Creating a Star Wars film is no small feat—it’s a journey fraught with high expectations, passionate fans, and the ever-looming risk of backlash. But here’s where it gets controversial: Did the divisive reaction to The Last Jedi truly kill Rian Johnson’s planned Star Wars trilogy? Let’s dive in.
The landscape of Star Wars filmmaking is a minefield. Some directors, like J.J. Abrams, start as heroes with critically acclaimed entries like The Force Awakens, only to face harsh criticism with follow-ups like The Rise of Skywalker. Others, such as Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Josh Trank, and Colin Trevorrow, earn a sympathetic nod for their efforts on troubled productions. Then there are those, like Taika Waititi and James Mangold, seemingly stuck in development limbo. And this is the part most people miss: Rian Johnson’s experience falls somewhere in the middle.
Johnson’s The Last Jedi was a critically acclaimed yet polarizing entry in the saga. Originally, he was set to helm Episode VIII, contribute to Episode IX, and develop a new trilogy. However, things took a different turn, and the prevailing narrative blamed the online vitriol directed at The Last Jedi. But Johnson himself disputes this.
During a recent appearance at the Newport Beach Film Festival to promote Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Johnson addressed the fan backlash head-on. In a candid moment, he shared, ‘No, not at all. In fact, it’s the reason that I wanted to. My overall experience with putting [The Last Jedi] out, and what you’re talking about with fan feedback—I mean, first of all, I’m a lifelong *Star Wars fan. So, I know the deal. Star Wars fans are passionate. We love what we love, hate what we hate, and argue about it. That’s been happening since the original trilogy.’*
Johnson’s perspective is refreshingly honest. He acknowledges the decades-long tradition of Star Wars fandom being anything but unified. Even classics like The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi faced mixed reactions initially, and George Lucas’s prequels were once ridiculed before being reclaimed by younger fans. Here’s the bold truth: Star Wars has always meant different things to different people, and that’s part of its magic.
Johnson elaborated, ‘The notion that *Star Wars has been this kind of Shangri-La, united fandom, and that anything could then split that apart—the reality is Star Wars has always been something that has meant different things to different people. And I think that’s part of the fun and the passion of it as fans, is arguing about it respectfully.’*
In the years since The Last Jedi’s 2017 release, Johnson has encountered fans who’ve formed deep connections to the film and the franchise. He reflected, ‘It’s been the most positive experience I’ve ever had with anything I’ve made, in terms of interacting with people who’ve seen it. I came out at the other end of it loving *Star Wars fandom more than I did even going into it.’*
While Johnson’s enthusiasm is undeniable, the question remains: Will his trilogy ever see the light of day? And this is where we turn to you: Do you think the fan backlash was overblown, or was it a fair response to a divisive film? Should Johnson get another shot at a Star Wars trilogy, or is it time to pass the torch? Let’s spark a respectful debate in the comments—after all, isn’t that what being a Star Wars fan is all about?
