Rian Johnson discussed his thoughts on the trajectory of the Star Wars franchise and even revealed that he was initially disappointed when he saw The Empire Strikes Back for the first time.
While promoting his new film Knives Out at the Toronto International Film Festival, Rian Johnson was asked about his involvement with the Star Wars franchise, particularly after the release of his film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which he wrote and directed. Despite critical acclaim, Rian Johnson’s Star Wars film polarized fans of the franchise. This polarized reception was compared by some to the reception that Irvin Kershner’s The Empire Strikes Back received when it premiered in 1980.
Uproxx’s Senior Entertainment Writer Mike Ryan told Rian Johnson about how younger audiences would be surprised to hear that The Empire Strikes Back was not the “consensus ‘best Star Wars movie'” until the 1990s and remained polarizing amongst audiences for years. Mike Ryan compared this reception to the trajectory of The Last Jedi, to which Rian Johnson expressed reluctance to comment on. However, Rian Johnson did confirm that The Empire Strikes Back initially disappointed him when he first saw the film:
“That’s the thing. But, as a kid, I distinctly remember being disappointed by The Empire Strikes Back.”
Rian Johnson would then reflect on the different eras of the Star Wars franchise in which the passion of the fanbase has fluctuated from healthy passion to some of the more negative places such as the Prequel Trilogy era:
“I remember the Prequels, that acrimony of the prequels. I think people forget exactly the tenor of the danger. We remember because we were in the thick of it. So, I mean, I don’t know. I think that anything with a passionate following always has a passionate following and Star Wars is that, even more so. You can’t be angry at one side of it when it’s also the reason the positive is so passionate, you know? It’s all part of the same thing and it always was like this basic thing. That’s why I love it.”
In regards to his future Star Wars trilogy, Rian Johnson remains tight-lipped about plot details.
What do you make of Rian Johnson’s comments regarding the trajectory of the Star Wars franchise as well as his initial disappointment with The Empire Strikes Back? Did you see the original cut of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 when it hit theaters? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to continue following Heroic Hollywood for all the latest news in the galaxy far, far away!
Directed by J. J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid, and Billy Dee Williams. Carrie Fisher will appear as General Leia Organa through the use of previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20, 2019.
Source: Uproxx
