Star Wars fans couldn’t believe their luck when it was announced that we’d be getting a new trilogy, especially after George Lucas had said that the movies were just a six-part series that wouldn’t have any other sequels. However, that all changed in 2012 when Disney bought out Lucasfilm and announced that they would be making a sequel trilogy after all. While some people were a bit dubious about Disney taking over, it seems as though the new films have gone done better than anticipated. It appears as though Episode IX could be the last Star Wars movie we see for a while, though…
The sequel trilogy
This trilogy kicked off with Episode VII: The Force Awakens, where we were introduced to Rey, the orphaned scavenger, and a whole host of characters – new and old. The sequel trilogy is set thirty years after the destruction of the ‘Death Star,’ and Luke Skywalker has seemingly disappeared. By Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, we finally met back up with Luke Skywalker who is being coerced by Rey to teach her the ways of the Force. Along the way, we’re also following the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, Kylo Ren. It seems as though Rey and Kylo have some kind of connection, and can both use the Force, but there is the ongoing battle between good and evil (The Dark Side and The Light Side). Of course, it wouldn’t be a Star Wars trilogy without the ultimate fight between good and evil.
Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Filming for the third and final installment began in August 2018, and a new trailer told us we could expect The Rise of Skywalker in cinemas in December 2019. We are expecting this film to feature some epic clashes between the Resistance and the First Order, along with the ancient battle of Jedi versus Sith. The trailer has already got plenty of Star Wars fans excited to see how this trilogy will reach its climax. However, back in April, the CEO of Disney (Bob Iger) explained that the Star Wars film franchise will be going on hiatus after the release of Episode IX.
Why they’re going on a break
While the sequel trilogy has undoubtedly done well at the box office, it seems as though the standalone films may have been a mistake for Disney. Releasing a new Star Wars movie every year seemed like a dream for many, but then reality hit. Critics panned Solo when it came out in 2018, and plenty of fans didn’t see the appeal either. While Rogue One worked well as a standalone film, viewers were left hoping for more with Solo. It also seems that Disney overestimated how often people want a new Star Wars film – it was definitely becoming more of a routine than an event. There has been a lot of talk about following a similar route as Marvel (also owned by Disney) and focusing on a TV series instead.
Of course, it’s not like we’re going to be entirely without Star Wars movies for the foreseeable future. It’s already been announced that Game of Thrones creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will be writing and producing their own trilogy of movies – thought to be a spin-off series. These have been scheduled for release in 2022, 2024 and 2026… So, that’s at least a couple of years hiatus, right?!
