Star Wars: Rian Johnson Most Proud of 'The Last Jedi' Choices That Made Fans "Angry"

The debut of The Force Awakens angered some Star Wars fans as some of the narrative elements too closely resembled those of the original 1977 film. The debut of The Last Jedi angered some Star Wars fans as some of the narrative elements too drastically diverted from fans' expectations. In the case of the latter, writer/director Rian Johnson confirmed that the decisions that sparked the most negative reactions are some of the moments in the film he's most proud of.

"At first I was freaked out but then I realized the things people were angry about are the things I'm most proud about," Johnson said of the negative fan reactions to the Standard. "There were death threats. It's balanced by a few things — 90% of the stuff I got online was not only lovely and encouraging but phenomenally thoughtful. Fans would send me essays on the movie. The other 10% is just loud and gets amplified."

Given that Johnson wrote the script, he knew how he would be the target of much of the fans' passionate reactions to the film, but he could only prepare himself so much for the deluge of insults hurled his direction.

"I knew intellectually what I was letting myself in for, but then when it happens you're like, 'Oh my God, this is intense!'" Johnson confessed. "It's about knowing you're not going to please everyone. But then you still read someone saying they wish you were dead and it's going to ruin your day."

Some fans have singled out comments made by star Mark Hamill regarding his trepidation towards the direction the story explored, yet Johnson confirmed how commonplace these discussions are on any film.

"When Mark first read it, it was not what he expected. The truth is though, this is a normal working process for actors and directors," Johnson pointed out. "There are moments where the actors say, 'Well why would my character do this?' And then it's a conversation. This was no different. But it gets shouted through a megaphone."

The amount of anger he's received in the months since the film's debut would be enough to sour anyone on Star Wars, though Johnson clarifies that fans' passions, positive and negative, are what make him so excited to be involved with Lucasfilm.

"That's also the other side of the coin of what's great about Star Wars fans... Everyone is so passionate about it," the filmmaker noted to CNN.

Johnson's reminders of fans' passion are sure to continue when he debuts his new trilogy of Star Wars films sometime in the near future.

The Last Jedi is available now on Digital HD and Blu-ray.

Are you hoping Johnson continues to make brave choices in his new trilogy or deliver something familiar? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Evening Standard]