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

Is Rian Johnson going to write this new trilogy. I hope not. Granted, TLJ's script is not terrible. It has its moments. But it's written basically by a smart person who quit on the first draft before going to bed. There are too many contradictions in character between it and TFA, obviously, the most egregious being those of Rey and Poe, and arguably, Snoke and Hux. But there are good ideas that don't go anywhere. DJ talks about these arms dealers selling to both sides, and nothing is done with it. Rose is a character I like, but her motives seem to change between scenes. (We'll focus on the mission. No, we'll trash this planet.) Maybe if JJ Abrams and Larry Kasdan had written the script, it wouldn't have been a mess. They're not perfect, of course, but they delivered something that satisfied most people the first time.

But Rian Johnson is going to be remembered as the General McClellan of Star Wars. He bought superior resources to the battle, but he also brought himself. Lucas had both good and bad ideas in the prequel films, but at least they're consistent, watchable, and, depending on the person, enjoyable. TLJ is a cringe fest that I would prefer to skip. I would prefer to watch TFA and go right into TROS, and I wouldn't be surprised if I say that after the movie comes out.

 

Lucas had brought good and bad ideas to the OT. But like the PT, the trilogy had proven to be overall first-rate. Not only was TLJ a cringe fest for me. So was TFA (well, most of it).

 

I think Rian's time with Star Wars is done,

I don't see why Star Wars would be going into hiatus if they were still going ahead with RJ's trilogy.

John Campea had a really good take on it a couple of months ago that I completely agreed with, I just don't see the benefit to either RJ or DIsney for it to happen.

 

Kennedy said the other day they’re abandoning the strict trilogy format so...

 

They think they can’t do another trilogy because they went about this one the wrong way. If they are going to do a trilogy they need to flesh out the entire three-movie story and not do it the way they did this one. A trilogy is basically supposed to be one movie with each of the three chapters working on its own with a planned out ending. Not rocket science!

 

J.J. Abrams time with SW should be over as well. This guy ruined what he could. I don`t want to see his name ever again mentioned in a SW movies.

 

Which Iger in another interview rejected what Kennedy said.

 

One thing we have learned after the release of ROS is the power of public opinion. My speculation is that RJ did not take this power too seriously. He felt that as long as he had the support of Kennedy, he could do what he liked in terms of his creative decisions and his social media presence. RJ made the mistake of getting into the weeds on twitter with trolls and such. And posting "your Snoke theory sucks..." was not too bright either. After Solo bombed, Kennedy's power decreased substantially and so by extension RJ's as well. He was baited into pointless twitter bickering with people who had nothing to loose, while he had everything to loose.
His trilogy is on permanent hold, I doubt it will see the light of day.
Contrast this with JJ. There is a lot of hate directed towards him and ROS on social media, but he is not taking the bait. He is far too politically savvy for this. His responses about the reactions to ROS are very safe and respectful to all and since the movie is doing well financially, he could very well do more SW in the future. That bridge has not been burned.
Let this be a lesson to Lucasfilm. It is clear that the public opinion, for better or worse, can influence creative decisions.

 

Sorry, but the guiding principle in making these films should continue to be, "What does Star Wars mean to you?" not "What does Star Wars mean to everyone?"

 

I agree

 

I do very much hope that TROS underperforming expectations a bit while TLJ matched them is a clear message to Lucasfilm, particularly given TLJ being the most critically acclaimed Star Wars movie since the originals and TROS being received similarly to the prequels. TFA was wonderful, but TLJ pointed the way forwards for the saga, and I very much hope Rian gets to take a personal hand in shaping it - though even if he isn't, it seems more likely than ever that his vision will be at work in charting a path.

 

deff disagree rian doesn’t have the correct feel of Star Wars they should give this trilogy to someone else and someone whose goal isn’t to divide fans.

 

The Last Jedi is the worst movie I have ever seen. The plot has more holes than swiss cheese... I hope that RJ is nowhere near anything Star wars unless he's renting a DVD..

 

I couldn't agree more.
Still, it is amazing that despite Johnson's amazing vision of Luke Skywalker, there are still people who keep feeling that the character was both mistreated and misunderstood. As Alan French wrote in weboughtablog.com: "Hamill’s pathos and heart can be read on his face throughout the film, and while he struggles with his own failure, you can see the hope reborn. His final moments on-screen feel impossibly beautifully, impossibly sentimental, and fit the rhyme of Star Wars. No character in the franchise has ever received a more impactful farewell." As the press and media keep acclaiming Episode VIII, I guess that time will definitely point out Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi as one of the very best SW movie.

 

As soon as I came out of the cinema, literally my first words to the friend I'd seen TLJ with were "That entire movie felt like one giant love letter to the character of Luke Skywalker". That was before I went online of course - and obviously many others disagree, which their prerogative! But yes, I agree that you could see even in the critical slamming of TROS the near universal sense among film critics that one of its greater sins was wasting the potential of TLJ. I do think Lucasfilm will take note of that, and I'm still optimistic that whether Rian is involved or not, TLJ is the clearest marker of the future of Star Wars.

 

I hope he doesn’t get another SW movie let alone a trilogy. TLJ was painful to watch.

 

Seeing as a bunch of former LFL peeps are now working at his Production Company, I have serious doubts that he's thinking about doing SW any time soon. He's on to doing his own thing.

 

Well, if that's so then...



I'll be off!

 

The "Johnson Trilogy" was announced days before the online (and still alive) backlash of TLJ, the flop of Solo, and TROS struggling to make 1 Billion (still trying).

 

Not for everyone apparently.

 

Rian Johnson gave us porgs. Lifetime pass.

 

Very few serious box office analysts think the 'online backlash' of TLJ affected its BO, let alone that of Solo or TROS. I know plenty of people who dislike the movie are convinced otherwise, and perhaps Lucasfilm will also decide to share their analysis; always possible. It's far more likely that they look to its critical success - the greatest of any Star Wars since Empire - and hitting its own box office targets, as well as the rave reviews Johnson has got for Knives Out, itself also a remarkable commercial success on its own terms.

 

I'm a 99er on here. I'll probably get in trouble for saying this.. But RJ has been absolutely unable to accept any of the criticism that came his way for the movie.

I'm a school teacher.. Kids call me out when I do a bad lesson.. its fair enough. If they didn't get the learning experience and opportunities they wanted then I own my own work..

RJ has absolutely infuriated me.. I don't like Holdo and Rose because they are poorly written.. I recognize that they are fine actresses.. but the characters they played were nothing short of atrocious in terms of writing.. As for people talking about the gauntlet thrown down by the last jedi.. can anyone actually explain this to me?

Mauler was absolutely spot on with his 6 hour YouTube critique of the Last Jedi. There is nothing he says that I can disagree with.

 

Obviously you're totally within your rights to say that; I don't think there's anything there which is at all problematic or should get you in trouble. But it's also an extreme minority view, and again, the movie was not just critically praised but absolutely *lauded*, with a higher metacritic score than any Star Wars since Empire.

Which, to be clear, doesn't make it wrong! Not in the slightest; your opinion is exactly as valid as any critic's. But when you complain about why Rian Johnson isn't listening to criticism, it's probably because the overwhelming majority of the people who criticise movies for a living don't share your verdict, or those of Star Wars YouTubers. And then he want on to make another movie which was if anything even more critically lauded. He probably thinks he knows how to make movies and the *enormous* bulk of the feedback he gets is positive - why would he change course?