Star Wars sequel trilogy

Star Wars sequel trilogy
The Star Wars sequel trilogy logos
Directed by	J. J. Abrams (VII, IX) Rian Johnson (VIII)
Screenplay by	Lawrence Kasdan (VII) J. J. Abrams (VII, IX) Michael Arndt (VII) Rian Johnson (VIII) Chris Terrio (IX)
Story by	Lawrence Kasdan (VII) J. J. Abrams (VII, IX) Michael Arndt (VII) Rian Johnson (VIII) Derek Connolly (IX) Colin Trevorrow (IX) Chris Terrio (IX)
Produced by	Kathleen Kennedy J. J. Abrams (VII, IX) Bryan Burk (VII) Ram Bergman (VIII) Michelle Rejwan (IX)
Starring	Mark Hamill Carrie Fisher Adam Driver Daisy Ridley John Boyega Oscar Isaac Harrison Ford (VII, IX) Lupita Nyong'o Andy Serkis Domhnall Gleeson Anthony Daniels Peter Mayhew (VII) Max von Sydow (VII) Gwendoline Christie (VII–VIII) Kelly Marie Tran (VIII–IX) Laura Dern (VIII) Benicio del Toro (VIII) Frank Oz (VIII–IX) Naomi Ackie (IX) Richard E. Grant (IX) Keri Russell (IX) Joonas Suotamo Ian McDiarmid (IX) Billy Dee Williams (IX)
Cinematography	Dan Mindel (VII, IX) Steve Yedlin (VIII)
Edited by	Maryann Brandon (VII, IX) Mary Jo Markey (VII) Bob Ducsay (VIII) Stefan Grube (IX)
Music by	John Williams
Production companies	Lucasfilm Ltd. Bad Robot (VII, IX)
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates	December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18) (The Force Awakens) December 15, 2017 (2017-12-15) (The Last Jedi) December 20, 2019 (2019-12-20) (The Rise of Skywalker)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1.163 billion
Box office	$4.475 billion

The Star Wars sequel trilogy is the third trilogy of the main Star Wars franchise, an American space opera created by George Lucas. It is produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The trilogy consists of episodes VII through IX, chronologically following the prequel trilogy (Episodes I–III; 1999–2005) and the original trilogy (Episodes IV–VI; 1977–1983), serving as the final act of the "Skywalker Saga". Lucas had planned a sequel trilogy as early as 1976, but canceled it by 1981. He produced only the first six episodes, and for a time described these as comprising the complete story. The sequel trilogy concept was revived when the Walt Disney Company entered negotiations to acquire Lucasfilm in 2011. Lucas produced new story treatments, but these were largely discarded. Both the acquisition and plans to produce the trilogy were announced in late 2012.

The first installment, The Force Awakens, was released on December 18, 2015, after a 10-year hiatus between the prequel and sequel trilogies. It was directed by J. J. Abrams who co-wrote the screenplay with Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt. Original trilogy cast members including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher reprised their roles, co-starring alongside franchise newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac. The second installment, The Last Jedi, was released on December 15, 2017, with Rian Johnson as screenwriter and director, and most of the cast returning. The final installment, The Rise of Skywalker, was released on December 20, 2019. It was directed by Abrams, who co-wrote it with Chris Terrio.

The trilogy follows the orphan Rey and the plight of the Resistance against the First Order, which has risen from the fallen Galactic Empire. Rey learns the ways of the Force under Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, and confronts Kylo Ren—the son of Leia and Han Solo, nephew of Luke, and grandson of Anakin Skywalker—who has fallen to the dark side. The first two films received positive reviews from critics, while the third received mixed reviews. The trilogy grossed over $4.4 billion at the box office worldwide, with each film surpassing $1 billion worldwide.