Lucasfilm and Disney Pictures have announced a new Star Wars trilogy in the works. The company has entrusted Episode VIII Director Rian Johnson to helm the story. The New trilogy will not follow the Skywalker family and will take us an entirely new direction in Star Wars lore. Some have speculated we will see stories revolving around the old republic. Others believe we will see the return of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan. A Star Wars television series is also expected to be launched by the end of 2019.

“We all loved working with Rian on ‘The Last Jedi,’” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “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.”

The Last Jedi [Vanity Fair]

Rian Johnson and his long time partner Ram Bergman reciprocated their feelings about working with Lucasfilm and Disney:

“We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on ‘The Last Jedi,’ ” Johnson and Bergman said in a joint statement. “ ‘Star Wars’ is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can’t wait to continue with this new series of films.”