From “Brick” to “Looper,” Rian Johnson’s filmography feels like a study in measured action, building stories carefully from the ground up with an acute awareness of the impact or consequence of every creative choice. As such, it comes as no surprise that the filmmaker took his time before saying yes to what would be the biggest movie of his career, “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.”
Rian Johnson Leads Shortlist To Direct ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’
In an interview with The New York Times, Johnson revealed that he hesitated before committing to the “Star Wars” franchise, fearful of ruining a defining childhood experience for himself. “I never thought I was actually in the running, because I assumed every director on the planet would want to be doing a ‘Star Wars’ movie,” he told The Times. “And then it was sprung on me. It was like a bomb dropped. I suddenly realized, Oh, this meeting is about this. I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was freaking out. But I also said, ‘Can I think about it?’”
In the wide-ranging interview, Johnson further explained that he’d gotten used to saying no to franchise fare after the success of “Looper” catapulted him onto the radar of Hollywood dealmakers, but knew immediately this was a different sort of opportunity – especially when he saw that Lucasfilm intended to give him the latitude to tell the story he wanted. “I had figured there would be a big map on the wall with the whole story laid out, and it was not that at all,” he revealed. “I was basically given the script for ‘Episode VII;’ I got to watch dailies of what J. J. [Abrams] was doing. And it was like, where do we go from here? That was awesome.”
Carrie Fisher Had Finished Her Scenes For ‘Star Wars: Episode 8’
By all accounts, Lucasfilm and Johnson alike were happy with his work at the helm of “The Last Jedi;” following the announcement that Colin Trevorrow departed “Episode IX,” Johnson’s name topped the shortlist of filmmakers to replace him. Certainly given the challenge he faced in bringing to life Carrie Fisher’s final performance as General Leia following her death in December 2016, he would be well-equipped to handle what steps might be best to take with the character and the series. “I felt very strongly that we don’t try to change her performance. We don’t adjust what happens to her in this movie,” he said.
“It’s almost eerie how there are scenes that have an emotional resonance and a meaning, especially now. She gives a beautiful and complete performance in this film.”
Johnson oozes reverence – and sincere admiration – in the interview for the characters and this iconic property as a whole, but ultimately it’s his respect for compelling storytelling that hints at the enormous potential that “The Last Jedi” has to be not just a good “Star Wars” film but a good film, period. Asked about the many questions J.J. Abrams left unanswered in “The Force Awakens,” Johnson said his priority was not to satisfy audiences’ curiosity, but to give those revelations narrative and emotional dimensionality.
‘Star Wars’: Rian Johnson Says Luke Skywalker Is ‘The Last Jedi’ & Rey’s Parents Will Be Addressed
“Take the question of who Rey’s parents are: If you get the information — oh, it’s that! — who really cares? I know a lot of people care, but it’s interesting as opposed to impactful. Now, what is my place in the world? Where do I come from? Where do I belong? O.K., I understand what the weight of that is. We could play with those questions and their answers to have the biggest emotional impact on these characters.”
“The Last Jedi” opens in theaters December 15, 2017. In the meantime, you can tide yourself over with tons of new images below (some of them obviously via Empire).
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