Though it’s been nearly five years since the release ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, franchise starDaisy Ridleyadmits that the divisive reception the movie received upon its release is “still upsetting.” Ridley joined theStar Wars Universein 2015 withStar Wars: The Force Awakens, where she portrayed Rey. The film was met with positive reviews from critics, but the final movie in the most recent trilogy wasn’t so fortunate.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
Sitting down with Josh Horowitz for theHappy Sad Confusedpodcast, Ridley spoke about a myriad of topics including her new film,Sometimes I Think About Dying. The conversation eventually turned toStar Wars, where she was asked if she was surprised about how divisive the reception was toStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Ridley revealed that the reaction is “still upsetting,” but it doesn’t change how she feels about it:
“I think it’s still upsetting, because you don’t want people to feel like you’ve not served the thing they’re a fan of. But [The Last Jedi] was so divisive, so it really felt like the first one was fairly…everyone was responsive in a similar way. And then, Rian’s one, super divisive, and then the last one, super divisive. It didn’t change how I felt about it.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkercurrently holds a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, though its audience score is more favorable, sitting at 86%. Despite the negative aura surrounding the film, Ridley said that as soon as 2023, people still came up to her to ask if she was going to appear in moreStar Warsmovies. She recalled one instance where she was sitting down with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy for breakfast, and was asked by several people if Rey was going to return to the franchise:
“What was strange is, literally before I had breakfast with Kathy [Kennedy] last year…I had five people come to me and go, ‘Are they going to do any more with you?' And it was really strange. In the sort of six to eight months before that, the way with which I was being greeted by people’s response to it was quite different than it had been. And I think, just, time had passed…And so, that’s what was really strange.”
Check out Daisy Ridley’s full interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast below.
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The New Star Wars Movie Will Take the Franchise in a Different Direction
In April 2023, it was announced at London’s Star Wars Celebration thatDaisy Ridley would be returning to the franchiseto reprise her role of Rey Skywalker in a new movie. According to Kathleen Kennedy, the film is to be set 15 years after the events inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and follows Rey as she attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order to fulfill the promise she made to Luke. Reaction to the news of a new film, and Ridley’s return, has been mainly positive thus far.
According to Ridley, the newStar Warsmovie, and her continued role in the franchise came as a surprise.Speaking with AlloCinérecently, the 31-year-old revealed how it all came together at the last minute, and how she believes the new story is not only going to take the franchise in a “different direction,” but that it will also be a “fantastic exploration of theStar Warsworld.”
“That was actually quite last minute. I was actually making my own film last year, and Kathy Kennedy said she wanted to have breakfast. And I thought we were just having breakfast. So there I was, having my breakfast, and she goes ‘Oh, by the way, we might do another one.’ And I’m like ‘Ok…' So I thought about it for a little bit, and once I knew what the story was and everything, I knew it was something I really wanted to do. I think it’s a really fantastic exploration of the Star Wars world. It’s a really cool way of taking the story on in a bit of a different direction.”
As of right now, the newStar Warsmovie has Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attached to direct, with Steven Knight penning the screenplay. There’s no word yet on when production will start, so a release date has yet to be announced.
In the meantime, fans can watchStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as well as every otherStar Warsmovie and series, on the franchises' streaming home of Disney +.
