Highlights
- Game of Thrones creators Benioff and Weiss reveal how Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi annoyed them, as it destroyed the title and concept they were working on for their canceled Star Wars trilogy.
- Reports of Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy being canceled have been consistently denied, but concerns about the condition of Star Wars films persist since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
- Benioff and Weiss signed a lucrative deal with Netflix for TV and movies, valued at $200 million, shortly before departing from the Star Wars project. Their upcoming project, 3 Body Problem, will premiere on March 21.
Game of Thrones creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff have finally opened up about their canceled Star Wars movie trilogy and revealed how one particular thing about Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi annoyed them.
Benioff and Weiss, known for their success with the Game of Thrones HBO series based on George R.R. Martin’s books, were supposed to make a new Star Wars trilogy. They planned to begin filming in 2019, but in October of that year, they announced they were stepping away from the project with respect. The duo has now come forward with an explanation for why their project was canceled and how it was similar to The Last Jedi.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Game of Thrones creators broke their silence, addressing how creative friction with Lucasfilm led to the cancelation of the trilogy of films. “We wanted to do The First Jedi,” Benioff said. “Basically how the Jedi Order came to be, why it came to be, the first lightsaber …” The duo had a specific story in mind, but Lucasfilm wasn’t interested, and Weiss jokingly said they were annoyed when Johnson called his film The Last Jedi.
[…] We were annoyed as hell when [Johnson] called his movie The Last Jedi. He completely destroyed the obvious title for what we were working on.”
Johnson was supposed to direct 3 new Star Wars movies. However, a report claimed that Lucasfilm had scrapped the trilogy. Although there were reports of Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy being canceled, he and Kathleen Kennedy have consistently denied this over the years. Worries about the condition of Star Wars films are not new. Fans are now worried and puzzled because, since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, many films have been announced only to be scrapped or delayed.
3 Star Wars movies are slated to be released in the coming years, plus a Mandalorian and Grogu film. As far as Benioff and Weiss are concerned, the duo signed a deal with Netflix for both TV and movies, reportedly valued at $200 million. They signed the deal two months before leaving the Star Wars trilogy. Their upcoming project, 3 Body Problem, is a part of the deal and will premiere on March 21.
Game of Thrones is currently streaming on Max, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi is available on Disney Plus.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space, including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other mediums like comics, video games, TV shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
