Rian Johnson has addressed rumors about his communication with J.J. Abrams between the releases of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, clarifying how they collaborated on the direction of the story. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Johnson discussed the extent of their conversations and the intentions behind the choices made in the sequel trilogy’s middle installment.
Contrary to speculation that the directors barely spoke following Abrams’ initial film, Johnson said they met for several days and that he deeply considered Abrams’ vision.
Johnson’s Approach to Crafting The Last Jedi as the Trilogy’s “Empire Strikes Back”
The Knives Out director revealed that producer Kathleen Kennedy tasked him with making the second film in the series serve as the “Empire Strikes Back” for the new trilogy, a challenge he took seriously. Johnson aimed to do more than homage the original; he wanted to create a film that genuinely embodied what the middle chapter of the saga demands.
“We met and I spent days with him and was able to get into his head and all the choices he had made,”
Johnson said.
“That having been said, I communicated and I went and made the movie. And he was in the middle of ‘Force Awakens.’ Ultimately, I feel like the choices in it, none of them were born out of an intent to ‘undo’ anything. They were all borne out of the opposite intent of, how do I take this story that J.J. wrote, that I really loved, and these characters he created that I really loved, and take them to the next step?”
Kathy [Kennedy] said, ‘We’re looking at someone to do the ‘Empire [Strikes Back]’ of this series.’ I took that assignment very seriously. Maybe more seriously than someone would have liked. I guess to me that didn’t mean making something that just had nods to ‘Empire’ — that meant trying to genuinely do what ‘Empire’ did.
Shift in Focus from Snoke to Kylo Ren as Central Villain
One significant change Johnson made involved the narrative focus on the trilogy’s antagonist. While Supreme Leader Snoke, portrayed by Andy Serkis, appeared to be set up as the ultimate villain in The Force Awakens, Johnson pivoted to highlight Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, especially by having Kylo and Rey end Snoke’s reign before Kylo’s own transformation in The Last Jedi.
The interrogation scene in the first movie, between Rey and Kylo, was so incredibly powerful,
Johnson noted, praising Driver’s portrayal.
“Seeing this complicated villain that’s been created, I was just so compelled by that. This is all a matter of perspective and phrasing, but to me, I didn’t easily dispense with Snoke. I took great pains to use him in the most dramatically impactful way I could, which was to then take Kylo’s character to the next level and set him up as well as I possibly could. I guess it all comes down to your point of view. I thought, ‘This is such a compelling and complicated villain. This is who it makes sense going forward to build around.’”
Johnson’s Journey Beyond Star Wars
Johnson was initially expected to continue shaping the Star Wars universe through his own trilogy after The Last Jedi, but that plan did not materialize. Over recent years, he has shifted focus to other projects, making a significant impact in the murder mystery genre with his Knives Out films and the Peacock series Poker Face.
The director’s reflections reveal a thoughtful and respectful collaborative process with Abrams and highlight his commitment to evolving the saga’s characters and narrative beyond the groundwork laid in the first sequel.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why did Rian Johnson direct Star Wars episode 8?
A. After “Looper,” his third movie, was released, Rian Johnson met with Kathleen Kennedy, who had recently become Lucasfilm’s president. During a second meeting, Johnson was given the chance to direct Episode VIII of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
