It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly three years since Rian Johnson signed up to direct “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and I’m sure like anybody involved with going to a galaxy far, far away, he’s spent a lot of time thinking about what he’d bring to that world. Way, way back in 2014, Johnson revealed he had already started holding screenings for the crew he’d work with on the movie, showing them films to give them an idea of tones and textures he wanted to bring the eighth entry in the cinematic saga. Henry King‘s “Twelve O’Clock High” starring Gregory Peck and Mikhail Kalatozov‘s “Letter Never Sent” were two movies cited, but speaking to Empire, Johnson revealed a couple more.
” ‘Twelve O’Clock High’ was a big touchstone, for the feel and look of the aerial combat as well as the dynamic between the pilots,” he said, once again citing the 1949 WWII movie. ” ‘Three Outlaw Samurai‘ for the feel of the sword-fighting, and the general sense of pulpy fun. And ‘To Catch A Thief‘ was a great film to rewatch, for the romantic scale and grandeur.”
Hideo Gosha‘s 1954 movie is on The Criterion Collection if you want to check it out, and it’s a tale of ronin who come to the aid of poor peasants, while the Alfred Hitchcock film is a pretty elegant dose of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Still, bringing these influences into a “Star Wars” movie isn’t easy, and Johnson shared some of the challenges he had in crafting ‘The Last Jedi.’
“I found myself constantly wanting to push modern idioms into the dialogue, and sometimes that can work, but you have to be very careful. If you go too far you can break that ‘Star Wars’ spell. The other challenge is the tech talk, which has to be simultaneously complex enough to sound real and conceptually simple enough to follow. The original films were brilliant at that,” he said.
It’ll be interesting to see how it comes together, but to get a taste of the films he mentioned, here are the trailers for each of them:
Meanwhile, if you’re still invested in the world of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” two tie books are on the way: “Rebel Rising” by Beth Revis which will dive into the backstory of Jyn Ero, and “Guardians Of The Whills” by Greg Rucka which will center on Chirrut and Baze. And that’s all nice and everything, but where’s our novel about Krennic and Galen’s bad boy days with the Empire?
Anyway, both books will street on May 2nd. Check out the synopses and covers below:
When Jyn Erso was five years old, her mother was murdered and her father taken from her to serve the Empire. But despite the loss of her parents she is not completely alone—Saw Gerrera, a man willing to go to any extremes necessary in order to resist Imperial tyranny, takes her in as his own, and gives her not only a home but all the abilities and resources she needs to become a rebel herself.
Jyn dedicates herself to the cause—and the man. But fighting alongside Saw and his people brings with it danger and the question of just how far Jyn is willing to go as one of Saw’s soldiers. When she faces an unthinkable betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn will have to pull the pieces of herself back together and figure out what she truly believes in…and who she can really trust.
Baze and Chirrut used to be Guardians of the Whills, who looked after the Kyber Temple on Jedha and all those who worshipped there. Then the Empire came and took over the planet. The temple was destroyed and the people scattered. Now Baze and Chirrut do what they can to resist the Empire and protect the people of Jedha, but it never seems to be enough. When a man named Saw Gerrera arrives with grand plans to take down the Empire, it seems like the perfect way for Baze and Chirrut to make a real difference and help the people of Jedha. But will it come at too great a cost?
