ST Rian Johnson wanted to "Move Beyond" the Skywalkers

Rian Johnson reveals that one of his motives in making Rey unrelated to the Skywalkers was to open the Star Wars franchise up beyond the Skywalker focus:

It was also part of Johnson's desire to broaden the Star Wars stories from the Skywalker family. "The original trilogy and the prequel trilogy being the story of the Skywalkers made sense," he said. "I think now if we want to keep telling stories in this world, and I do, it has to move beyond that."

https://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/rey-the-last-jedi?utm_term=.esW1v48VQ#.ljpxk4YX6

He further expounds on his belief that one shouldn't have to be from a certain lineage to be chosen of the Force.

 

Isn't that what the anthology movies are for? And him getting his own trilogy?

 

Every single saga movie has been about a Skywalker.

Why change it now?!?

 

But he's right IMO. I never thought you had to be a Skywalker to be super powerful or that Anakin would be the most powerful Force-sensitive of all time. That wasn't ever what I got from the OT/PT...

I am sad though if that means they are going to kill all the Skywalkers.

 

It is indeed. And Rey not being a Skywalker allows those movies to work better while still allowing the focus of this trilogy to be on the Skywalker family.

 

I hate the idea that every episode has to be intrinsically tied to a Skywalker.

I agree with Rian’s decision.

 

JJ felt the same way. So do I. Kylo Ren is still a Skywalker but I couldn’t be happier to be moving away from all things Skywalker. We’ve heard the best of their stories.

 

ok..

 

Remember when people were convinced Finn was Lando’s son? Glad to be moving past the Muppet babies approach. One descendent from 2 great characters is fun but if everyone was it would get a little annoying.

 

*cough* We don't know that Finn isn't Lando's son...

Although I'm sure he's not. It would be really weird if Lando shows up in IX being like, my son was stolen from me by the FO! That would have me laughing hysterically for like five minutes.

I would like to see Lando in IX though. I really would. (As long as they do not kill him. Lando cannot die.)

 

Way before Rip Johnson was ever hired I did not want Rey to be Skywalker. The universe does not need to be that small. That does not change the fact that T LJ was atrocious.

 

That is great but the episodes are the Skywalker Saga. Suggesting something else in 8 is fine but in 9 it has to come down to that and provide adequate resolution. You don't just start a completely new story in the 3rd act

 

Saga films: Randoms
Spinoff films: Randoms

Thanks I’ll pass!

 

What's the point of making a distinction between them, then?

 

Something tells me this was a, if not the, source of disagreement between GL and the new powers that be at LFL.

 

Maybe the idea is to bring the Skywalkers to an end in EpIX, making it the definitive end of the Skywalker Saga?

 

He could have made Finn and Poe or Rose force users. The Anthology movies are fertile ground as well.

https://swinfoground.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/quotes-the-star-wars-saga/

He couldn't come up with anything better than Kylo Ren telling Rey's she's from a line of alcoholics.

 

Bright side. There is always a chance of a new Vader film. Even if JEJ can't do it, dude is in a mask. He doesn't age. Great new voice and away we go. If we are going to break the barriers, lets get the interesting stuff.

But even then, you need the focus to be on the Skywalkers to do that and make it meaningful. Not make them supporting characters in what are supposedly meant to be their own movies. I like the new characters but I have to admit, in my heart of hearts, for the grand scheme of the story, I don't care about Finn, Rose or Poe. Not at this point, so close to what is supposedly the end of this 40 year family tale.

And even then, having the non-Skywalkers there at the end doesn't really matter, its their last movie too. Its not like they are picking up and going forward anyway.

 

I have to agree. It's not a matter of it being about "royalty" or whatever. The ST is the 3rd act. It needs to be a culmination of what came before. Every decision made in the creative process that didn't think of this trilogy as an end to a narrative was the wrong one.

 

We still have one living Skywalker in IX. And ghost Luke will no doubt be around.

 

The Episodes are about the Skywalker saga.

Rian can 'move on' past them with his own trilogy and anthology movies. But they should have kept the episodes about the Skywalker saga, at the very least, until episode 9.

 

I agree with that sentiment. IMO, if Lucas intended for the franchise to be based solely on the Skywalker family, it would be called THE SKYWALKERS instead of "Star Wars. Anakin's story was the PT. Luke's was the OT. Yes, you have another Skywalker (Kylo) in this ST, but the storylines do not have to revolve around him.

 

I agree with Star Wars being larger than simply the Skywalkers, but why is the Sequel Trilogy advertised as part of the Skywalker Saga ? There is a disconnect. Lucasfilm would have been better served simply to have avoided the ST altogether and used Rian Johnson's trilogy as the starting point for a new slate of films back in 2015.