Rian Johnson is back, and no, not in Star Wars. At least that’s how it appears, given the fact that Lucasfilm shelved his proposed trilogy. (And there’s been zero talk of its resurrection.) No, he’s back with the anticipated sequel to Knives Out, titled Knives Out: Glass Onion, arriving later this year on Netflix. Johnson will discuss the upcoming Daniel Craig thriller in Empire Magazine’s September issue. Surprisingly, however, he will also revisit The Last Jedi, easily the most divisive film in the entire Star Wars franchise. The question, though, is why?

Knives Out; Rian Johnson;

The Last Jedi hit theaters in December of 2017, and immediately sent a chasm splitting through the fan base. From its treatment of Luke Skywalker, to the ridiculously implausible space chase that served as the film’s underlying plot, TLJ riled as many fans, if not more so, that/than it entertained. It also turned the Star Wars sequel trilogy on its ear as Rian Johnson vastly departed from franchise lore and planned plot lines for the Skywalker saga’s third act. That led to a bloated, jumbled mess of a finale in The Rise of Skywalker. (Though, admittedly, that film becomes much clearer and entertaining once you read the recent novel Shadows of the Sith.) Even a cursory perusal of social media will tell you that a vast many fans want to simply forget the sequel trilogy entirely, and TLJ specifically….

Which makes Johnson’s decision to revisit the film again, now, a bit of a mystery.


Rian Johnson revisits Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The last Jedi; Rian Johnson; Star Wars
Luke Skywalker as he appears in The Last Jedi. (Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.)

There’s no secret that I’ve been a vocal critic of The Last Jedi, and Rian Johnson. I’ve made the following analogy before, however: Not liking a particular aspect of Star Wars does not mean that you have to hate the franchise as a whole, much the same way you’re able to not like a particular player but still love you favorite sports team. Many with whom I’ve spoken feel the same way. As much as fans wanted something new in the franchise, TLJ was not the “new” for which they were hoping. But….

It is, as they say, what it is. The movie is part of the saga, and always will be. Like or hate TLJ, we still love Star Wars. At this point, however, most have moved on and are now focused on the franchise’s future. Andor arrives on Disney+ in less than a month. Ahsoka is getting her own series. Sabine Wren will make her live-action debut. And The Mandalorian will return in spectacular fashion for Season Three. Yet,  Rian Johnson again seems keen to rip open old wounds and “revisit” The Last Jedi.

Why now?

Kathleen Kennedy; The Last Jedi; Lucasfilm; Rian Johnson
What appears to be an awkward moment between the late Carrie Fisher, Rian Johnson, Mark Hamill, and Kathleen Kennedy on the set of The Last Jedi. (Image: Annie Liebovitz for Vanity Fair.)

Johnson has made a habit (in just a few short years) of repeatedly trying to bring The Last Jedi back into the discussion. Perhaps it’s a simple matter of ego. Franchise editors have accused him of consciously derailing the sequel trilogy. J.J. Abrams further made it abundantly clear that Johnson’s entry into Star Wars made Abrams’ work on The Rise of Skywalker exceptionally difficult. It will be very interesting to see what the Knives Out director has to say when the new issue of Empire hits newsstands this Thursday. If we had to guess, though, it will probably be more of the same: explanation and rationalization for a film that’s already played itself well out of the Star Wars spotlight.

Source: Empire