Daisy Ridley has discussed the upsetting online response to recent Star Wars films and the negative impact of social media.
When Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrived in cinemas, fans of the franchise were nearly unanimous in the good vibes and their joy at having Star Wars back after the troubling prequel era.
Unfortunately, the social media and online response to subsequent films has been less positive, including for 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Star Wars fans have become known for their fickle and borderline toxic behaviour as a result.
Daisy Ridley has left social media as a result of the hurtful things she would hear about herself and the films she worked on and she thinks that these platforms have had a big impact on the spreading of these negative vibes.
Speaking about the changing response on the DragCast podcast she said: “It’s changed film by film, honestly. Like 98%, it’s so amazing. This last film, it was really tricky. January was not that nice. It was weird, I felt like all of this love that we’d sort of been shown the first time around, I was like ‘Where’s the love gone?’ I watched the documentary, the making-of, this week, and it’s so filled with love, and I think it’s that tricky thing of when you’re part of something that is so filled with love and then people. You know, everyone’s entitled to not like something, but it just, it feels like it’s changed slightly, but I think in general that’s because social media and what have you.”
Elaborating a little, she said: “I think in general, people share so much on social media that if I went—I don’t have social media, anyway—but if I went to a film and didn’t like it, I just wouldn’t tweet about it. But it’s such a conversation and it always has been. I guess now conversations are just more public, so there’s stuff I wouldn’t have seen, but honestly trying to scroll through my newsfeed in January and trying not to see Star Wars stuff, I’d see headlines and be like ‘Oh my god this is so upsetting.’ So it’s been tricky, but then it’s having that thing of I feel really proud of it, and I’m so thrilled to be part of it. Yeah, but it’s a funny thing.”
The ultimate repercussions of course will be the struggle to find top talent willing to submit themselves to such abuse to make a Star Wars film.
SEE ALSO: Dear Daisy Ridley: Here’s where the Star Wars love went
Hopefully, Ridley knows that many love the films and she can look back on her time making the movies with pride.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker sees J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) directing a cast that includes Star Wars veterans Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico), Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Greg Grunberg (Snap Wexley), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine) and Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) as well as new additions Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth), Richard E. Grant (Logan), Dominic Monaghan (Lost), and Keri Russell (The Americans).
