‘The Last Jedi’ Director Explains New Film is as Intense as Original Trilogy

Creator of Star Wars George Lucas has often explained that the films are meant to help children make the necessary decisions in life that lead them towards good and away from evil. One flaw in his plan is that the series has contained decapitations, deaths, and complex subject matter. Over on Twitter, one fan asked Rian Johnson, writer/director of the upcoming The Last Jedi, the appropriate age for a child to head into the new film, which the filmmaker was happy to answer.

There are two main points about Johnson’s comments that almost seem to contradict one another. On the one hand, Johnson compares the tone of the new film to the first six installments, opting to not mention The Force Awakens or Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Considering those two films are the more intense installments, we can glean that the new sequel is on the more tame end of the spectrum.

The contradictory element of Johnson’s comments, however, tie into just how intense those original films are.

The first three films in the franchise all scored a tame PG rating, but it’s worth noting that the PG-13 rating wasn’t even introduced until 1984. The first film in the franchise to earn a PG-13 rating was Revenge of the Sith, not only for the intensity of its fight sequences but the implication that a beloved character slaughtered children.

In previous interviews, Johnson has mentioned that he has brought a serious Return of the Jedi vibe to the new film, which lines up with his comments that the sequel will be slightly less intense than a scene where Han Solo is killed in cold blood by his son.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters December 15th, 2017.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the second film in the new Star Wars sequel trilogy that began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. The film will deal with Luke training Rey to become a, and possibly the last, Jedi. Meanwhile, the Resistance, including Poe Dameron and First Order defector Finn, continues to fight against the First Order, led by General Hux, while Supreme Leader Snoke and his Dark Side follower Kylo Ren continue their mysterious plot. The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson and stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern, and Kelly Marie Tran.