Rian Johnson Talks STAR WARS EPISODE VIII Creative Freedom, Lucasfilm Influence And More
Rian Johnson (Looper) talks here about the "joyous" experience of writing Star Wars Episode VIII, paying homage to the original trilogy - there's no mention of the prequels - and how supportive Lucasfilm have been in ensuring that he brings his vision to the big screen...
Breaking Bad and Looper director Rian Johnson recently appeared on the TalkHouse podcast for a lengthy discussion with Terry Gilliam, and thanks to The Playlist, we have a transcription of everything related to Star Wars Episode VIII which he will direct for a planned 2017 release.
When asked how it feels to "take over someone else's world", Johnson replied: "I'm just starting into it, but so far it's been nothing but…honestly, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had writing. It's just joyous." It's been established that the filmmaker is a lifelong fan of Star Wars and after mentioning that he played with the toys as a child, he would then go on to talk about just how long this job has been in the making. "The first movies I was making in my head were part of this world, so part of it is a direct connection - it's almost like an automatic jacking-in into childhood in a weird way."
Gilliam (who didn't seem to have much of a clue about his interviewee as he was unaware that Johnson will direct Star Wars Episode VIII and possibly Star Wars Episode IX as well) then asked if George Lucas would be keeping an eye on him, and after reminding the host that he has no involvement in the new trilogy, he added: "I'm figuring it out as I go. I'm dancing on top of the avalanche a little bit. But it's a challenge of remembering what inspires you about [the original films], but I think you can probably go to the wrong place by feeling too responsible to it. You have to keep your head loose enough to tell a story you actually care about."
Talk then turned to the obligations and the responsibility that comes with finding yourself in charge of such an iconic franchise, to which Johnson replied, "Well, that’s been the great thing about it —Kathleen and her whole creative team have been so insistent on all the filmmakers they’ve been hiring for these new movies: ‘We want you to take it and turn it into something that you really care about.’ And we’ll see how the process plays out, but so far, that’s a big part of the reason I’m [doing the film]. Because that just seems like their attitude towards it. It’s really exciting actually." How do you guys feel about Rian Johnson taking over the Star Wars franchise from J.J. Abrams? Be sure to sound off with your thoughts on these comments in the usual place!
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