Rian Johnson Opens up about The Last Jedi to Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly has delivered their Star Wars Day treat! The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has revealed a small request he asked of JJ Abrams in regards to the ending of The Force Awakens, and also provides insight into the core of the story for The Last Jedi, validating and explaining Luke’s exile.

 

 

Thanks to the article by Anthony Breznican, we learn that Rian Johnson requested JJ Abrams change one aspect of the ending to The Force Awakens. Johnson asked Abrams to have R2-D2 accompany Rey to Ach-To instead of BB-8, who was originally scripted to join her on her quest to find Luke Skywalker.

 

“Yes … The big [favor] was, I asked if R2 could come with Rey, and if BB-8 could stay behind with the Resistance,” Johnson says. “Originally it was BB-8 who went with Rey, which makes sense for the story in a way. But I asked, ‘Can you do me this solid and switch the droids?’”

 

 

As previously confirmed, Rian Johnson was up to speed with the production of The Force Awakens in regards to plot direction and story, to help him begin to shape his chapter in the saga. For those who feel BB-8 got a raw deal with Johnson, remember, Johnson already said BB-8 will be a big part of The Last Jedi, and will often serve as the comic relief, the “Buster Keaton of this movie”. BB-8 will be reunited with his long-time friend Poe Dameron for The Last Jedi as many of us assumed after seeing the teaser trailer.

 

Johnson went on to discuss Luke, and to shatter any thought that he is serving as a supporting feature in the film. That couldn’t be further from the truth, as like Kathleen Kennedy said at Star Wars Celebration, and now echoed by Johnson, Luke is going to be a massive part of this film.

 

 “Figuring out where his head was at was the very first thing I had to do when writing the movie. I had to crack this. And it had to be something for me that first and foremost made sense. Why did Luke Skywalker go off to this island?” Johnson says. “That was the starting point, and that’s what the entire movie explores.”

 

As Han Solo told us in The Force Awakens, after the destruction of Luke’s new Jedi Academy and slaughter of his students, Luke took off, off to find the first Jedi temple. This is where Johnson addresses his true challenge resided. He needed to make sure Luke didn’t flee out of cowardice or in vain.

 

So why did Luke go into exile? Johnson clarifies his goal for Luke’s arc in this film was to make sure there was a strong purpose for his exile and give Luke a validation for it.

 

“There has to be a good reason that makes sense to him — and to some degree makes sense to us.”

 

 

So what can we take away from this? There must be more to Johnson requesting R2 over BB-8 than a friendly face for Luke to see. We now can confirm BB-8 will be back with Poe Dameron for the middle chapter of the trilogy, and Johnson’s main focus was to make sure Luke’s exile serves a purpose to preserve Luke as a hero and not a coward.

 

What do you guys think about this? Sound off in the comments below.

 

“For my ally is the Fourth, and a powerful ally it is.”

@JohnnyHoey

 

 

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John Hoey is the Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net and the host of The Resistance Broadcast podcast

"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

John Hoey

John Hoey is the Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net and the host of The Resistance Broadcast podcast"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

196 thoughts on “Rian Johnson Opens up about The Last Jedi to Entertainment Weekly

  • May 4, 2017 at 8:48 pm
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    Having BB8 stay behind with Poe makes much more sense to me. Also I think this will give us more R2 in TLJ than what we would have gotten if he stayed behind.

    • May 4, 2017 at 9:27 pm
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      I agree for the simple fact that he is Poes droid. And R2D2 is really Lukes droid and C3PO is Leias.
      Should Luke perish I can see R2D2 pass to Rey.

      • May 5, 2017 at 8:52 am
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        And if Poe dies I see BB-8 going to Finn.

  • May 4, 2017 at 9:08 pm
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    EW’s ‘treat’ is pretty anti-climatic.

    • May 4, 2017 at 9:31 pm
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      What were you expecting, an early premiere of the film and a prototype cut of Episode 9? It’s a teaser, you get what you’re given.

      • May 4, 2017 at 9:34 pm
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        Lol. EW has always been a joke. Some ‘treat’ for SW day..

      • May 4, 2017 at 11:50 pm
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        Yeah! You’ll take what you get and like it!

        • May 5, 2017 at 1:07 pm
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          You’ll take what you get and you don’t throw a fit!
          (this is what I say to my kids right before they throw themselves on the floor bawling. (which happens right before I yank them up by the arm and beat their asses.))
          It doesn’t work, but the rhyme makes me smile.

          • May 5, 2017 at 8:46 pm
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            “You’ll take what you get and you don’t throw a fit!”

            I like it….I’m taking it.

      • May 5, 2017 at 8:52 am
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        Uh..episode IX extended special edition with Lord Jar Jar..duh?

  • May 4, 2017 at 9:10 pm
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    R2 is likely carrying archival info that will end up helping Rey and Luke in their exploration of the force. BB8, as a newer model and seemingly not having access to lost imperial and jedi libraries, may not possess the same info.

  • May 4, 2017 at 9:14 pm
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    So JJ had no idea why is Luke gone, also leaving R2-D2 behind has no sense at all! It seems to me that when making a movie JJ gives priority not to the complete story, but to his own feel of the movie on it’s own

    • May 4, 2017 at 9:30 pm
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      And that’s why they hired him. They needed TFA to *feel* like Star Wars, even if it turns out to be a weak story in the following years. It was a chance to say “Hey, I know you guys are worried about Disney buying the franchise, and we also know that you hated the prequels, so we’re starting with an apology letter. We’ll get to the better writing and the better films after we’ve proven that we’re good enough for you.”

      And in my opinion, they succeeded.

      • May 4, 2017 at 9:59 pm
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        so who is to say if it’s a good thing or not? Prequels are not great, but better story than TFA in my humble opinion

        • May 4, 2017 at 10:27 pm
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          What’s so great about the story of the prequels? A power-hungry politician manipulates a bunch of idiots and exploits their astounding lack of basic reasoning skills to take over the galaxy. Sounds like Trump: The Movie.

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:16 pm
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            Better than “A New Hope 2.0” where our heroes have to destroy “Darth Star 3.0” before the EMPIRE…. I mean THE FIRST ORDER destroy the Rebels…. Oh Silly me I mean the Resistance.

            At least the PT tried to be different even if some feel they failed.

            Just kidding I love both the PT and Ep. VII.

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:47 pm
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            So was Anakin the Celebrity Sith Apprentice?

        • May 4, 2017 at 11:27 pm
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          Story doesn’t matter. It never mattered. What’s the story of ANH? “Save the princess, beat the bad guys, get the blueprint home, blow up the enemy base”. That’s a really stock plot, even by the standards of the time. What made Star Wars great were the characters, the set pieces, the setting itself, the effects, the music. Not the story.

          The story is the skeleton on which the rest of the saga is built. When someone sees an attractive person, the first thing said is NEVER “wow, they have a great skeleton”. When people say they care about the story, they USUALLY mean that they care about what characters do and what happens to them, or how the story was presented to them.

          Sure, on a technical level, the prequels have a more intricate and fleshed-out story, but this is part of what makes them disliked. For many people, the story was TOO hard to follow. It was hard to care about the story when the characters were so flat and the technical stuff (pacing, direction, etc) was so poorly done.

  • May 4, 2017 at 9:56 pm
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    Am I the only one that has trouble reading these articles because the damn page won’t stop auto scrolling? Not only is it completely annoying to read while the copy is moving up and down what ever causes it seems to be an optimization issue, this site never seems to stop loading and is easily the slowest piece of web code I’ve seen in years.

    • May 4, 2017 at 10:01 pm
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      too much javascript

    • May 4, 2017 at 10:56 pm
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      This shouldn’t be happening. How is it auto scrolling? Can you make a screenshot?

      • May 5, 2017 at 12:07 am
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        I don’t think a screen shot will do the trick as the copy moves as I’m trying to read it. It would just look like a still. It goes up and down like I’m scrolling when I’m not touching the mouse. Maybe it’s a browser bug. I’ll try a different browser and see what I get and let you know.

        • May 5, 2017 at 12:26 am
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          Are you talking about our Desktop version, or the Mobile version, or the Tablet version? They are all different.

          • May 5, 2017 at 12:30 am
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            Desktop version.

          • May 5, 2017 at 12:32 am
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            Firefox 53.0 on an iMac.

      • May 5, 2017 at 12:25 am
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        OK, so yeah, browser bug. It scrolls in the version of Firefox I’m using but works just fine and loads faster in Safari. Soooooo now I ditch Firefox cuz this site is one of the only things I look at every day on the intrawebs!

      • May 5, 2017 at 8:50 am
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        Don’t worry, it’s not a huge issue. I think I know what this person is talking about, and it happens mostly in the tablet version. I think it’s due to images or ads loading and effectively shifting the screen downwards.

  • May 4, 2017 at 10:04 pm
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    BB8 staying with Poe makes sense. He was his droid in the first place.

  • May 4, 2017 at 10:12 pm
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    I will never understand why they chose to not have the originals on screen one more time. Doesn’t make any sense. Hopefully Rian Johnson got a chance to do a flashback scene.

    • May 4, 2017 at 10:15 pm
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      Because Luke presents all sorts of issues and Force Awakens, instead of dealing with it, punted it.

      • May 4, 2017 at 10:20 pm
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        Why deal with all of that business and answer all questions in the first movie, when you’re trying to set up a new cast? Those questions will be answered over time, as they should be. You don’t need all the answers immediately. Some mysteries should naturally be carried over to the successive films, just like we didn’t really know the truth about Luke and Vader until the end of Empire.

        • May 4, 2017 at 10:24 pm
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          I don’t disagree with how they did it. I believe it was pretty much the only way. I believe Luke having a pivotal role in the first film would have overshadowed everything else.

        • May 4, 2017 at 10:29 pm
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          Plenty of time to “set up the new cast” — the Original Trilogy Characters only have so many years left and should be the Priority. Let Eps 10, 11, 12 be the glorious “Rey and Finn” show — I’ll stay home — but it will be glorious.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:30 pm
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            Once again. They had their trilogy. Their time is passed. Go back and watch 4-6 if you want to see those people again. 7-9 is all about Rey, Finn and Poe.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:33 pm
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            Rey, Finn, and Poe will NEVER have the box office draw of Luke, Han, and Leia. The fact is: Ep 7 would NOT have shattered box offices worldwide without the OT team. Rey and Finn are entertaining newbies, but they lack the Emotional-Equity and DECADES of fandom that the OT characters possess. and looks like my wish is GRANTED, as Rian and Kathleen have CONFIRMED Luke is pretty much the main character behind Rey. As he SHOULD and DESERVES to be.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:35 pm
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            HAHAHAHA. Do you honestly believe that movie had the financial success it did because of the new “new cast”?

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:21 am
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            People would have gone to see that movie if it was 2 hours of paint drying. Yes, seeing the old cast was a draw, but the idea that people want to see entire movies about them as 65-75 year olds is ridiculous.

          • May 6, 2017 at 1:18 pm
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            No, they’re clearly not, you’re just wrong there Crixxxx. TFA was obviously just as much Han Solo’s movie as it was the new trio’s and TLJ is clearly going to very prominently feature Luke Skywalker.

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:39 pm
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            It was not Han Solo’s movie any more than A New Hope was Obi wan’s movie. Luke is to The Last Jedi what Yoda was to Empire. Can you not see this very obvious repeat of the mentors passing on wisdom to the younger generation?

      • May 4, 2017 at 10:28 pm
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        Yeah. I mean the original cast is to movies, what Led Zeppelin or the Beatles is to music. You can see the members individually, but it’s never the same unless you see them together.

        • May 4, 2017 at 10:30 pm
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          PRECISELY. Ep 7 missed a GRAND opportunity in not have the 3 OT Characters REUNITE to defeat StarKiller Base !!!

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:34 pm
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            Lightsaber flies into Luke’s hands, Luke easily fends of Kylo ren. Luke helps injured Rey and Fynn onto Falcon to meet Chewbacca. Cast reunited, Luke takes Rey back to Ach-to to train. ahhhhhh…

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:00 pm
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            You just made TFA the PERFECT Film.

          • May 6, 2017 at 1:03 pm
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            Eh, no he didn’t, Han would still have been dead by that stage and Leia still back at the rebel base, so no reunion. Also the whole riddle of trying to find Luke narrative would be rendered completely pointless if he were just to independently show up.

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:23 am
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            Han would still be dead, not much of a reunion.

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:25 am
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            Then you basically make the reasoning behind Luke’s exile and the goal of tracking him down meaningless. The whole point of the movie was to locate Luke. You throw the whole plot of the movie into the trashcan when you do that.

          • May 5, 2017 at 9:25 am
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            It all depends on why Luke exiled himself. Which we will apparently find out in TLJ.

        • May 5, 2017 at 4:23 am
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          This isn’t a rock concert. This is a three-part story. Story decisions made on nothing but fan service is completely stupid.

    • May 4, 2017 at 10:17 pm
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      Because this isn’t their trilogy. Theirs was 4-6. TFA was about introducing a new trio. Having too much of the old characters overshadows that objective.

      • May 4, 2017 at 10:25 pm
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        If the Original Character can “overshadow” the newbies, then the newbies AREN’T ready for dat spotlight. PERIOD.

        • May 4, 2017 at 10:35 pm
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          So you think that if Yoda and Obi Wan were the main focus of A New Hope, there would be no problem establishing Luke, Han and Leia at the start of that trilogy? That’s not how these things work. You need to set up your main characters adequately in the first film of the trilogy. You can’t do that when 3 of the most famous Star Wars characters are sharing the spotlight. It fails to give the new cast a chance to establish themselves, and you can’t honestly expect brand new characters to instantly be as well known as Luke, Han & Leia. That would be impossible.

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:00 pm
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            I”m all for a “Rey and Finn” only Trilogy for Eps 10, 11, 12.

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:05 pm
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            Your whole argument is based on a 3 movie period. Please show me where it says you get 3 movies and your done? George Lucas original treatment was 12 movies.

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:18 am
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            Because that’s the generational story structure that these films have been following in 30-year intervals. Anakin’s trilogy was 1-3. Luke and Leia’s was 4-6, Kylo Ren and Rey’s is 7-9. Lucas’ original treatment was condensed from 12 to 6 films. He said he had no plans for a sequel trilogy in 2005. Then, when he finally decided to go ahead with the sequel trilogy, his ideas were never really fleshed out beyond a basic story treatment which Disney ultimately decided not to use. So there is no requirement for 12 films to be made.

          • May 5, 2017 at 2:30 am
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            Obi Wan had a great presence in Ep4 and in no way overshadowed Luke, Han, and Leia. He was amazing every second he was on screen.

          • May 5, 2017 at 2:56 am
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            This….is true. But it’s a little bit of an apples and oranges comparison. Episode 4 had essentially no backstory that the masses were previously aware of, and there were no expectations on any of the characters leading into the movie. After 40 years and 6 movies and billions upon billions of dollars later – the equation is a little different now. It will NEVER be like it was in 1977.

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:10 am
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            He was in half the movie. It was a supporting role. The same role was fulfilled by Han Solo in TFA. Both characters die in a similar fashion. What you want is a trilogy in which Luke is the main protagonist and Rey, Finn and Poe are supporting characters.

        • May 4, 2017 at 11:43 pm
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          It’s not about overshadowing. It’s not about the new characters being ready. It’s about the story evolving past the narrative that has followed the Big 3. The wheel turns, whether you’re ready for it or not. Anyone with a lick of wisdom knows this; has accepted this.

          Rip off the band-aid. Jump into the cold pool.

          • May 5, 2017 at 2:18 am
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            I’m all for a “Rey and Finn are best buddies” Trilogy come Eps 10, 11, 12. Right now — not ready for that. OT Characters are stronger, carry FAR more box office weight, and ultimately emotionally-resonate with the viewers in a more profound manner than “Rey and Finn”.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:27 am
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            I think you’re grossly dismissing the balancing act that Lucasfilm was attempting to do here. And while the Big 3 are immensely popular characters, they’re status is highly relevant to the age of the fan. I grew up during the OT era. I’m a first-generation Star Wars fan. For me, no Star Wars characters (no movie characters for that matter) will ever top Luke, Han, and Leia. I won’t be done. It probably can’t be done. But once again, I’m in my 40’s and grew up in the 70’s/80’s.

            But at this point, I’m just one slice of the very large Star Wars demographic. Younger fans often don’t see this in quite the same way. And why would they? Luke, Han, and Leia are popular, beloved even, but that love is shared with Prequel characters like Obi-Wan and Anakin. It’s even more drastic with even younger fans. I have two sons. They dig Han Solo. They really like Luke. But they also love Ezra, Rey, Rex, and Ahsoka. There is no 40 years of built-in nostalgia with them. It’s just all Star Wars.

            So while I loved the reverence that TFA paid to the OT, I can’t argue with the logic of pushing past that. Face it, shooting your arrow solely at the original Star Wars generation is a poor choice of target. In order to keep this brand alive and growing, snagging a younger fan base is critical. They’re going to be around longer. And really, the older generation is still going to plop down money for movie tickets; no matter what anyone here claims.

            So, Lucasfilm wanted to make a movie (and trilogy) that older fans would enjoy and a film where they could see watch their beloved heroes pass the torch. At the same time, they were tasked with a movie that would draw in a whole new generation of fans. Three movies about people in their 60’s and 70’s isn’t going to do that.

            Did it work? Yes.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:37 am
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            Bobby Sharp, great comment – I agree completely.

            I’ll just add one thing at the end – “Boom” (Mic drop).

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:52 am
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            Right — little kids will basically eat whatever Lucasfilm puts on the plates for them. Kids are the EASY sell here — DAD AND MOM though control the pocketbook and ultimately control how many times Little Billy will see The Last Jedi……

          • May 5, 2017 at 5:31 am
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            “…little kids will basically eat whatever Lucasfilm puts on the plate for them (whether its good or lame)”

            That’s simply not true. I suspect that you spend very little time around children; you certainly don’t have any yourself or you would have observed much the opposite. Kids’ tastes differ in many ways from those older than them, but they’re still intuitive and have an uncanny knack of detecting quality from crap. That sense might not be as defined and as practised as an adult (they are, after all, children), but to proclaim that they’re nothing more than passive recipients of whatever garbage is placed before them betrays an incredible amount of ignorance in regards to how young minds think.

          • May 6, 2017 at 12:52 pm
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            Yeah, there are three things that completely torpedo that argument 1. TPM 2. AOTC and 3. ROTS.

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:36 pm
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            This isn’t a zero-sum game. Tastes are perceptions are usually more nuanced than that. A few crappy movies that some kids have embraced doesn’t serve as an example on how young minds think. If you’re old enough to use the Internet, you should be old enough to understand this.

            Those are some weak torpedoes.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:51 am
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            I’m all for the story moving forward. However, I am in NO HURRY to leave behind far more valuable characters. Best to utilize BOTH to their maximum potential while they can. If TFA had just been the “Rey and Finn are buddies” show, with no OT characters, the film would not have had 1/10th the cultural impact that it did.

      • May 4, 2017 at 10:26 pm
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        According to Kathleen Kennedy and now Rian Johnson, this is Luke’s movie. Still lame no matter how you slice it.

        • May 4, 2017 at 10:27 pm
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          how is it “LAME” this is Luke’s movie? LUKE is the character that is going to SELL tickets and drive us to see this Film numerous times. If Ep8 was “The Rey and Finn Show” I’d probably stay home or go to a Marvel Flick LOL

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:31 pm
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            lol maybe I wrote that wrong or your misunderstood it, I was replying to Crixxx saying this is the new casts movie. And I ment it’s still lame that the original cast was not in the movie together. All I wanted to see was the original cast, couldn’t give a shit about the new cast. The new cast should have been slowly introduced to leap frog into the next trilogy. They should not have rushed the old cast out. Long live EU. Yeah I am that guy.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:35 pm
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            And you are a SMART guy. The newbies (Rey and Finn) should be the SIDE BUDDIES of Luke, Han, and Leia — developing them for their OWN trilogy next. a more BALANCED approach would ultimately be more satisfying and draw FAR more money at the Box Office.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:38 pm
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            Trust me, I have been in a support group ever since they abandoned the EU. The best part of the EU was the relationship of the old cast. Really bums me out. But I am willing to accept that it’s gone. But this Trilogy should have been the originals casts concluding in the hand off to the new cast. And then in 10, 11, 12 they could have taken the TFA approach.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:42 pm
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            That’s simply bad storytelling. You want them there for no other reason than you like those characters. You refuse to accept that this trilogy is about the next generation. 4-6 was about Luke, Han and Leia. This is not their second trilogy, this is the Rey, Finn and Poe trilogy.

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:10 pm
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            So if having the main characters a focal point past 3 movies is bad story telling, you must hate Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, James Bond, Iron Man etc

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:36 pm
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            Star Wars isn’t any of those properties. The narrative pattern of Star Wars is quite different from those that you listed. Saying that what works for Harry-frickin-Potter should work for Star Wars is ridiculous.

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:46 pm
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            Please compare and contrast the pre-determined narrative pattern of Harry Potter vs. Star wars. Please provide sited examples to support your argument. Or are you just assuming? Maybe you know more than Mark Hamill: “In a 2004 interview, Hamill said: “You know, when I first did this, it was four trilogies. 12 movies! And out on the desert, any time between setups…lots of free time. And George was talking about this whole thing. I said, ‘Why are you starting with IV, V and VI? It’s crazy.’ [Imitating Lucas grumble,] ‘It’s the most commercial section of the movie.”

            What is ridiculous is the amount of people who don’t know what they are talking about.

          • May 5, 2017 at 12:09 am
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            “Please provide sited examples to support your argument.”

            Give me a break. This is a discussion forum on a Star Wars news site. I’ve finished graduate school. This is hardly the same thing.

            That being said, with two trilogies on the books, a narrative pattern is pretty easily discerned. Each trilogy keeps focus on the stories of three or so major characters. The Big 3 had their trilogy and appropriately began their segway into the next crew with TFA.

            Sure, Hamill said that. And we all know about the 12 movies that Lucas had in mind back in the late 70’s. But if you a shred and scrap of knowledge about storytelling that you seem to think you do, you’d also realize that these types of lifelong projects are incredibly fluid and malleable processes. Pointing at something that Lucas said when he was just over 30 years old about a property he was just starting to explore and expecting that narrative to remain true to that early and nebulous vision is naivete at its bases form. I’d imagine that any artist would tell you something quite similar.

            “What is ridiculous is the amount of people who don’t know what they are talking about.”

            Get over yourself. Take a deep breath. You’re wrong. And that’s okay.

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:33 am
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            Everything you just wrote and you still didn’t answer the question. I hope that’s not how you answered questions in “graduate school”. Your opinion of what the narrative is doesn’t make it so. I gave you the opportunity to substantiate your opinion and you came back with more opinions. The fact is, the Star Wars saga was supposed to be 12 movies following the Skywalkers, we are at movie 8. End of discussion. And until you provide any time of proof that supports your opinion, “You’re wrong. And that’s okay”. And do you really want to get on the topic of what is being pulled from 30 years ago? Let’s start with the Journal of the Whills, which, from all indications, seems to be a huge part of episode 8.

          • May 5, 2017 at 5:46 am
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            I’m not even sure where to start with this. It’s a mess of a post. A train wreck. A shipwreck. A 50-car pileup.

            Once again, your entire premise for criticising the limited presence of the Big 3 in the sequel trilogy seems to hinge on this concept that the story needs to honor an idea that floated out of Lucas’s mouth a few times several decades ago. If you’ve read any of Rinzler’s “Making of” books or knew anything at all about how Lucas developed stories, you’d be amazed at how much stuff didn’t make it onto the screen. He was well known for voicing all of his myriad thoughts and ideas out loud, and especially earlier on in his film career, to anyone that would listen (and many that wouldn’t). How is this that difficult for you to understand? Okay, so some of his ideas made it to fruition. Of course they did. Many of them did not. That’s generally how this stuff works.

            And let’s not forget that when Lucas did envision 12 movies, it was at a time when he had the luxury of youth in which to do so. We often slate for ourselves lofty goals when we’re younger. But reality and the constraints of time, money, and opportunity often cajole us into adapting our plans. Perhaps if these movies were in production years ago, things might have shaken out differently. But that’s not how life works.

            When you’re older, I suspect you’ll come to understand this.

          • May 5, 2017 at 2:16 am
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            So every Star Wars trilogy has to be same pattern? Not buying that boredom.

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:06 am
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            Oh, please. Harry Potter, James Bond and Iron Man are not made up of trilogies that take place in 30-year intervals. The Harry Potter films follow Harry through a 7-year period. The James Bond films are not linear films, they are largely standalone films featuring the same character. Indiana Jones 4 was crap. He was too damn old, and the film suffered.

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:22 am
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            Indiana Jones 4 being terrible had NOTHING to do with Harrison’s age LOL. It was terrible because of a HORRID script, CGI-monkeys, aliens, and the YOUNG Shia Lebouf. You are really an AGEIST person wow………

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:35 am
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            Of course it did. Indiana Jones is not a deep, multi-layered character. He, is, much like James Bond, likable for his cool-factor, the adventures he always ends up in, the sexy women he ends up with. The audience is drawn to him because they want to be him. No one wants to be a grizzled old man pretending to still be young, getting married to a middle-aged Marion Ravenwood and keeping his greaser son in line. Yes, there were many other factors that made that movie bad, but it was in no way helped by Harrison’s geezerdom.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:34 am
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            Not going to listen to your hateful ageist bad energy.

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:48 pm
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            Oh, please. Don’t give me that ageist bullshit. You have no clue what makes for a good story. You want blatant fan service, the story be damned and think actors from 40 years ago (one of which has already died) can carry a trilogy that’s just as good as the preceding one. It’s simply absurd.

          • May 7, 2017 at 3:20 am
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            Keep watching the Gate Receipts — the Star Wars Films that DONT have Luke and Leia won’t get NEAR the same Box Office. Proves my point over and over, year after year. I have a better understanding of what CASUAL fans want — not “obsessed fans” like us 😉

          • May 7, 2017 at 3:41 am
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            TFA was one of the most anticipated films of all time. Of course it did tremendous box office. Each successive film will have make less because the initial excitement of the return of Star Wars has passed. The novelty of seeing those stars has now passed. People will not rush out to see them for those reasons alone. Casual fans do not want to see Geezer Wars. They are ready to move on to the new characters’ adventures. The fan base has embraced new trio wholeheartedly.

          • May 5, 2017 at 5:54 am
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            “…and the YOUNG Shia Lebouf. You are really an AGEIST person…”

            Hmmm….

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:06 pm
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            Kent is right in this regard, Indy 4 wasn’t terrible because of a 65 year old HF. Ford still looked the part and still pulled off the action scenes quite well, the movie just had a crappy story. Oh and he clearly wasn’t suggesting that Shia was terrible because he was young – like others did with HF being old – just that his youth didn’t automatically make the movie better. Hmmm…. not the brightest are you BS, either that or not very honest.

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:44 pm
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            “…not the brightest are you BS,..”

            Now, now. We’re grown-ups here. Let’s talk like them. There’s no need to venture into personal insults because of a discussion about Indiana Jones. If you’re finding yourself with a dearth of applicable points, so be it. But don’t make up for this with personal attacks. It’s embarrassing and terribly transparent.

          • May 7, 2017 at 3:21 am
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            Precisley! HF was literally the only GOOD thing about Indy 4. The ‘young superstar’ Shia LeBeouf was a monumental let-down — so much so that Spielberg and Gang abandoned their idea of giving the franchise over to him…..

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:45 am
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            19 years between ROS and ANH. And again, your whole theory/opinion about the “New Generation” is built on your own personal theory that every group only gets 3 movies. Yet you’ve provided nothing but your opinion to back that up. Aside from the fact the creator of Star Wars planned for a 12 movie saga, he further validated the original cast being part of the story well past 30 years by overseeing every Canon book that was published before Disney destroyed it. The last Canon book approved by Lucas was 45 years after a new hope and the main cast was still the focal point.

          • May 5, 2017 at 5:05 am
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            No, it’s not my “theory” at all. It’s backed up on what we already have, three trilogies made up of three generations of a family, plus the very clear indication from Lucas that these trilogies are designed to be in generational increments:
            “GL: There are a series of nine films in a series of three trilogies. The first trilogy is about the young Ben Kenobi and the early life of Luke’s father when Luke was a little boy. This trilogy takes place some twenty years before the second trilogy which includes Star Wars and Empire. About a year or two passes between each story of the trilogy and about twenty years pass between the trilogies. The entire saga spans about fifty-five years.” – George Lucas, 1979. Lucas: “The original Saga was about the father, the children, and the grandchildren. That’s not a secret to anybody, it’s even in the novels and everything. The children were in their 20s and everything, so it wasn’t The Phantom Menace again.”

          • May 5, 2017 at 5:25 am
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            No one ever said anything about them not being generational. Obviously they are generational. Being generational has nothing to do with how much the characters are involved. Which this whole debate is about. There is no precedence for this this trilogy because the only thing we have to compare it to are the prequels , and none of the original cast was alive. It’s obvious moving forward, this is Luke’s trilogy. Rian Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy have made it more than clear that Luke is a big part of the movie. Kathleen Kennedy: “He is significantly important to this next film,” Kennedy said to thousands of fans prior to the debut of the first teaser trailer and poster for The Last Jedi at the Orlando Convention Center” Johnson mentioned “a large part of the movie” will cover why Luke is on Ahch-to and how he’ll deal with his current situation.”

          • May 5, 2017 at 5:30 am
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            We can certainly compare it to the original trilogy. Luke is to this movie what Yoda was to Empire – a significant part, yes, but not the main protagonist. Yoda had no presence in A New Hope, and Luke had next to none in TFA. He now fills the role of the master imparting training and wisdom to the protagonist who has gone into training – which is decidedly Rey, who clearly is to this trilogy what Luke was to 4-6.

          • May 6, 2017 at 3:55 pm
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            But Reyry Sue doesn’t need any training, she’s amazingly awesome – far superior to any male character – from the get go.

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:42 pm
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            So because Rey was able to realize some aspects of her ability to use the force on her own, she doesn’t need to be trained? Um, no. And the ability to use the force is about concentration, not how physically strong you are.

          • May 5, 2017 at 5:56 am
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            None of those EU books were canon. You seem pretty hell-bent on this issue of opinions vs. fact. Perhaps you should do a bit of your own fact checking. They seem mighty fluid concepts with you.

          • May 5, 2017 at 5:53 am
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            It’s one head-shaking moment after another with this fella.

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:34 pm
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            They’re not getting it. They’re completely missing the point that the new films are not the OT. And all this garbage about how the movie would be been so much better and made so much money and so on and so forth is just noise and conjecture. We don’t need an entire trilogy in order to transition into new characters. What a colossal waste that would be.

          • May 5, 2017 at 2:15 am
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            The OT characters still have a story to tell. You can’t “write them off” because they already had a Trilogy — their stories now are as fundamental as they were then. And this new Trilogy would be suffering, BADLY, without their presence.

          • May 5, 2017 at 2:50 am
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            Well, we’ve already said goodbye to Han. Get ready to say goodbye to Leia in Episode 8. The clock is ticking on Luke….

          • May 6, 2017 at 3:30 pm
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            Ah you’re talking a lot of nonsense. Luke, Han and Leia are not SIDE BUDDIES in this trilogy. They’re being allowed to pass the baton whilst remaining prominent in the story. Han Solo was one of the main characters in TFA, Leia’s role was about the same size as Poe’s. Luke is obviously going to be one of the main characters in TLJ and the role of Leia is supposed to be bigger than in TFA.

          • May 7, 2017 at 3:15 am
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            I”m all for Han, Luke, and Leia having the LARGEST roles possible in the new Trilogy.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:38 pm
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            That’s simply not good storytelling in the trilogy structure. The first film of the new trilogy introduces the new characters that we will follow through the entire trilogy. The old characters are there to pass the baton, not overshadow the establishment of the new characters. You want them there simply because you like them, not because it’s good for the story.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:39 pm
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            The Saga is about the Skywalker family. So it makes complete sense. Not having them as the focal point goes against the structure of the overall story.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:41 pm
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            It’s about the NEXT GENERATION of the Skywalker family. I.e. Kylo Ren and we’ll see what happens with Rey.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:42 pm
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            That’s like saying, Darth Vader should have been a role player in the original trilogy, because he had his time in the prequels.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:44 pm
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            Darth Vader is not the main protagonist. Nor is Obi Wan or Padme. Obi Wan is in a supporting role for half of ANH, until he is killed. Padme is already dead. So it’s not the same as having Han, Luke and Leia all together again.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:58 am
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            That was at the end of the third film for about 5 seconds. You want the planned structure of the first movie and the sequels changed to accommodate an unnecessary reunion for no other reason than fan service, which is completely stupid.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:57 pm
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            That’s a completely pointless argument because the prequels were filmed after the OT. The first six films are about Anakin’s redemption. That story is over, and unlike those films, Luke and Leia haven’t transitioned to completely different roles (ie, hero to villain) in this new trilogy. A better analogy is Obi-wan in the prequels to Ben Kenobi in the new trilogy. A passing of the baton, as Crixxxx mentions.

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:02 pm
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            George Lucas original treatment was 12 movies. What’s a pointless argument is assuming there is some unwritten rule that says the main characters only get 3 movies and your done.

          • May 4, 2017 at 10:58 pm
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            No I want the Original Characters because its a BETTER STORY with them prominent — as opposed to your over-simplified and narrow scope of how a Trilogy works.

          • May 4, 2017 at 11:29 pm
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            His idea of how a trilogy works isn’t narrow because you don’t agree with him. I’m not sure how having the Big 3 back together would necessarily equate to a better story. I’m sure a good story could have been told with all three back in prominent roles, but it certainly doesn’t ensure it.

          • May 5, 2017 at 1:40 am
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            Right. Having three 60-75-year-olds (one of which died halfway through) in an action adventure trilogy is a great idea. Who needs a new trilogy about a younger generation simply because you can’t get over your infatuation with the ones from 40 years ago.

          • May 5, 2017 at 1:58 am
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            Isn’t that sort of what “The Expendables” did?

          • May 5, 2017 at 2:13 am
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            Those 60-75 year olds are the reason TFA broke world records. Notice Rogue One, without the “big 3” did great but made about half the cash of TFA.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:54 am
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            So making money is your only concern, story be damned?

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:58 am
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            If the Films don’t make money, they won’t continue.

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:41 am
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            They could put the Star Wars logo on a black screen for two hours and it would make money.

          • May 5, 2017 at 5:57 am
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            Sure – but it wouldn’t shatter records.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:01 pm
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            You don’t know that.

          • May 5, 2017 at 6:23 pm
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            I for one am 46 and became a lifelong fan at age 6 in 1977 when it all started. I suffered through the prequels to get Vader and Obi-Wan’s backstory. Even though I more than appreciated the return of the original. cast in TFA I was more intrigued by the new bloods and how they would advance the lore. That being said I do believe that Luke is the major draw for TLJ mainly because we got only an all too brief glimpse of him in TFA. But I hope it’s done well because like it or not Rey is our new hero we’re supposed to get behind. If Luke totally upstages her and dies or is greatly. reduced in episode 9 this whole trilogy will basically feel anti climatic and could disappointment many new fans Disney is trying to lure in. It still needs to feel like Rey’s story in order for it to keep the momentum moving forward.

        • May 4, 2017 at 11:22 pm
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          Episode 8 was not supposed to be Luke’s movie. Rian Johnso and Kathleen Kennedy made it that way when they settled on Johnson’s script and named the movie “The Last Jedi” in reference to Luke. Personally, i’d rather have a movie about Rey, Ben/Kylo, Poe and Finn, noit about Luke with Rey as a sidekick, and Poe and Finn doing a couple of filler action scenes that are secondary to the main plot. I still hope that is not the case, but I will have to wait and see.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:46 am
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            The new characters don’t bring the emotional-engagement necessary to make Ep8 a box office smash. YES your kiddos think Rey is cool, but without the OT characters to basically “validate” her — most Parents would be staying HOME coming December… And guess what? PARENTS control the cash flow more than 6 year olds.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:01 pm
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            baseless

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:28 am
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            OK what was baseless? Bring it please. I’m in the mood.

          • May 7, 2017 at 5:35 am
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            Parents staying home is baseless. You have nothing but your biased opinion to back it up.

            I’m not in the mood, so feel free to respond. I won’t be 🙂

  • May 4, 2017 at 10:49 pm
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    For me it made sense for bb-8 to stay with Poe and R2 to return to Luke. Also, delving into the missing 30 years of Luke is probably the most interesting part of this film. At least going in.

    • May 4, 2017 at 11:01 pm
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      Agreed – LUKE is the only reason I’m going to see Ep 8. If Ep 8 were the “Rey and Finn are buddies” film, I’d stay home literally.

      • May 4, 2017 at 11:49 pm
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        same.

      • May 5, 2017 at 1:17 am
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        No one cares.

        • May 5, 2017 at 2:12 am
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          The film is literally NAMED after Luke….so yeah… looks like Disney appreciates Luke’s story.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:25 am
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            That’s not what I’m talking about. You constantly babble on about how need more Vader and more Luke and this and that, but what you fail to realize is that no one cares, and no one ever has. I don’t mean to sound pushy, but how many times are gonna bitch and moan (in all caps) about how Lucasfilm fails to meet your fanboyish expectations until you realize not only that it will change nothing, but that it makes you seem (very) annoying?

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:44 am
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            Its not annoying — its valid discourse that is backed up by Box Office Data and Merchandise Receipts. Hard to argue with numbers. The New Trilogy would not have reached the heights it has without the OT characters. They are the “rock” of the series and the main Box Office draw with the casual fan. Believe it or not, the “casual fans” outnumber us “obsessed fans” — and make a MUCH larger Box Office impact.

          • May 5, 2017 at 9:00 am
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            That to me makes no sense at all..this ST would have done well simply because the brand itself is just that powerful. Having the OT characters return is a plus..but the ST doesn’t need the OT characters to back it up at all.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:26 am
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            This current Trilogy would absolutely NOT have broken Box Office records worldwide without the OT characters. That is true. The inclusion of the OT characters made TFA a cultural event that transcended the entire film industry.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:30 am
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            Again, look at Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. That movie did not have the support of Harry, Ron and Hermione, yet it it has bigger earnings than 5 of the 8 Harry Potter films..so..no.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:35 am
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            I don’t care about Harry Potter receipts. Literally don’t care in the least. I’m not an expert on HP.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:43 am
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            It’s essentially the same situation, one where the brand itself has proven it can stray away from core elements and still be successful.

          • May 6, 2017 at 6:16 am
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            The Star Wars brand is certainly powerful — however Rogue One did HALF the box office of TFA — gee I wonder why ?

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:08 pm
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            Because it wasn’t the first Star Wars film in a DECADE. Geez, it’s common sense.

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:40 pm
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            You keep saying these things like you know them to be true. You don’t.

            You might suspect that the movie wouldn’t have done as well. You might guess TFA would have made 5 trillion dollars if the Big 3 were more prominently featured. And maybe, in some instances, you would be right.

            But you don’t know.

          • May 7, 2017 at 3:12 am
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            Actually I do know. Because Rogue One did HALF the cash of TFA.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:27 am
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            Keep in mind that Rogue One, without OT characters in a prominent position, did about HALF the cash of TFA. KThanks.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:33 am
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            Look at FANTASTIC BEASTS AND THE HOBBIT K BYE

          • May 6, 2017 at 2:24 pm
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            The Hobbit had Gandalf, Bilbo, Frodo, Elrond, Saruman, Galadriel, Legolas, Sauron and Gollum, all prominent characters from LotR.

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:35 pm
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            This is true

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:49 pm
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            “…all prominent characters from LotR.”

            Exactly. But not all of them were in The Hobbit. Jackson’s decision to shoehorn Sauron, Saruman, and Galadriel into the Hobbit films showed a fantastic lack of judgment which resulted in a bloated piece of cinema that ultimately failed to represent the pace, scope, and spirit of the source material.

          • May 7, 2017 at 1:37 am
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            This is also true

          • May 5, 2017 at 1:37 pm
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            That’s ridiculous. Saying
            “Original Trilogy characters are the main box office draw in these new films” is different than saying

            “We NEED more VADER becase HE is LIKE butter AND more IS better AND without ORIGINAL trilogy CHARACTERS these MOVIES would HAVE made LESS money, SO please TAKE an ENTIRE trilogy TO transition FROM the OLD characters TO the NEW ones.”

            You do the latter thing, by the way.

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:53 pm
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            “You do the latter thing, by the way.”

            This made me laugh. What is WITH all the CAPITALIZED words? It’s LIKE it’s 1994 and IM using AOL and GETTING into an ARGUMENT in a CHATROOM.

            Good gravy.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:06 pm
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            I don’t know if you’re talking to Kent or to me with that last part, but the capitalized wording was in reference to the way Kent types. Go back and read some of his comments, you’ll see.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:17 pm
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            I know. I got it. It was hilarious.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:01 pm
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            And those casual fans came away loving the new characters now, too.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:25 am
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            They certainly do — but is a more peripheral interest with far less emotional engagement. Kind of like when I meet a new girl, I feel “crushey” — but after just 1 or 2 dates — I don’t yet LOVE them to the profound degree I love my Mom or my Sister (who I have known my entire life). Mic drop analogy there 🙂

          • May 7, 2017 at 5:36 am
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            “but is a more peripheral interest with far less emotional engagement. ”

            OPINION.

          • May 6, 2017 at 1:46 pm
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            What are you on about, saying nobody cares about Vader or Luke Skywalker is the greatest load of nonsense.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:07 pm
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            I didn’t say that no one cares about Luke or Vader. I said no one cares about Kent’s fanboyish obsession with having the original trilogy characters shoved down our throats 40 years later instead of giving the newcomers some time to shine.

      • May 5, 2017 at 1:36 am
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        We get it. You love Luke and you want to see a movie about grizzled 65 year old.

        • May 5, 2017 at 2:11 am
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          Yeah that grizzled 65 year old has more Box Office draw and Merchandise Receipts than ANYONE else in Ep 8.

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:53 am
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            So all story decisions should be made on how popular a character from 40 years ago was who is now a 65-year-old. Well, that worked so well for Indiana Jones 4. I bet you can’t wait for 75-year-old in Indy in 5!

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:56 am
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            Indiana Jones 4 suffered from the worst plot and worst script EVER introduced into the Indy franchise (thanks for the Aliens and CGI-monkeys George!) Harrison LOOKED great and still carried the Indy legacy amazingly. Years later, we all still CARE about Harrison while NO ONE gives a flying heck about his supposed-successor in the film — Shia LeFlop. And yes, provided it has a better script, I cant wait for Indy 5. Sorry I’m not ageist like you — I love who I love for their ENTIRE lifetime, not just when they are 20-30.

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:01 am
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            I’m kinda looking forward to the new Indy moive. He may be pushing 80 years old by then, but hey – it’s Harrison Ford we’re talking about!

          • May 5, 2017 at 4:02 am
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            Provided we have a GOOD script and no CGI-monkeys, INDY 5 should be amazing !

          • May 6, 2017 at 12:02 pm
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            So an Indiana Jones movie shouldn’t focus on Indiana Jones.

          • May 6, 2017 at 4:43 pm
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            No, you recast him like James Bond has been recast 6-7 times. You don’t have Sean Connery still out there, do you?

          • May 5, 2017 at 3:00 pm
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            That used to be true. it’s not anymore. You are behind the times.

          • May 6, 2017 at 5:21 am
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            Actually it IS still true. Mark Hamill – YES to this day – has more Box Office Draw and Merchandise Receipts than ANYONE else in Ep 8. In fact, he has 40 years worth of receipts. So if you want to “go there”, let’s do it.

          • May 7, 2017 at 5:36 am
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            Star Wars is the draw, b/c if you will recall, Mark Hamill was NOWHERE in marketing for TFA. And it broke records.

          • May 6, 2017 at 1:38 pm
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            Or maybe your head is up your behind. Luke Skywalker is quite obviously still a bigger box office draw than any of the new characters. Don’t be a bullshitter UD.

        • May 5, 2017 at 3:41 am
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          (In Homer Simpson voice) “Hmmmm, grizzled Luke….”

  • May 4, 2017 at 11:09 pm
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    I suppose it was more convenient for RJ to have BB8 stay behind with the Resistance as he obviously intended BB8 to be part of the action scenes with Poe and/or perhaps Finn. I don’t think R2D2 being on the island serves any purpose other than allowing BB8 to be with Poe.

    As for Luke, whatever explanation RJ comes up with, I’m pretty sure it will annoy some fans if it goes against SW canon or their image of Luke from the OT (as illustrated by Mark Hamill’s statements that he “disagrees with everything his character says” in the movie). I am pretty sure RJ has an explanation in his mind, but I trust Lawrence Kasdan and, accordingly, expect RJ’s explanation to be “weird”.

    • May 5, 2017 at 4:31 am
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      Oh man, I am beginning to get SCARED about the Last Jedi. If RJ screw up Luke Skywalker, I will retire from Star Wars. Plain and simple.

      • May 5, 2017 at 2:59 pm
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        K, bye

      • May 8, 2017 at 12:33 am
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        Fingers crossed.

    • May 5, 2017 at 8:21 am
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      Everyone loves to quote Mark Hamill about that and ignore that he also said Rian was his favorite director to work with. I’m not saying actors can’t bring ideas in, but there’s a reason writers write and actors act.

  • May 4, 2017 at 11:11 pm
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    BB-8 must have “bonded” far more closely with Poe than with Rey, and it makes sense that the droid stays with him instead of going off with her. BB-8 was only with Rey for a few days, but he had possibly spent years with Poe.

    As for R2, he was present when Luke was being trained on Dagobah, so it is nice if he is also there when Rey is to be trained by Luke.

    • May 5, 2017 at 4:30 am
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      Right BB-8 was actually Poe’s property.

  • May 5, 2017 at 12:17 am
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    So I have a possible theory of why Luke bailed. What it if it all comes down to because he didn’t want to kill Kylo Ren/Ben Solo? Luke converted his father, but he had to confront Vader, they did battle, and Luke almost killed him. What if after Kylo turned to the dark side, Luke didn’t know how to convert him back without possibly killing him? I think it would have had a very different effect if Luke destroyed Kylo versus if he had destroyed Vader. On a personal family level – neither Leia nor Luke knew Vader was their father and there was really not much familiarity or bond there. Ben was Luke’s nephew, his best friend’s and sister’s son. Luke knew him his whole life (Ben’s) I’m sure. What would he tell Han and Lea if he wast forced to kill him – “Sorry man, sorry sis – he was bad, so you know I just had to do it.” Maybe Luke felt he lacked the knowledge to convert Kylo back without harming him, so that’s why he went out seeking the first Jedi Temple – maybe in an attempt to gain more knowledge of the Force and a way to bring Kylo back without anyone getting hurt. Seems like a plausible reason for Luke’s extended absence….

    • May 5, 2017 at 8:59 am
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      Definitely does seem plausible and this does make sense as to why Luke would exile himself instead of just giving up and leaving because his temple was destroyed and he couldn’t defeat the Knights of Ren.

  • May 5, 2017 at 12:18 am
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    RR2 was with Anakin, Luke, and like the saber, with their daughter.

    • May 5, 2017 at 2:45 am
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      Luke and Anakin had a daughter together? That’s Game of Thrones levels of awkward family moments.

      • May 5, 2017 at 4:16 pm
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        No, I think he’s saying that R2 [RR2] was “with” Anakin and Luke, so I’m guessing the “saber” is the offspring of R2 and Anakin, and Rey is the offspring of R2 and Luke. So Episode 8 must finally reveal that R2 is a female robot. Spoiler alert!

  • May 5, 2017 at 12:33 am
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    Excuse me BALL but the king is back..R2 do your thang

  • May 5, 2017 at 12:45 am
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    Smart move Rian thank god JJ listened he basically replaced R2 in TFA and it doesn’t sound like Rian is having it. Though I’m sure we’ll see more of BB-8.

  • May 5, 2017 at 1:14 am
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    I sincerely hope that we discover that Luke was in fact exiled against his will. I doubt that this will be the case. However, from a plot point and tieing up the existing canonical elements it would be awesome…

  • May 5, 2017 at 1:42 am
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    I like the idea of classic characters mixed with the new. Helps sell the whole continuity. I mean Rey has Chewie, R2 and technically Luke. That’s awesome. Poe, and BB8 Finn I assume have Leia and C-3P0

    • May 5, 2017 at 2:10 am
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      Makes for a more WHOLISTIC story that is ultimately more satisfying and emotoinally-engaging.

  • May 5, 2017 at 7:56 am
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    So Threepio gets the shaft again like in the last 4 films?

    • May 5, 2017 at 3:13 pm
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      Wouldn’t bother me much. Though my one request is if you’re going to feature him more, only do it when he’s around R2. He works best when bickering with R2, beyond that…mehhh.

  • May 5, 2017 at 8:53 am
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    GIVE ME MOAR!!!

  • May 5, 2017 at 11:05 am
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    The big question is how the hell does R2-D2 get around that island of steep, craggy rocks? Does he whip out those jets that he had in the prequel era that he never used once afterwards?

    • May 5, 2017 at 5:21 pm
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      Well on the commentary G. Lucas said the warranty on the boosters expired so maybe the resistance put out the 50 space bucks and had them replaced. The problem as we all know is that in this day and age is that the R2 units are all becoming obsolete in their old age and parts can only be found on http://www.space.amazon.com/R2/parts.

  • May 6, 2017 at 6:17 am
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    Disney already knows, which is why the OT characters are all over the new Trilogy.

  • May 8, 2017 at 2:30 am
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    Interesting that JJ didn’t plan for R2 to be there, especially because it seemed likely that Rey’s vision of Luke and R2 by the fire in Force Awakens seemed to possibly be a future vision. Now it seems more likely a past one.

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