hours ago
Taylor Swift poses.
AICelebrities
Taylor Swift files to trademark her voice and image to save from potential AI misuse
By Maria Sherman and The Associated PressApril 28, 2026
3 days ago
damaro
CommentaryDisney
Disney’s $60 billion bet on the one thing AI can’t replace
By Roland BetancourtApril 28, 2026
3 days ago
trump
PoliticsMedia
Trump wants Kimmel’s head (again) after joke about Melania Trump as ‘expectant widow’
By David Bauder and The Associated PressApril 28, 2026
3 days ago
Top CD rates from major banks April 27, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
BankingCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on April 27, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Danny BakstApril 27, 2026
4 days ago

Most Popular

China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
North America
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
By Jake AngeloApril 30, 2026
19 hours ago
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
4 days ago
Accenture's Julie Sweet blew up 50 years of company history. She says the hardest part is still ahead
Conferences
Accenture's Julie Sweet blew up 50 years of company history. She says the hardest part is still ahead
By Nick LichtenbergApril 29, 2026
2 days ago
America shot its arsenal empty in 2 wars. Now it needs Beijing's permission to reload
Commentary
America shot its arsenal empty in 2 wars. Now it needs Beijing's permission to reload
By Steve H. Hanke and Jeffrey WengApril 30, 2026
20 hours ago
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet's business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google's search identity?
Big Tech
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet's business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google's search identity?
By Alexei OreskovicApril 29, 2026
1 day ago
Exclusive: America's largest Black-owned bank launches podcast with mission to unlock hidden shame holding back generational wealth
Banking
Exclusive: America's largest Black-owned bank launches podcast with mission to unlock hidden shame holding back generational wealth
By Nick LichtenbergApril 29, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.