We aren't getting more "Star Wars" trilogies after Episode 9 (and that's a good thing)

Sick of Star Wars trilogies and want something new? You’re in luck. Head of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy says that the team is moving away from the trilogy model of Star Wars and moving more toward other ways of storytelling.

We’re all used to the trilogy model for Star Wars films. It started with the original trilogy with Episodes IV through VI (Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi). Then we got the prequels with Episodes I through III (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith). And now, we’re in the sequel trilogy with Episodes VII through IX (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker). So if it’s the norm, why would Lucasfilm want to abandon this format?

In a recent interview with io9, Kennedy shared her take on what Lucasfilm has planned for the Star Wars films, shows, and beyond. While we’ve been following the franchise for decades, it sounds like the Skywalker Saga is coming to an end, and so is the trilogy model when it comes to telling story arcs within the franchise. But, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Obviously, that’s what’s we’ve been spending so much time talking about, and it’s a really important transition for ‘Star Wars,’” Kennedy said to io9, in a discussion of the future of the franchise. “What we’ve been focused on these last five or six years is finishing that family saga around the Skywalkers. Now is the time to start thinking about how to segue into something new and different.”

The Lucasfilm president continued to discuss what that future looks like. They’re slowing down the production of Star Wars movies and focusing more on figuring out what the stories are by bringing in new writers and creativity.

“I think it gives us a more open-ended view of storytelling and doesn’t lock us into this three-act structure,” she said. “We’re not going to have some finite number and fit it into a box. We’re really going to let the story dictate that.”

She also said that, while the Skywalker Saga will be over, that doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning all the characters created in the new trilogy. So while Poe, Finn, and Rey might not return anytime soon, that doesn’t rule out others from showing up in new films.

Kennedy then shared what this means in terms of continuing to tell Star Wars stories beyond only focusing on the Skywalker family. And while this means looking beyond just telling stories in three acts with three films, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the characters in Episodes VII through IX will be abandoned once the Skywalker Saga ends. Instead, the story will dictate where the writers go from here. So without the constraints of a trilogy format, it looks like the Lucasfilm team will be able to tell Star Wars stories in new and refreshing ways.

The newest Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker follows the surviving Resistance as they face the First Order once more as Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron’s journey continues until their final battle with Kylo Ren. And after reading Kennedy’s comments, we can tell they echo what writer Chris Terrio and producer Michelle Rejwan have shared about The Rise of Skywalker. The two said that every character’s story has a complete arc, but that doesn’t mean their stories have to end after the film is over. What that means for whatever Lucasfilm has in store for after this final film of 2020, we’re not sure, but we’re excited to find out.

Are you happy Lucasfilm is moving beyond the trilogy model for  Star Wars movies? Let us know in the comments!

Source:io9