The film-maker was revealed yesterday to be helming an entirely new set of movies for LucasFilm, in an immense display of confidence from president Kathleen Kennedy.
This obviously puts huge pressure on Episode 8 to deliver critically and commercially – something it seems Johnson is aware of.
He tweeted last night: “Obviously I hope you like The Last Jedi.
“But man now I REALLY hope you like The Last Jedi.”
In a statement yesterday, Kennedy spoke of her excitement at moving into new territory with Johnson at the wheel.
Kennedy said: “We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi. He’s a creative force, and watching him craft The Last Jedi from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career.
“Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy.”
His longtime collaborator Ram Bergman is on board to produce.
“We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on The Last Jedi,” they said in a joint statement.
“Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can’t wait to continue with this new series of films.”
No release dates have been set for the new trilogy.
The Last Jedi is out on December 14 in the UK.