Director Rian Johnson said his long-announced “Star Wars” trilogy never moved beyond a “very conceptual” stage because he shifted his focus to writing and directing the hit murder-mystery “Knives Out.” In an interview published by Rolling Stone on 14 July, the filmmaker noted there was no formal outline or treatment for the proposed three films and that he is currently content developing additional Benoit Blanc projects, though he remains open to returning to the galaxy far, far away. Johnson also dismissed a persistent fan theory that he barely consulted with J.J. Abrams between “The Force Awakens” and his own 2017 installment, “The Last Jedi.” He said the pair spent several days discussing story threads, and that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy asked him to craft the sequel trilogy’s equivalent of “The Empire Strikes Back,” guiding many of his creative choices. Addressing criticism that he undercut Abrams’ set-ups by killing Supreme Leader Snoke, Johnson said the decision was meant to deepen Kylo Ren as the principal antagonist, not to negate earlier plot points. While acknowledging the intense online debate his film provoked, the director said he views such back-and-forth as part of the franchise’s culture and feels at peace with the outcome.