STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Director Rian Johnson Shares Biggest Fan Misconception About The Movie

Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has reflected on making the divisive movie, sharing what frustrates him most about how some fans talk about his time working on the 2017 blockbuster...

By JoshWilding - Nov 22, 2022 11:11 AM EST

Filed Under: Star Wars

Source: The New Yorker (via SFFGazette.com)

Next month marks Star Wars: The Last Jedi's five-year anniversary, and while some will celebrate that, the movie remains one of the most divisive stories ever told in that Galaxy Far, Far Away.

Rian Johnson's approach to Luke Skywalker continues to stand out as the biggest issue for many fans (including Mark Hamill), though the character finding redemption in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett has definitely cooled things down a little.

While Johnson has said he hopes to return to Lucasfilm for a new trilogy of Star Wars movies, he's currently busy further expanding the Knives Out franchise for Netflix. Glass Onion will be released next month, and doing the rounds to promote the movie, the filmmaker reflected on the biggest misconception people have about his time working on Star Wars.

Rather than anything specifically to do with the writing and directing process, or even the backlash aimed at his creative decisions, what bothers Johnson most is people thinking he had a bad experience making The Last Jedi!

"I think I love Star Wars even more now. I think what actually frustrates me is people’s perception that I had a negative experience somehow, or people’s perception that it was somehow a traumatic experience, or something," he tells The New Yorker (via SFFGazette.com). "The reality is that it was a completely joyful experience even through the back end of it, the past few years, the reception of it."

"And, when I read what those people were actually saying, I was, like, 'Oh, I completely disagree with this.' They’re wrong. For me. Everybody can like whatever they want and not like what they want," he continued. "And Star Wars fans, in particular - growing up as one, arguing about other people’s opinions being wrong is sort of the bread and butter of it all."

"I didn’t feel crushed. Like, 'Oh, no, I didn’t make a real Star Wars movie.' I felt, like, 'No, I did.'"

In other words, Johnson made the Star Wars movie that he wanted and is happy with the result. At the end of the day, Episode IX was a critical hit, and there are many people out there who loved the way the filmmaker subverted expectations. However, the decisions made will likely continue to stir debate, though it was the story Lucasfilm decided to go with, for better or worse.

How do you look back at Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Let us know down in the comments section.

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58 Comments

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bl0odwerk - 11/22/2022, 12:16 PM

I don't remember anyone saying his experience was bad, just that his movie was.

itzayaboy - 11/22/2022, 12:16 PM

I’d Luke and Kylo actually had a real duel at the end I’m sure this movie would have been received better. Kylo Ren was the best part of this film by a mile. The characterization of Luke was awful but RJ executed his vision well, even though I disagreed with it.

UncleHarm1 - 11/22/2022, 3:16 PM

@itzayaboy - Kylo would've killed Luke pretty quickly, he's elderly. The only reason Rey beat him the first time is because he was injured, and the second time because angry Star Wars neckbeards scared Disney out of trying anything interesting.

hainesy - 11/22/2022, 12:17 PM

The movie sucked. The sequel trilogy was disappointing in general, with a few flashes of brilliance. The studio made the move they wanted, as opposed to what fans wanted. That's not always bad in filmmaking, but I personally don't feel it worked for Star Wars.

Amaru - 11/22/2022, 12:17 PM

I liked his movie more than the other two...

TUD - 11/22/2022, 12:19 PM

Rian rocks and I can't wait to see Glass Onion. Hopefully he makes another Star War someday because he's very good at it.

Matchesz - 11/22/2022, 12:20 PM

This guy is the definition of a narcissist 😂

Toonstrack - 11/22/2022, 12:40 PM

@Matchesz - Right, if he doesn't bow and admit that he hates his own work that means he's a narcissist lol

Get over yourself

Deklipz - 11/22/2022, 4:06 PM

@Matchesz - Have you ever actually looked up the definition? Because he isn’t it. People calling people narcissists because it’s the new cool thing to call people but the ones using it rarely understand what it actually means.

Matchesz - 11/22/2022, 4:21 PM

@Deklipz - excessive pride in oneself. Unwilling to accept constructive criticism. Always believes their way is right. Don’t agree with them they will gaslight you into believing your opinion is wrong. Excessive interest in their own wants/needs at the expense of others. Unwilling to empathize others feelings. Exaggerated feelings of self importance

McMurdo - 11/22/2022, 5:19 PM

@Deklipz - you sound like a triggered narcissist. You may not be but I'm just saying..

Deklipz - 11/22/2022, 11:35 PM

@Matchesz - Yeah, he's proud of his work as he should be. He isn't eccessive about it nor does he fit any of the rest of the definition. It's good that you can copy/paste it but you still don't understand it if you think he is one. He's one of the most humble directors in the industry if you actually watch his interviews and listen to him talk.

Deklipz - 11/22/2022, 11:36 PM

@McMurdo - You also don't seem to understand the meaning of the word. You might, but I'm just saying... likely not due to your usage.

Fares - 11/22/2022, 12:21 PM

Chad.

GhostDog - 11/22/2022, 12:23 PM

Can we move on? Glass Onion looks good.

McMurdo - 11/22/2022, 5:21 PM

@GhostDog - good is about all it looks? Its like yay another mystery featuring elite rich [frick]s that no one cares about

GhostDog - 11/22/2022, 6:21 PM

@McMurdo - I will say I’m disappointed that he didn’t change up the characters backgrounds this time. The setting too. Still looks decent but you’re not wrong.

He should ground things in the next one.

RichardGrayson - 11/22/2022, 12:30 PM

The way he has handled the criticism has made me hate him and think he’s a giant douche. Knives Out sucked too, he’s overhyped AF. He peaked with Brick- the only great movie he’s done. Looper was good not great. Beyond those two he sucks.

ShimmyShimmyYA - 11/22/2022, 12:51 PM

@RichardGrayson - because he’s not sitting their groveling for “fan’s” acceptance ?

Dude is fine with the product he made if you don’t like it oh well

DalekCraigWasson - 11/22/2022, 12:59 PM

@RichardGrayson - On the contrary, this is insanely, remarkably healthy for this industry. He didn't go on Twitter and bitch about how the fans who disliked it didn't get his masterpiece and how dare they not like it.

He shrugged his shoulders and said everyone can like what they like, I may disagree with them because I made the movie and thus believe I made those creative choices for a reason, but it doesn't change my mind and that's part of Star Wars fandom, disagreeing, etc.

I literally can't think of a LESS arrogant, conceited response that isn't literally Johnson saying, "I made the wrong choices and the fans who didn't like it are the true ones all along." Which, let's face it, probably IS what you wanted him to say, lol.

McMurdo - 11/22/2022, 5:25 PM

@ShimmyShimmyYA - groveling would get him nowhere. The fans don't like the guy. He butchered Luke Skywalker lol. That'll be his legacy. In a way I think he gets off on that

ShimmyShimmyYA - 11/22/2022, 5:28 PM

@McMurdo - he didn’t “butcher” anything

What I’m assuming you wanted was a Luke centric story in 8 that could be his last hurrah showing him as the greatest ever

What Rian gave was an example of sometimes people don’t age like you want them too, that sometimes legends are just that legends

But at the end showed luke found his own way of having his last hurrah

slickrickdesigns - 11/22/2022, 12:33 PM

It’s allowed to be criticized for what it was. I myself was entertained by the last Jedi but I didn’t like the direction the plot went with its story. Luke deserved better, Finn deserved better and the Poe side plot was goofy.

Toonstrack - 11/22/2022, 12:41 PM

TLJ was the best star wars film released since 1983. It still is.

McMurdo - 11/22/2022, 5:26 PM

@Toonstrack - sure on opposite day.

Toonstrack - 11/22/2022, 10:27 PM

@McMurdo - all day every day fam

Supersperm - 11/22/2022, 12:49 PM

Johnson is a great director , way better than this overrated frsnchise deserves.

DarthOmega - 11/22/2022, 1:11 PM

Kyos - 11/22/2022, 4:37 PM

@DarthOmega - TLJ is horrible, but it did provide us with some fabulous reaction GIFs.

1 2

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Director Rian Johnson Shares Biggest Fan Misconception About The Movie

Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has reflected on making the divisive movie, sharing what frustrates him most about how some fans talk about his time working on the 2017 blockbuster...

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