The Rise of Skywalker Director Admits He's 'Nothing But Grateful' for The Last Jedi

Credit: Lucasfilm

Credit: Lucasfilm


Two years since the movie's release, The Last Jedi is still divisive among Star Wars fans. Just like in any other project, not everyone would be pleased with the director's choices, and Rian Johnson's movie is no exception. On the other hand, the creative choices made were appreciated by some fans too, and among these people is The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams.

In a recent interview with Yahoo Entertainment's Kevin Polowy, the director shares his thoughts about Johnson and Episode VIII. "Rian is an incredibly talented director," he said. "I don't know if you've seen Knives Out but I loved it."

Abrams said Johnson is an "incredibly talented guy and a great storyteller." When they were just starting filming for The Force Awakens, Johnson "came to work on the next film," which got Abrams excited to see what direction he would go to in The Last Jedi.

He then pointed out that, "in a way," Johnson's story helped set up what he was about to do in Episode IX. Johnson's story also "allowed" The Rise of Skywalker to finally "have the group together" and embark on an adventure.

Abrams says there are "a lot" of details that Johnson set up that they will run with in Episode IX. "I don't think this movie would've been nearly what it is without the choices that Rian made," he added. And because of that Abrams is just "nothing but grateful."

It's certainly exciting to see what creative choices Abrams has made for his upcoming film, and what he did and didn't include from the storylines of both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Well, it'll soon be answered when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20.

Also Read: New Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Clip Confirms Palpatine is [SPOILERS] All Along

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