It must feel daunting to direct a new entry in the Star Wars franchise, and actually be a fan yourself. The pressure to not screw the film up must be immense — after all, people are still ripping on the prequels to this day. The first installment in this revitalized trilogy fared well with critics, and now it’s Rian Johnson’s turn with The Last Jedi. How did he handle the stress of writing and directing the film? During an interview with Hamilton director Thomas Kail for The Star Wars Show, Johnson divulges the two key aspects that helped him feel at ease while making the film:
“Once I actually jumped into it, it was the most fun I’ve ever had writing. It was the least scary process. I think part of it was, I wasn’t alone for the process. I was writing on my own, but I moved up to San Francisco for a few months, and every few weeks I would go in and sit down with Kiri Hart and her whole story group team, and I would just put everything I was thinking of up on the white board and just bounce it off everyone. Just see what everyone thought. Having that kind of gut check — not just for, wait, don’t do that, but for, yeah, you can do that, if that’s interesting to you, take that path — having that permission from somebody, I think that had a lot to do with it.”
Johnson also stated that part of his confidence came from simply trusting his fandom:
“The first thing I kind of realized was, I have to trust, kind of, my inner fan. If it resonates with me, I have to trust that. That’s what George [Lucas] did with the original movies, you know?”
This is a great approach to take, and one of the biggest reasons Lucas stepping down was a great idea. George Lucas created this amazing world for people to play in, and by stepping down, he makes way for passion and creativity from the talented directors who grew up with his films. Plus, if Rian Johnson taps into something he enjoys “as a fan”, there is a good chance it could resonate with other Star Wars fans.
SEE ALSO: Leaked Star Wars: The Last Jedi images of Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke’s Throne Room
In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set for release on December 14th in the UK and December 15th in the States and sees returning cast members Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Peter Mayhew and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), Mike Quinn (Nien Nunb), Simon Pegg (Unkar Plutt), and Warwick Davis joined by new additions Jimmy Vee (Pan) as R2-D2, Kelly Marie Tran (Ladies Like Us) as Rose, and Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park).
… You can find Jordan on Twitter (@JordJJones), and Facebook.
Originally published August 17, 2017. Updated December 18, 2019.
