It would be hard to be upset if you’re aStar Warsfan right now.Star Wars: The Force Awakenssuccessfully relaunched the franchise and became one of the highest-grossing movies ever made, plusStar Wars: Rogue Onehas already made more than $500 million worldwide and delivered on its promise, by most accounts. Now we can look ahead toStar Wars 8, which is due out in a little less than a year. Updates on the movie have been minimal, but directorRian Johnsondid recently take some time out of his busy schedule to defend theStar Warsprequels.
Rian Johnsondecided to Tweet a response to a couple of fans who were having a bit of a conversation on Twitter about how much they hated the prequel trilogy. Common practice amongStar Warsfans. In this case, not even just that they hated them, but more that they felt making theStar Warsprequels was abad ideain the first place.Rian Johnsonhad a pretty interesting and convincing response. Here is what he had to say.
“@HeerJeet Pssst. Devil’s advocate: the prequels are a 7 hour long kids movie about how fear of loss turns good people into fascists.”
You would be hard pressed to find aStar Warsfan who doesn’t at least have some problems with the prequels. Even the most confident defender of the movies still cringes when Jar Jar Binks makes his way on screen. That said, looking at them as “kids” movies that try and teach an interesting lesson, asRian Johnsondoes, is sort of a compelling argument. Granted, that can’t possibly fix the actual problems that exist in movies likeStar Wars: The Phantom Menace, but it is probably good that the guy directing the nextStar Warsmovie is able to look at the franchise in such a way. Why not look at the good that exists in what came before and use that to your advantage?
At this point, for all we know,Rian Johnsoncould have made a three-hour movie about Gungans that happens to featureLuke Skywalkerand Rey, because we seriously know very little aboutStar Wars: Episode VIIIat the moment. While that is highly unlikely, bordering on impossible, it is possible that the next episodicStar Warsmovie could take some positive cues from the prequels. Like, ifEwan McGregorshows up as Obi-Wan Kenobi in a flashback sequence, for instance. We do know that we will be getting a title and probably a trailer sometime in the next few months. Most likely atStar Warscelebration in April.
George Lucas’Star Warsprequels may be the stain on a galaxy far, far away that many fans try their best to forget about, but we do have one good prequel movie now in the form ofRogue One: A Star Wars Story, since it takes place beforeStar Wars: A New Hope. We’ll have to see howStar Wars 8shakes out, but at leastRian Johnsonseems to have a good grip on the good inStar Wars.Star Wars: Episode VIIIis set for release onDecember 15, 2017. You can check out the Twitter exchange for yourself below.
