ST Rian Johnson to write and direct Episode VIII (and also new SW Trilogy - see page 194)

Eh, I think Rian and Abrams are better DIRECTOR'S The_Four_Dot_Elipsis

Lucas may have written more substantial material but that doesn't make him a better director with actors.

 

Eh. He might not have put out an absolute classic like Lucas or (far more importantly) Kershner, but I do think that Johnson is arguably a superior director on a technical level than either one. It might not be a film, but Johnson happened to direct what has since been regarded by many as being the single greatest episode in television history. I'd say that is a pretty big accomplishment.

As for putting out a classic on the scale of the films that you've mentioned, we might just get such a thing in two years time with Episode VIII.

 

I think having an up and coming director who has shown signs of greatness was the perfect idea for Episode 8; whoever made that choice IMO did their homework. I think it is really exciting that Johnson is doing this movie, and gives him the opportunity for a signature classic.

I loved his episodes of Breaking Bad, but that is secondary in importance as far as my personal vision for SW 8. Looper was amazing in so many ways, and on a short list of my favorites in recent years, if not my favorite. I absolutely thought the story was written by Phillip K Dick before I knew Johnson wrote it, so I obviously was not surprised when I read that he got the concept for the movie when he was reading a lot of Dick's novels. Dick would be my absolute #1 choice to write a SW movie (obviously he can't being dead), so I like that someone influenced a lot by him is involved in a SW film (besides the fact that, again, he is likely a great director coming into his own).

 

Again... Kershner got some amazing performances out of the likes of Don Murray, Robert Shaw, George Segal, Eva Marie Saint... and some delightfully nutty performances out of Klaus Maria Brandauer, Tommy Lee Jones and George C. Scott.

Lucas got terrific naturalistic performances from his American Graffiti cast.

But there's a ton more to directing than what you get the actors to do. People are really quick to forget that Star Wars is pretty much one of the best assembled films of all time - true, with amazing work from the trio of editors, but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It's Lucas's film and it's an all-time masterpiece of the cinema. When it comes to Kersh again, look at something like Loving and you can see that the guy was a trend-setter - aided by a freshman Gordon Willis of course but the look of that film is very much ahead of its time. Or some of the more aggressive visual choices he makes in his cheapie debut, Stakeout on Dope Street which anticipates what John Frankenheimer would start doing about 5 or 6 years after.

I thought we were discussing Johnson though, if you're bringing Abrams into the conversation Kersh and Lucas are not just streets ahead, they're in a different parish altogether. Abrams is not an overly impressive filmmaker, he's a very thorough cribber of other people's styles - Tony Scott for Mission: Impossible III and his Star Trek features, and a very poor attempt at evoking Spielberg in Super 8. Lucas of course borrowed heavily from Kurosawa in his framing and shot choices in ANH and the prequels but it is nowhere near as overt and obviously the use of colour is totally different to how Kurosawa used it. You would be forgiven for mistaking a frame from Mission: Impossible III for a Tony Scott feature of similar vintage.

 

Directors can have different relationships with actors. There is no right or wrong, although if something isn’t working it’s the director’s job to step up. Some directors are very hands-on with the actors, telling them exactly what to do and how to deliver certain lines. Whereas other directors opt to leave the actors to it, feeling that the actor should know how to deliver lines in regards to the situation the scene takes place in.

 

True, but it's all about the result. I don't think anyone would argue that David O. Russell has a healthy functional relationship with his actors but somehow he manages to get good work out of them with his abusive environment. In terms of Lucas' directorial efforts, I certainly think the acting is glaringly not up to par in several of his features (the PT in particular) while Abrams typically gets good stuff out his actors even when with newcomers (I dislike Super 8 but the kids were actually good actors in it). Rian Johnson of course has done more serious dramatic work so his actors get a stronger showcase but I'd certainly argue that JGL in Brick and Looper isn't topped by any performance in a Lucas or Abrams film.

 

Not worried about Johnson as a director. I'm more concerned about the script he will end up writing.

 

http://www.starwarsunderworld.com/2015/06/rian-johnson-shares-dream-he-had-about.html

 

Was the Jedi Rey Skywalker, or Rey Solo? Or was it Finn? And whose dog was it?!

 

Luke fighting the Sith version of Chewie, obviously.

 

Water planet lightsaber duel confirmed!

 

Don't tease ...

 

Last message in this thread is from "June 18" ???

Oh, boy, let's dream heroic dreams again fellow SW fans, let's dream heroic dreams again.....

The story arcs he and Kasdan mapped out will be picked up by Johnson, so Abrams will find himself becoming sort of like ghost Obi-Wan Kenobi in Empire and Jedi — a presence, an influence, but not part of the action. He likes that. “It’s a thrill to see [Johnson] take things and elevate them beyond what we had imagined at the time,” Abrams says.

Kennedy says the trilogy story has been approximated, but is ever-evolving. “We know where we’re going, but only in the broadest sense,” she says. “When Rian came in and started writing his script, he started from scratch, other than knowing what we had done in Episode VII and projecting out where it was going. He then sat down and put pen to paper, and it’s 100 percent him.”

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/12/star-wars-luke-skywalker-hooked-jj-abrams/4

 

I'm certain he received a lot of input from the Story Group members throughout the scripting process, but the interesting thing about stories is that they tend take on a life of their own. Especially when the writer is really good. I hope that at some point Rian found himself forced to listen to the demands and needs of the story he was writing. Hopefully the process became that intimate for him and that in and of itself makes it through to the final film.

 

3 different directors/writers is the best we can hope for.
If there was a coherent, well thought out story at all, it wouldn't be necessary. But there isn't...so the next best thing is having a different helm for each movie, so each gets one shot to throw all their best Star Wars ideas into the mix.

 

Um, in all likelihood the ST will be the most thought out and potentially coherent of all the trilogies from here on out. TFA was a scramble for sure, but for the first time at this early stage, the remaining arcs are broadly mapped out. RJ probably has the episode 8 script already finished and there will be plenty of time for them to get the script for episode 9 right. The "making this up as they go" feel should be less on this trilogy now they have the basis they did - the scramble they found themselves in the first place was largely down to being handed a release date without a story they were happy with.

 

What did happen: a simple treatment was put together, and then given to completely different parties to come up with whatever they see fit (as long it meets with the Disney seal of approval).
What did not happen: a single, coherent trilogy written by 1 - 2 people that maps out a story with beginning middle and end.
The latter is what this trilogy deserved. There are some, including probably some in the production itself, that believe that a coherent story can still come out of the former. But no matter what anyone believes, that is not true. No alternative, inferior method of production can compare to a controlled, micro managed trilogy. Its one thing when you don't know if you'll be making more than 1 film. When you set out to make a trilogy...do it right. Even the most blind can admit that they did not follow the path of greatest coherence and historical success.

 

Firstly you don't need the first film to be written with the other two fully mapped out. Secondly, they have an idea were they are going. Thirdly the rumour is that Rian Johnson is also writing 9.

 

Yeah, I disagree. You don't need anything per se, but the best you can get in a planned trilogy is something written out from start to finish, with flexibility in the minor details.

 

I agree that it is good to have it mapped out, but it will really make no difference as long as the second and third parts are written together. I mean most trilogies aren't written in any detail from the start, apart from TLOR.

 

They have it mapped out now (at least the broad strokes). RJ has most likely finished 8 already and is possibly writing 9. Whether he is or isn't, Trevorrow is joining LFL later this year to work with the rest of the story group / which has been overseeing the entire direction of the ST, the anthology films and other media since the deal was struck.

The only issue you might have a point on is that TFA cut it very close to the wire in terms of getting a story they were happy with - but that is far from unusual in features development (Mission Impossible 5 was making up their story while filming for example). No other SW trilogy has been this developed this early nor had this much oversight in terms of a brains trust before.

You can make a valid argument for wishing George was still the sole overseer (though it's one I personally disagree with), but the facts are this trilogy will be the most planned out of any of them. Whether that will translate to success remains to be seen.

You also cannot claim with any certainty or validity that the story they have is incoherent because you have yet to see that story play out in its proper context.

 

Let's hope not!

That is what Star Wars is all about.

My "fear" is that VII, VIII and IX will just be variations on a theme and even with 3 different directors they will try to create a production line style of what a Star Wars movie "should be" as opposed to making 3 movies that will sharing a lot will also be distinct at the same time. When you break down the changes from TPM to AOTC then to ROTS the variety of storytelling style is amazing while still being part of a whole. The tonal shift from ANH to TESB then to ROTJ is also distinct though somewhat less so since the ability to create the stories were limited by bumping up against the technology.

Now that is gone so it's all about the kind of story you want to tell not the kind that you can tell (because limitations stop you).

 

There are things you don't know. Yet, you make broad statements that make this sound like the story process has been a garage sale rack. In all likelihood, the fact they have a broad strokes outline at this point is probably a good thing. They know how the characters start, what challenges they face, and what the ending is. They've got YEARS to tweak it and make it better. Otherwise, we'd all be waiting 2-3 more years to see TFA. THAT WOULD SUCK.

 

Roger Francis Cook ‏@RFCook Sep 2
Star Wars Ep. VIII was just about to not happen. I nearly ran over @rianjohnson in the Pinewood carpark.

Rian Johnson ‏@rianjohnson Sep 2
@RFCook I saw my life flash before my eyes and I've now decided to quit the film and become a dairy farmer.

 

it would still happen.