Rian Johnson is back, and no, not in Star Wars. At least that’s how it appears, given the fact that Lucasfilm shelved his proposed trilogy. (And there’s been zero talk of its resurrection.) No, he’s back with the anticipated sequel to Knives Out, titled Knives Out: Glass Onion, arriving later this year on Netflix. Johnson will discuss the upcoming Daniel Craig thriller in Empire Magazine’s September issue. Surprisingly, however, he will also revisit The Last Jedi, easily the most divisive film in the entire Star Wars franchise. The question, though, is why?
The Last Jedi hit theaters in December of 2017, and immediately sent a chasm splitting through the fan base. From its treatment of Luke Skywalker, to the ridiculously implausible space chase that served as the film’s underlying plot, TLJ riled as many fans, if not more so, that/than it entertained. It also turned the Star Wars sequel trilogy on its ear as Rian Johnson vastly departed from franchise lore and planned plot lines for the Skywalker saga’s third act. That led to a bloated, jumbled mess of a finale in The Rise of Skywalker. (Though, admittedly, that film becomes much clearer and entertaining once you read the recent novel Shadows of the Sith.) Even a cursory perusal of social media will tell you that a vast many fans want to simply forget the sequel trilogy entirely, and TLJ specifically….
Which makes Johnson’s decision to revisit the film again, now, a bit of a mystery.
Rian Johnson revisits Star Wars: The Last Jedi
There’s no secret that I’ve been a vocal critic of The Last Jedi, and Rian Johnson. I’ve made the following analogy before, however: Not liking a particular aspect of Star Wars does not mean that you have to hate the franchise as a whole, much the same way you’re able to not like a particular player but still love you favorite sports team. Many with whom I’ve spoken feel the same way. As much as fans wanted something new in the franchise, TLJ was not the “new” for which they were hoping. But….
It is, as they say, what it is. The movie is part of the saga, and always will be. Like or hate TLJ, we still love Star Wars. At this point, however, most have moved on and are now focused on the franchise’s future. Andor arrives on Disney+ in less than a month. Ahsoka is getting her own series. Sabine Wren will make her live-action debut. And The Mandalorian will return in spectacular fashion for Season Three. Yet, Rian Johnson again seems keen to rip open old wounds and “revisit” The Last Jedi.
Why now?
Johnson has made a habit (in just a few short years) of repeatedly trying to bring The Last Jedi back into the discussion. Perhaps it’s a simple matter of ego. Franchise editors have accused him of consciously derailing the sequel trilogy. J.J. Abrams further made it abundantly clear that Johnson’s entry into Star Wars made Abrams’ work on The Rise of Skywalker exceptionally difficult. It will be very interesting to see what the Knives Out director has to say when the new issue of Empire hits newsstands this Thursday. If we had to guess, though, it will probably be more of the same: explanation and rationalization for a film that’s already played itself well out of the Star Wars spotlight.
Source: Empire
What I really want to know, is if Rian Johnson’s decisions in TLJ essentially ruined the story Lucasfilm said they were trying to tell, why wasn’t he vetoed on his decisions by Kathleen Kennedy or Bob Iger? He probably had some creative freedom in his contract but I mean “C’mon Man!”
The closest parallel I can think of would be the following (fictional): James Gunn is directing Guardian Vol 1. He suddenly gets the idea that he is gonna have Ronin challenge Thanos and kill him with the power stone. Kevin Feige steps in and says, You can’t do that because we have plans for Thanos to be our big bad. James Gunn says, You gave me the freedom to make my movie, Im killin him!
Kevin Feige says, “You’re fired.” New director steps in to finish the film and Thanos lives.
This didnt happen but to me it’s almost like LF greenlit everything RJ wanted to do and then scapegoated him for it. If you can point out where I am wrong with this line of thought please do so.
I do not understand the need for articles like this. I love TLJ. The opinions of toxic fans will never change that. I am 47 years old and grew up with the OT. I hated the Prequels when they came out but I didn’t attack people who liked them. They have grown on me over the years because I saw that kids liked them and that’s the whole point anyway!
Articles like this and the aggressive fans who follow make it hard to enjoy something as simple as a film. Maybe get over yourselves? Maybe recognize that the reasin Johnson is doing this is because there are millions of fans who like the film? It doesn’t have to be about the insulated circle of haters, screaming at anyone who won’t enter their echo chamber.
I love TLJ. I want more interviews and I want a future trilogy by this great director. And no, I don’t care if it makes your blood boil or if you have to send a reply explaining what you ‘think’ I don’t understand.
For me, TLJ was a return to the warrior monks of the OT, not the superheroes of the Prequels. Blaming Rian Johnson for throwing JJ off his plans for TROS is silly. And ironic, since JJ started the trilogy by rehashing the OT, decisions Johnson did not make. JJ is and always has been a lame story teller. TROS is on him. Period.
The Prequels are littered with plot holes and inconsistencies but I got over it. I cannot understand how someone can forgive plot holes in the Prequels and then turn around and attack the Sequels. You already proved you don’t care about plot holes! Why now? It seems like a double standard to me.
At the end of the day there is only one SW trilogy that is among the greatest films ever made. Everything else is just more content and I am happy for it. But there is no reason to pretend any of it is great cinema.
Simply put, let people enjoy what they want without shaming them. As I did with my much younger sister and her friends when the Prequels came out.