Why Old Republic should be the focus of Rian Johsnon’s Star Wars trilogy

Liz Prugh January 3, 2018

0 1 minute read

Well, Episode VIII is here, and fans are conflicted. In my review of the film you can see why fans aren’t too wild about the film (plus moments the movie got right). Episode VIII director Rian Johnson has been #blessed by Kathleen Kennedy to write and director a completely new Star Wars trilogy, and while we don’t know the focus of the new set of films (yet), it’s very possible they will live outside of the Skywalker universe. In a December 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter Johnson stated:

“I’m at the very beginning of trying to come up with it, and honestly, timeline-wise, I’m not sure yet. In a way it’s interesting, but in a way it’s the least interesting part of it to me. I’m more thinking of what’s the story going to be, who is it going to follow? What elements is it going to have? What kind of drama is in it? My head right now is more in that place. I haven’t really, really gotten into it. Right now I’m mostly excited by the potential and just starting to form little clusters of ideas of what it might become.”

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I won’t dive into the concern around Rian being given this opportunity, but regardless of my thoughts on Episode VIII, I need to have hope that the next five (ish) years of these films will be fulfilling to Star Wars fans.

It’s no secret that EVERYONE would love to see The Old Republic storylines on the silver screen. If you are unaware of The Old Republic, a quick overview is that it’s in an online multiplayer game that is set over one thousand years prior to the Skywaga Saga. There are several Sith Lords and Jedi, and it’s pretty f*cking badass. You can dive into all of the lore here.

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The lightsaber battles, storylines, endless possibilities of twists, turns, and good-old-fashioned storytelling are all there for the taking. We’ll see if Rian will draw inspiration from the already-loved section of Star Wars-lore, or dive into something completely unexpected. Remember, the idea of Rogue One seemed somewhat bleak at first, but it ended up being an amazing, beautiful story about war, hope, and sacrifice. These elements, when used appropriately, make for an incredible film, and Old Republic has the foundation to make that happen.