With the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, fans have taken to every possible platform to discuss the new film and whether it met their expectations, exceeded them, or even shattered them into pieces. As a result of these conversations, renewed talks about Star Wars: The Last Jedi have surfaced as well, specifically from many who came away disappointed with “Episode IX.” To show their appreciation for the 2017 movie and its many new characters and surprising narrative choices, fans have begun using the #ThankYouRianJohnson hashtag where an immense wellspring of love for the film has spring up.
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Many fans considered some of the choices made in The Rise of Skywalker to be directly contradicting what was done in The Last Jedi, so much so that it almost seemed like an intentional slight against Johnson and his story. While answering questions for a recent event for The Academy, Abrams explained that he loved Johnson’s movie and that he wasn’t trying to backtrack any choices the filmmaker was making.
“It will be a much more interesting answer if there were conflict. The truth is that I was getting [The Force Awakens] up and running, I was nothing but grateful that a director and writer I admire as much as Rian was coming in to do that. Not expecting to come back to this, it was just fun to watch what was happening and get to respond to it. When I was called to come on to this movie, of course I wish we had that time that we didn’t.”
Within the #ThankYouRianJohnson hashtag you’ll find countless messages about how the film inspired people because of its messages, who found beauty in its truth, empowerment in its themes, loved the treatment of its legacy characters, plus fans that just like porgs, and yes, even trolls who have nothing better to do. We’ve collected some of the best examples for it below.
Thank you for Luke’s journey
#thankyourianjohnson for giving me a Luke Skywalker who’s been through some shit. Being a hero isn’t easy and carrying the weight of the future is hard for anyone. Luke loses his way and finds his way back. It’s a journey so many with depression fight and it matters.
โ Geek Girl “100% #TheWitcher Stan Account” Diva (@geekgirldiva) December 24, 2019
Thank you for Porgs
Thank you, Rian, for giving me the Tico sisters, porgs, and a Star Wars story I love so much. #thankyourianjohnson pic.twitter.com/db9LAZ0XOT
โ Laura (@lsirikul) December 24, 2019
Thank you for the strong female characters
#thankyourianjohnson for telling a story women relate to. I felt so heard, so respected, so seen by TLJ. From Rey, to Rose, to Holdo, to Leia, women were there and they felt real. Tlj made me feel like Star Wars was for me, for women. Thank you @rianjohnson
โ palpatineโs artisanal pickled snokes (@remembersolo) December 23, 2019
Thank you for the message
#ThankYouRianJohnson for telling a story that resonated with women, for empowering us through Rey. Even if we were โnobodiesโ pic.twitter.com/IYLimGe3qy
โ alwaysReylo (TROS SPOILERS) (@AlwaysReylo) December 23, 2019
Thank you for Carrie Fisher’s role
#thankyourianjohnson for including Carrie Fisher in your writing on The Last Jedi, for always placing women front and center and in every single group shot frame in a Star Wars movie, for understanding our needs and caring
โ nat โ sad clown hours (@ashesforfoxes) December 24, 2019
Thank you for Paige Tico
#thankyourianjohnson for the incredible paige tico sequence. the filmmaking in that short scene is so emotionally gripping and moves me every time i watch TLJ.
โ St. Ben Solo of the Pit (100% spoilers) (@space_hamlet) December 23, 2019
Thank for you remembering the past
#thankyourianjohnson for caring about the myth of star wars
โ spoiling TROS wฬถiฬถtฬถ ฬถaฬถnฬถdฬถ ฬถfฬถoฬถlฬถlฬถyฬถ ๐ง๐ฌ (@black_tym) December 24, 2019
Thank you for the challenge
#thankyourianjohnson for giving us a film that challenged us to think differently and creatively about Star Wars, and ourselves. proud to be your fan ๐ @rianjohnson pic.twitter.com/ZSqUGR3Pfr
โ Caitlin Plesher (@caitlinplesher) December 24, 2019
Thank you for the visuals
#thankyourianjohnson for, among a whole other bunch of shit, this scene.
โ asia murphy, aCaDeMiC/KNY evangelist (INF) (@am_anatiala) December 23, 2019
you coulda gone immediately with sound but you dropped it out so that we could really experience the amazingness visually & hear ourselves think ‘did she really do that?!’ pic.twitter.com/Rmgz3ZaMWY
Thank you for the memory
The Last Jedi was the last film I shared with my grandfather. He lived far away for most of my life, we werenโt close, but we reconnected in our love for Star Wars. I canโt say how much it helped when he passed. #ThankYouRianJohnson for showing me โno one is ever really goneโ.
โ Marina (@maredfield) December 23, 2019
