Star Wars: The Last Jedi Director on Working With Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher
The original Star Wars served as the breakout opportunities for its stars, with some being [...]
"They were both so engaged in the process..."
Both Hamill and Fisher are considered icons in the world of Star Wars, but Johnson made it clear that neither star had egos about the project.
Johnson confessed, "Anyone whose life is that weirdly tied to a character like this, where you drop a script in their lap and say, 'Now it's this,' there's no way it's not a discussion. But they were both so engaged in the process, and trusting. The fact that both of them at some point said, 'O.K., even if this isn't what I was expecting, I'm going to trust you,' — that was really touching."
Fans might have been disappointed with Hamill's lack of screen time in The Force Awakens, but with the footage we've already seen of the character training Rey on Ahch-To, we're sure to get plenty more Luke in The Last Jedi.
"We don’t adjust what happens to her in this movie."
Tragically, Fisher passed away suddenly after filming wrapped on The Last Jedi, causing fans to not only be concerned with her friends and family, but also curious about how her passing would potentially impact the saga she was such an integral component of.
"When she passed away, we were pretty deep into post-production. When we came back to the edit room after New Year's, it was so hard," Johnson shared. "We went through all her scenes. I felt very strongly that we don't try to change her performance. We don't adjust what happens to her in this movie. Emotionally, you can't help re-contextualize it, now that she's gone. It's almost eerie how there are scenes that have an emotional resonance and a meaning, especially now. She gives a beautiful and complete performance in this film."
By all accounts, The Last Jedi is said to be a fitting goodbye to both the actress and character who helped define what it meant to be a hero in the world of science fiction.
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