'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Director Explains What The Movie Is About

Fans finally got their best glimpse yet of the latest film in the Star Wars saga, and though it's safe to assume the war between the Resistance and the First Order will continue raging on, we don't really know what the film is about.

But director Rian Johnson has a very clear idea regarding the themes of Star Wars: The Last Jedi; it's the same thing every other Star Wars movie has been about. Johnson revealed his thoughts in a discussion with Yahoo!

"What [Star Wars] is really about is the transition from adolescence into adulthood," said Johnson. "And a big part of that is navigating the relationship with your family, with your parents, with the people closest to you, with the people you most love, the people you're most afraid of."

Those ideas are thoroughly explored in each trilogy thus far; Luke Skywalker's journey toward becoming the galaxy's savior and learning of his father's history took up the bulk of the original series. Anakin had to deal with fear, guilt, and lofty expectations in the prequels, succumbing to his own insecurities and forgoing his connections for power.

And The Force Awakens introduced two new characters with journeys similar to Luke and Anakin: Rey wants to find her place in the galaxy while Kylo Ran rejects the trajectory laid before him.

"For me, it's about being a kid and going into the next phase of your life," Johnson said.

After starting out on her journey of self discovery, Rey will face many challenges as she attempts to navigate through the perils in the universe. At first her life was as simple as scavenging and waiting for her family's return.

Now she's in the middle of an intergalactic war with a mentor who seems to resent her, as evidenced by Luke Skywalker's reactions to her power in the latest trailer, and enemies who want to destroy or conform her.

It will be interesting to see what direction Rey takes in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, especially after that new trailer teased some interesting temptations for the character.


We'll learn more when the film drops on December 15.