If you really want to begin a debate with a “Star Wars” fan, all you really have to do is bring up the name Rian Johnson. The filmmaker, who helmed ‘The Last Jedi,’ has turned into a polarizing figure in the “Star Wars” fandom, both with the content in his film and also with how he has reacted to the criticism he’s received from certain fans. Needless to say, if you speak with a diehard “Star Wars” fan, they will either love or hate Johnson.
Well, in a recent interview, JJ Abrams, the man who directed ‘The Force Awakens’ and is the person bringing fans the upcoming ‘Rise of Skywalker,” said that Johnson’s work in the previous film inspired him to be a bit bolder in the new film. Speaking to CinemaBlend, Johnson commented on Abrams’ praise of ‘The Last Jedi’ and why he’s really excited to see what ‘Rise of Skywalker’ brings us.
“I don’t think JJ needs any inspiration from me,” said Johnson. “I think he’s an incredible storyteller who I knew from the instant he got ‘IX’ that he was going to figure out a way that was going to both surprise all of us and satisfy us deeply at the end of the Saga.”
But how can you surprise Rian Johnson, who wrote and directed the previous “Star Wars” film? Well, apparently, the filmmaker decided that he didn’t want any insider knowledge about what is going to happen in ‘Rise of Skywalker.’ He wants to enjoy it like the rest of us, as a fan.
“I want to sit down like a ‘Star Wars’ fan and just get my popcorn and just be 10-years-old again and see this whole thing brought home in a beautiful way that surprises me,” he said.
While we’re sure that Abrams has some tricks up his sleeve for the new “Star Wars” film, we have to imagine that he’s not going to be nearly as bold as Johnson was with ‘The Last Jedi,’ for better or worse. After the months of debate that surrounded that film, it’ll be interesting to see if Abrams is able to make something that pleases everyone or is just as divisive.
We’ll find out on December 20, when ‘Rise of Skywalker’ is released in theaters.