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Rian Johnson Rejects Kathleen Kennedy’s Claim He Was ‘Spooked’ From Returning to Star Wars

Johnson says the shelved trilogy never advanced beyond concepts, citing Knives OutNetflix obligations.

Overview

  • Johnson responded on X to coverage of Kennedy’s remarks, writing, “Lol zero spooked, sorry.”
  • Kennedy told Deadline in an exit interview that Johnson was “spooked by the online negativity” and noted his time was consumed by a Netflix deal for Knives Out films.
  • Johnson has said the proposed Star Wars trilogy was largely conceptual and fizzled as he focused on his murder‑mystery projects.
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi earned about $1.3 billion and was acclaimed by critics, while also drawing notable online backlash from a portion of fans.
  • The back‑and‑forth lands during Lucasfilm’s leadership transition to Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, with Johnson indicating he could return someday but is currently prioritizing his own work.