Rian Johnson Needs to Come Back to ‘Star Wars’ – But His Movies Have to Be Original
The Star Wars franchise is beloved by millions of fans worldwide. The first movie was released in 1977, and in the decades since, a multitude of new films have been released, hundreds of books, several TV shows, and a merchandising empire that is unparalleled.
Still, as much as many fans love Star Wars, there has been some serious controversy in the fan base, especially in recent years.
Rian Johnson’s sequel trilogy film, The Last Jedi, was responsible for widespread division amongst fans, but surprisingly, many fans are still open to seeing what Johnson comes up with next, as revealed in a recent Reddit thread.
Rian Johnson’s ‘The Last Jedi’ was a controversial film
Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released in December 2017. There were many expectations riding on the film, which was a sequel to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a blockbuster movie that revived the Skywalker saga on the big screen.
Although fans turned out in droves to see it, right away, viewers pointed out what they perceived as serious issues in The Last Jedi.
Many fans criticized the movie for stepping too far outside the bounds of what is considered traditional for a Star Wars film. By introducing new storylines and nuances, director Rian Johnson managed to please a few fans (and likely brought some new viewers onboard) but he ostracized some longtime members of the fan base.
Additionally, lots of fans complained about the direction of Luke Skywalker’s character, complaining that he was portrayed as too negative and sullen, compared to how he came across in the original trilogy.
Rian Johnson is still set to direct a new ‘Star Wars’ trilogy
Prior to the release of The Last Jedi, Disney and Lucasfilm announced that Rian Johnson would be helming a brand-new trilogy, one that would feature exciting new characters in a galaxy far, far, away.
Following the release of the controversial film, many fans wondered if Johnson would still be allowed to follow through on his Disney deal, considering how many fans never wanted to hear Johnson’s name again.
However, reports still state that Johnson is attached to direct the new trilogy, even if, as he admitted, there are no concrete plans in place yet. “I have no update at all,” Johnson stated in late 2019, according to Yahoo. “But I’m still working with Lucasfilm on it, and they’re figuring out when they do what and everything.”
Some people in the fan base aren’t happy — but there are a few that are open to seeing what Johnson comes up with, as long as it doesn’t involve any established characters or storylines.
What do fans think of Rian Johnson’s new ‘Star Wars’ project?
Recently, some fans on Reddit opened up about Rian Johnson’s place in the Star Wars franchise, and how they envision his new trilogy. “I think Rian Johnson is a great director,” the original poster stated. “He is very creative and he works best when he can create his own personal story. I think that his new trilogy could end up being really good if he’s able to create the story himself.”
Other fans chimed in, with many claiming that the reason The Last Jedi was so ill-received among fans was that Johnson was forced to continue a story that J.J. Abrams created.
“As someone who loved the direction he was taking Star War, his trilogy cannot come fast enough,” one fan stated. Another claimed: “I still contend that years from now The Last Jedi will be the only film of Disney’s output so far that matures extremely well. I loved RJ’s take on the Star Wars universe.”
While Johnson’s trilogy has no set release date or concrete details yet, there’s no doubt that fans will be on the lookout to see what he comes up with next.
