After many months of impatiently waiting for something, anything related toStar Wars 8, Disney and Lucasfilm finally threw us all a bone and revealed the official title for the next installment of theStar Warssaga;Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Now that the veil of secrecy has been pulled down just a tiny bit, a little more information about the movie, or at least about what went into making the movie, is being revealed. DirectorRian Johnsonrecently discussed some of what influencedStar Wars: The Last Jedi, as well as some of the challenges of making it.
Following the title reveal,Rian Johnsondid a little interview withEmpire Magazineabout the status ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi. He said when asked about the status of the movie that things are going “Great! We’re in the thick of editing, really digging into it. It’s taking shape and I’m very excited.” He couldn’t reveal much about the actual plot of the movie, but he did reveal what movies influenced him while makingStar Wars: Episode VIII. Here is what he had to say.
“Twelve O’Clock High was a big touchstone, for the feel and look of the aerial combat as well as the dynamic between the pilots. Three Outlaw Samurai for the feel of the sword-fighting, and the general sense of pulpy fun. And To Catch A Thief was a great film to rewatch, for the romantic scale and grandeur.”
A classic war movie, a classic samurai movie and a romantic thriller. That sounds like the foundation of everyStar Wars moviemade thus far. Putting those elements in a blender has always made quite a bit of sense when it comes to this particular franchise, and similar influences date back to the original 1977 movie.Rian Johnsonnot only directedStar Wars: The Last Jedi, but he also wrote the movie and that presented its own set of challenges, namely with some of the dialogue. Here is how he explained it.
“I found myself constantly wanting to push modern idioms into the dialogue, and sometimes that can work, but you have to be very careful. If you go too far you can break that Star Wars spell. The other challenge is the tech talk, which has to be simultaneously complex enough to sound real and conceptually simple enough to follow. The original films were brilliant at that.”
Rian Johnsontook over directing duties on the franchise fromJ.J. Abrams, who directedStar Wars: The Force Awakens.Star Wars: The Last Jediis said to pick up right where that movie left off, with Rey and Luke meeting for the first time. That was filmed on Skellig Michael island, which is a difficult place to shoot, because of its isolation. It turns out, that being the case,Rian Johnsonactually filmed his scenes forStar Wars 8there long before principal photography started.
“Our first day of shooting was actually several months before principal photography began: we had three days on Skellig Michael island. So not only was it day one of Star Wars on this incredible natural location, but because the island was so inaccessible it was a very stripped-down, run-and-gun crew. Pretty much the perfect start to the whole adventure.”
WhileRian Johnsoncouldn’t say anything specific aboutStar Wars: The Last Jedi, he did say something that tells us a bit about what to expect. When asked what surprised him most about making aStar Warsmovie, he explained that the process was quite intimate, despite the size and scope of it. Here is what he had to say about making the movie.
“I guess the biggest surprise was the intimacy of the process. It’s huge, sure, and it’s filled with pressures great and small. But at the end of the day, it boils down to the same things as the smaller films we’ve made: telling a story we care about with a camera and some actors. And a Wookiee.”
He was talking about the process, but that seems to imply thatThe Last Jedicould be an intimate story in some ways, which is something to go on for now. At least until we get the first teaser, which is likely to drop duringStar WarsCelebration in April. The cast for the movie includesDaisy Ridley,John Boyega,Adam Driver,Domhnall Gleeson,Oscar Isaac,Carrie Fisher,Benicio Del Toro,Laura Dern,Gwendoline Christie,Andy Serkis,Lupita Nyong’OandMark Hamill.Star Wars: The Last Jediis written and directed byRian Johnsonand is set for release on December 15.
