Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. News

Game of Thrones creators’ Star Wars trilogy will follow Rise of Skywalker

By

The creators of HBO’s Game of Thrones will be heading to a galaxy far, far away in the very near, near future.

Disney has confirmed that the previously announced trilogy of Star Wars films from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will indeed be the next big-screen installments of the sci-fi saga to hit theaters following Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, which comes out December 20. The first of those films is currently scheduled to premiere in 2022.

Recommended Videos

The plan was announced by Disney CEO Bob Iger during the MoffettNathanson Media & Communications conference.

It was previously announced that both the Game of Thrones creators and Episode VIII – The Last Jedi writer and director Rian Johnson were both working on separate trilogies set in the Star Wars universe. Details remain scarce regarding both trilogies, although rumors suggest that Benioff and Weiss’ films might be set early in the franchise’s timeline, well before George Lucas’ episodic prequel trilogy.

Earlier in May, Disney announced the release dates for all three films in the next Star Wars trilogy without confirming whether it was Johnson’s project or the Game of Thrones duo’s project. The films have been given release dates of December 16, 2022; December 20, 2024; and December 18, 2026.

After releasing two episodic films and two stand-alone “anthology” movies in four years, Disney announced it would ease back on the release schedule for Star Wars movies following The Rise of Skywalker. The studio instead has diverted its attention to its upcoming Disney Plus streaming-video service, which will launch in November and feature multiple original Star Wars series, both live-action and animated. Among those series is The Mandalorian, a live-action series developed by Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book), as well as an untitled series set before the events of 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story featuring Diego Luna’s character from the film.

The final season of Game of Thrones has been one of the most polarizing so far for fans, which has led to an anxious reception to the Star Wars news. After the HBO series officially outpaced the novels it was adapted from — George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series — fans have taken issue more increasingly with some popular characters’ story arcs and the path of the series’ story as a whole. The penultimate episode of the series, titled “The Bells,” aired May 12 and sparked no small amount of controversy regarding where it took certain characters and how it framed some of their final moments.

The final episode of Game of Thrones airs on HBO this Sunday, May 18.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Rick Marshall
Rick Marshall
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
5 years ago, Game of Thrones aired its last great episode. Here’s why it still holds up
Jamie knights Brienne in episode 2 of Game of Thrones season 8.

Many fans would likely agree that Game of Thrones went out not with a bang, but a profound whimper. After dominating pop culture for nearly 10 years, the hit HBO series concluded with a trio of episodes that were universally reviled by both fans and critics alike. The show's lackluster, ham-fisted finale led to its popularity seemingly vanishing into thin air. In the five years since it aired, time hasn't been kind to Game of Thrones season 8.

To this day, many people still discuss the series' final season with a mix of bitterness and disbelief, and those fans won't find any disagreement about the quality of Game of Thrones' last few chapters here. As disappointing as its eighth season remains, though, April 21 marked the five-year anniversary of its noteworthy second episode, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The fan-favorite installment ranks not only as its season's best chapter, but also as the last great episode that Game of Thrones ever produced.

Read more
Disney+ reveals the first trailer for Star Wars: Tales of the Empire
Barriss Offee in Star Wars: Tales of the Empire.

In 2022, Disney+ and Lucasfilm unveiled Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, a six-part series of animated shorts. A second season was announced soon after, and it's now just a month away. However, the show has undergone a name change to Star Wars: Tales of the Empire, and it's about to dive into even darker territory. Disney+ has dropped the first trailer for Tales of the Empire, and it chronicles the story of two women who embrace the Dark Side of the Force.

Tales of the Empire | Official Trailer | Disney+

Read more
5 things we want to see in Star Wars: The Acolyte
Dafne Keen as Jecki in Star Wars: The Acolyte.

Star Wars: The Acolyte aims to be one of the more unique additions to the Star Wars universe. This upcoming series will give audiences their first look into the world of the Jedi during the age of the High Republic. Specifically, it will follow the Jedi near the end of this era as they investigate a string of crimes that will have them uncover evil forces brewing in the shadows.

Due to the open-ended nature of this piece of Star Wars history, fans can only imagine what The Acolyte will add to the franchise. But until it premieres, here's hoping the show will feature these five things in its first season.
The Jedi-Sith War

Read more