Anyone who's listened to the popular film-centric podcast "Blank Check" should be familiar with that title phrase. A visionary storyteller establishes a solid body of work, builds up enough cred to make their most ambitious passion projects, and then cashes in that check to the tune of even more success — ideally so they can repeat that cycle all over again. After spending his earlier years delivering gems such as "Brick," "The Brothers Bloom," and ultimately the sci-fi thriller "Looper" (along with directing episodes of "Breaking Bad" and "Terriers" in between), Rian Johnson found himself on a similar track when he ended up in charge of "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi."

After that film's billion-dollar success and with plenty of critical acclaim on his hands (yes, weirdos, "T

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