Director Rian Johnson has a new movie called Knives Out hitting theaters next week. But Star Wars is still heavy on his mind, based on a recent interview he had with Variety. One interesting topic that came up was the turnover of directors. Josh Trank, Colin Trevorrow, and, most recently, Game of Thrones’ David Benioff and D.B. Weiss all left potential Star Wars projects. When asked this, Johnson shared a thoughtful response.
“I can’t speak to the experience that anyone else has had,” said Johnson, who helmed Star Wars: The Last Jedi. “I would caution that other people’s sets are like other people’s marriages. You think you know what’s going on with them, but the only thing that’s absolutely true is that you’re wrong. I can only speak to my experience, which was an absolute dream from top to bottom, beginning to end. From Kathy [Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy] to Bob Iger to J.J. [Abrams] to all the craftsmen.”
Johnson also addressed toxic fandom, which may have led to the departure of Benioff and Weiss. Obviously, Johnson is no stranger to this himself, based on the mixed reception to The Last Jedi.
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“Having been in the hurricane for the last two years, I can tell you that 95% of what I get even on Twitter is lovely and thoughtful and engaged, even when people don’t like my movie,” noted Johnson. “Having said that, it’s a problem that every type of fandom is dealing with. It’s almost a byproduct of this system that is the internet.”
As for the new Star Wars trilogy Johnson is developing, he didn’t have anything new to add.
“I’m still talking to Lucasfilm,” said Johnson. “They haven’t announced anything.”
Do you think Johnson has a point when it comes to directors leaving Star Wars projects? Let us know in the comments below!
Recommended Reading: Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi
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