The Last Jedi: Video and Transcribed Highlights from Rian Johnson’s French Press Conference

Writer/director Rian Johnson and his producer Ram Bergman held a press conference for The Last Jedi in France today, and we have the full video and transcribed highlights from that here for you. There are no spoilers or anything so proceed without caution!

 

 

As we enter the home stretch, the press tour begins! Here is the full video of the press conference. Thanks to @NickSkywalk ‏for sending this to us:

 

 

 

Thanks to Twitter user @sleemo_ we have translations of the highlights from the main source IGN France:

 

Johnson confirmed the running time of The Last Jedi with credits to be 150 minutes (2 hours, 30 minutes) officially making it the longest Star Wars film ever. This was a rumor we reported on back on September 29th, that we originally saw posted at Cineworld.

 

The best memory of Rian on the set of TLJ is when he attended the music recording by John Williams. “I had goosebumps!”

 

 

The two were asked about the wildest rumors they’ve heard:

Ram: I stopped reading them long ago

Rian: My favorite is still the theory that Snoke is a fruit

 

 

Johnson confirmed that the maker George Lucas, was not involved in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

 

The script for the film changed very little, with no changes made due to backlash or fear of fan reception or anything of that nature. It was pretty concrete from it’s inception.

 

Rian confirms that Gareth Edwards, Director of Rogue One, has a cameo in The Last Jedi, but does not confirm the cameo of Prince William or Harry.

 

A question Johnson appears to be asked a lot, he once again makes it clear and direct regarding his creative license in making the film:

 

“Disney gave us a real freedom in writing. It was something very organic. For me, it was like when I worked on my old movies.”

 

 

A final point, one we heard previously, but Johnson did confirm once more that he asked J. J. Abrams to slightly change the end of The Force Awakens… It was initially BB-8 who was to accompany Rey to Ahch-To, and not R2-D2. As we know Abrams gladly obliged and had R2-D2 join Rey on her trip to the island. Why the switch? We’ll find out in 27 days!

 

 

The press machine will be running rampant over the next three-plus weeks, we’ll keep you up to date as much as possible and as always, we’ll give you plenty of warning pertaining to any spoiler-related reveals.

 

 

SOURCE: IGN France via @sleemo_

 

 

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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."

15 thoughts on “The Last Jedi: Video and Transcribed Highlights from Rian Johnson’s French Press Conference

  • November 17, 2017 at 7:13 pm
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    Did not know that bit about the BB8 and R2 switch. Very interesting.

  • November 17, 2017 at 7:15 pm
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    Snoke is a fruit! lol! I hadn’t heard that one.

    • November 17, 2017 at 7:23 pm
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      Damn. We had a detailed pool in my office about which fruit he was. I had $20 he was kumquat.

      • November 17, 2017 at 7:33 pm
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        If I’d known, I’d have put in $100 that he was a Salmon Berry. (Real fruit)

    • November 17, 2017 at 9:56 pm
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      That was funny. Now, that I think about it; Snoke does look a lot like a prune or a Durian. Without the spikes.

      • November 18, 2017 at 12:22 am
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        A durian? I thought he smelled bad on the outside!

  • November 17, 2017 at 9:19 pm
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    Anyone else, more than most any other aspect of TLJ, stoked about the music that John Williams has composed for this film?

    There has been NOTHING quite as exhilarating a thrill as listening to a new Star Wars movie’s score by John Williams for the first time. His baton has been the one thing consistently magnificent across the forty-some years of the franchise. Even his work on Attack of the Clones – the nadir of the film series – was very well done.

    It will be a very sad day when his composing for Star Wars is finished.

    • November 17, 2017 at 9:56 pm
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      I’m with you. If I was in that room when I saw Williams compose the score to a new movie, I’d loose myself with joy. And yes, I do agree that when he does stop it will be a sad day.

      • November 19, 2017 at 5:39 am
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        I am stoked for the Williams score. I actually know a mixing engineer who visited the studio in LA where they were recording the last Jedi score. He said he saw sheet music with “star wars” written on it with titles but he didn’t want to spoil himself so he stopped there, but according to him they were preparing to record later that day! (This was last spring) So it looks like they took their time with it whereas the force awakens I think was scored very quickly.

        • November 20, 2017 at 1:55 pm
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          I hope so. Even on a music level, I couldn’t enjoy TFA as it felt rushed and a bit bland. Not bad as some pieces like Rey’s theme and the end theme are great. But really the lack of planning and the London Synphony showed.

          And really, when you consider the prequels and how awesome the music for that era was despite the movies quality; I just felt let down. So yeah, fingers crossed for TLJ.

          • November 21, 2017 at 2:07 am
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            The only part about the quality of the recording that bothered me was that they used fake instruments, like instead of using a celeste (music right after the intro crawl before the horns cicked in) they used a nord electonic piano emulating a celeste.

          • November 21, 2017 at 4:16 am
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            You are right. I couldn’t put my finger as to why the intro crawl/ the OST sounded a bit funky. And I attest that to this movie being rushed and Williams not getting the London Symphony. Hopefully, that has been rectified. Because much as I dislike the Prequels; the soundtracks for those movies are pure gold.

            I actually prefer them to the OT; not that the OT music is bad. But really, Williams music is a very much a character in SWs as is the world. And thus, I was a little letdown by TFA on a music front(and the movie at large).

    • November 18, 2017 at 2:06 am
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      Listening to his Force Awakens music in the Battlefront II sequel trilogy planets. That soundtrack is so underrated.

  • November 18, 2017 at 4:21 pm
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    I would guess that R2 has Luke’s lightsaber.

    Now wouldn’t that be something if at some point Luke gives R2 the salute and his green lightsaber launches through the air.

    Then Luke gives R2 another salute and a second saber launches through the air. The audience would go crazy.

    Then the second lightsaber ignites and it’s red. Chaos in the theater seats.

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