Star Wars: Rian Johnson Defends The Last Jedi Against Empire Strikes Back Comparisons
05/31/2017 08:47 pm EDT
Star Wars is one of the world's most recognizable franchises, and one of the franchise's directors is getting used to the scrutiny fans put upon it. In a few months, Rian Johnson will see his take on the sci-fi series hit theaters when Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres. Fans are eager to see the creative's work, but there are others who are concerned the eighth film will simply be a recut of The Empire Strikes Back.
However, if you ask Johnson about the worry, he will tell you it's a non-issue.
Yesterday, the director took to Twitter to stress the original nature of The Last Jedi. Replying to a fan's question, Johnson said, "I've addresses it [the issue] the only way I possibly can - by spending the past three years of my life making a film I do not think is a derivative."
Of course, Star Wars fans will be familiar with the copy-cat controversy surrounding the franchise's sequel trilogy. When The Force Awakens hit theaters, fans were quick to note all the ways in which is mirrored A New Hope. Much the same has already been done with The Last Jedi as fans broke down its teaser trailer which dropped in April. The sequel's gritty aesthetic, its pod racers, and more were pointed out by fans for mirroring The Empire Strikes Back.
For now, Johnson seems confident that his film will deliver a fresh take on Star Wars storytelling. The director doesn't appear to be bothered by fans who are skeptical of The Last Jedi's originality; There is still plenty of time for the film to prove them wrong before it drops in December. Still, there are plenty of fans who will push back against the sequel trilogy's installments for the sake of purity. Though its a small movement, there are fans who won't tolerate the new Star Wars films thanks to elitist notions. When winter comes, Lucasfilm's next Skywalker Saga film will be given the chance to convert those sequel naysayers. And, if Johnson is correct, then those Forceful haters may just repent when they're faced with a brand-new Star Wars story.
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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.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi 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.
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