Rian Johnson Beloved All Your ‘Final Jedi’ Reactions, Really

The information broke mere weeks before the release of Star Wars: The Final Jedi. Lucasfilm and Disney had rehired writer-director Rian Johnson to make a brand new trilogy of Star Wars movies, marking the last word vote of confidence in his upcoming eighth chapter within the saga. Pleasure couldn’t have been increased. And whereas, for some, the film’s bold, surprising take on Star Wars lived as much as that, for others, it did not.

The weeks, months, and now years because the launch of The Final Jedi have seen Lucasfilm scrambling over the place to go subsequent in a galaxy far, distant. Johnson’s trilogy all however evaporated, and announcement after announcement of recent films suffered comparable fates. Subsequent 12 months, the discharge of a movie version of a TV show that was nonetheless two years from existence at the moment will mark the primary Star Wars film because the conclusion of the sequel trilogy. A trilogy whose ultimate movie was put into disarray by the polarizing response to Johnson’s work.

However, for Johnson himself, he appears to be like again on that point and every thing that’s come since with positivity. Talking at Newport Beach Film Festival this week, Johnson (who did go on to make a brand new trilogy, simply of Knives Out movies) was requested if the fan response to The Final Jedi was accountable for him not making new Star Wars movies.

“No, by no means,” he stated. “In actual fact, it’s the explanation that I wished to. My general expertise with placing the film out, and what you’re speaking about with fan suggestions… I imply, to begin with, I’m a lifelong Star Wars fan. So I do know the deal. I do know that Star Wars followers are keen about these things. We love the stuff we love, we hate the stuff we hate, and we battle about it. And that’s been occurring because the unique trilogy. I used to be in school when the prequels got here out. Are you kidding me? The prequel wars? We had a number of. I imply, everyone did. And so, the notion that Star Wars has been this sort of Shangri-La, united fandom, and that [nothing] may then break up that aside [is false]. The fact is Star Wars has all the time been one thing that has meant various things to completely different folks. And I believe that’s a part of the enjoyable and the fervour of it as followers, is arguing about it respectfully.”

“I’ve talked to so many individuals through the years, since we made that film, who’ve such deep connections to Star Wars and who’ve deep connections to that film,” Johnson continued. “And so it’s been essentially the most optimistic expertise I’ve ever had with something I’ve made, when it comes to interacting with individuals who’ve seen it. I got here out on the different finish of it loving Star Wars fandom greater than I did even going into it.”

We could by no means know precisely what occurred with Johnson’s Star Wars films, and, in truth, he often says he’d love to make them one day. However that each one this time later he can look again on the expertise as a optimistic is a testomony to why he would have been an ideal individual to entrust these films to.

You possibly can watch the total dialogue, because of Star Wars Tradition, on the hyperlink beneath. The above quote comes within the final two minutes.

Author/Director @rianjohnson Discusses #StarWars: #TheLastJedi At The Newport Seashore Movie Competition 🎬 pic.twitter.com/MvJX46xpFl

— Star Wars Tradition (@SWCultureLive) November 5, 2025

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