Star Wars: Rian Johnson Responds to Kathleen Kennedy Saying He Was ‘Spooked’
Academy Award-nominated director Rian Johnson has shared his reaction to Star Wars: The Last Jedi producer Kathleen Kennedy‘s recent comment about him getting “spooked” by negative fan reactions. This comes after Kennedy recently announced her exit as the president of Lucasfilm, with Star Wars Rebels creator Dave Filoni taking over as the studio’s co-president and Chief Creative Officer.
“I do believe he got spooked by the online negativity,” Kennedy said in a previous interview. “I think Rian made one of the best Star Wars movies. He’s a brilliant filmmaker, and he got spooked.”
What was Rian Johnson’s reaction to Kathleen Kennedy’s Star Wars comment about him?
On social media, Johnson responded to Kennedy’s assumption about him by revealing that he wasn’t “spooked” by the online negativity he received after the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. His brief reply seemingly confirmed that the fan reactions weren’t the reason why his long-awaited return to the franchise had been delayed.
After The Last Jedi, Johnson was originally slated to develop a new Star Wars trilogy. However, development on the project was stalled by his busy schedule with the Knives Out franchise and other TV shows like 3 Body Problem and Poker Face. Last November 2025, the acclaimed filmmaker confirmed that he’s still open to returning to the Star Wars franchise if another opportunity arises.
“[Lucasfilm and I] had a great time working together, and they said, ‘Let’s keep doing it.’ I said, ‘Great!’ I would kick ideas around with Kathy,” Johnson said in a previous interview. “The short version is Knives Out happened. I went off and made Knives Out, and was off to the races, busy making murder mysteries. It’s the sort of thing, if, down the line, there’s an opportunity to do it, or do something else in Star Wars, I would be thrilled. But right now I’m just doing my own stuff, and pretty happy.”
Source: Comingsoon.net