Deep in the Star Wars fandom, there are fans still arguing about whether Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker undid plot points and deeper themes that Rian Johnson introduced in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The biggest, of course, is Rey’s parentage. In The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson brought about the idea that you don’t have to come from a great bloodline to be great, by making Rey a nobody, only for JJ Abrams to make Rey the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine in the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga.
For months now, fans have been curious to know what Rian Johnson thinks of The Rise of Skywalker. Is he disappointed in the direction Abrams had taken the story? At the Oscars red carpet, Johnson finally broke his silence on the film. While asking questions about Knives Out, MTV News’ Josh Horowitz also asked the director what he thought of Rise of Skywalker. The always classy Johnson had this to say:
I had a blast man. Made me so proud and seeing the heart and soul that JJ put into it and seeing my friends who were in the movie just like bring the whole thing to a conclusion. Yeah, for me as a Star Wars fan, was a really special experience.
.@joshuahorowitz caught up with @rianjohnson on the #Oscars red carpet to talk about the forthcoming #KnivesOut sequel and what Rian thought of 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' pic.twitter.com/B1tPNlIM0x
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) February 10, 2020
Look, I’m confident Rian Johnson was being honest in the interview above. But even if he didn’t enjoy TROS, there’s no way in hell he would’ve simply admitted on record to a member of the press. Not when he knows that whatever he says can be turned into a weapon by the toxic portion of the Star Wars fandom.
Many moons before The Rise of Skywalker was released in theatres, Rian Johnson talked about how Star Wars always makes him feel like a kid.
I want to sit down like a Star Wars fan and just get my popcorn and just be 10-years-old again and see this whole thing brought home in a beautiful way that surprises me…it’s Star Wars. It takes you there. It transports you. The instant that John Williams score comes up, the instant you’re back in that world and hear those lightsaber sounds, it’s just [snaps] – you’re back to being ten.
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