Let’s begin this article by saying that we’re not here to fully relitigate the most recent “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. That’s a fruitless endeavor that will only end with harsh language and a deep self-loathing that no shower will wash away, as you realize that your day is wrecked after debating “Star Wars” online. Instead, let’s talk about something that is completely inarguable—the fact that the most recent sequels were a disjointed mess. And in a new interview, “Star Wars” actor Daisy Ridley illustrates just how chaotic the behind-the-scenes work on the films actually was.
Speaking to Josh Gad, who was hosting a recent episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Ridley was asked about the reveal that her “Star Wars” character, Rey, is actually the long-lost granddaughter of Palpatine. When that was originally revealed in ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ people were shocked. Not because no one guessed that would be the case (many did), but that the trilogy is so sloppy, the bombshell just didn’t even make any sense whatsoever.
Apparently, there’s a reason for that sense that the new trilogy was cobbled together at the last minute. Because, well, it was.
“At the beginning, there was toying with an Obi-Wan connection,” Ridley said. “There were different versions, and then it really went to she was ‘no one.'”
She added, “Then it came to ‘Episode IX’ and J.J. [Abrams] pitched me the film and was like, ‘Oh yeah, Palpatine’s granddaddy.’ And I was like, ‘Awesome.’ And then two weeks later he was like, ‘Oh, we’re not sure.’ So, it kept changing. So, then I was filming and I wasn’t sure what the answer was gonna be.”
This all goes back to the original point brought up above that the sequel trilogy is comprised of three films from two different filmmakers with very, very different visions of “Star Wars,” all of which was overseen by a studio (Lucasfilm) that really didn’t have a solid plan for the overarching story that was being told. When you have the biggest reveal from these films (the sequel trilogy’s “I am your father” moment) change multiple times over the course of three films, there’s inevitably going to be this sloppiness that is unavoidable.
Hopefully, Lucasfilm has learned from this very public lesson in how to not tell a “Star Wars” story for future projects.
You can watch the interview below:
