Rian Johnson wants a female director or person of colour to helm 'Star Wars'

Hollywood filmmaker Rian Johnson has admitted he wants to see a female director, or a director of colour, to helm a 'Star Wars' movie.

According to The Telegraph, the 43-year-old filmmaker, who directed the eighth installment 'The Last Jedi' of the epic sci-fi franchise 'Star Wars' called for Disney to consider a more diverse range of filmmakers to tell a story in a galaxy far, far away.

When asked whether it was time for Disney to bring in some "fresh blood", he said, "Hell, yes! It's time!"

While speaking at the European press conference for the movie 'The Last Jedi', Johnson added, "There are so many incredibly talented female directors and directors of colour out there and so many I would love to see play in this universe. Yes please! I would love it to happen."

The blockbuster franchise recently came under criticism for hiring directors only to unexpectedly cut ties with them before their work was complete.

Directing duo Christopher Miller and Phil Lord were hired to direct the forthcoming Han Solo spin-off movie, before being fired earlier this year and replaced by director Ron Howard.

It should be noted that the first reviews are in for the highly-anticipated eighth installment and critics are calling it 'Star Wars' 'most exciting iteration in decades'.

The space opera currently boasts a 94 per cent score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with over 232 reviews counted.

Industry analysts expect that 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' could power to USD 440m opening at the global box office. Meanwhile, the Rian Johnson directorial is heading towards a USD 200m opening at the US box-office.