This morning I came across the following video clip which I thought some of my readers might find interesting. It’s a short clip where both JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson are being interviewed about their thoughts on how they would approach each movie they directed.
Check it out for yourself right here:
They both use the same term “bubble” where Rian Johnson explains how he cuts himself off from external influences (I think he is referring to fans here) that could influence what he is trying to create. JJ Abrams uses the term in a different context where it’s bad to be in the bubble because you’re not listening to the fans when you should be.
We know that huge changes were made from one film to the next and that’s largely because of how these directors approach the task – Rian cuts himself off and sticks to his plan or his creative team’s plan for the story and J J Abrams does the opposite. Which one of them is right? Are they both wrong?
This forbes article discusses examples of the crucial changes that were made in detail, particularly Rey’s parentage which was a huge plot twist. Irrespective of what either director has to say about the sequel movies, nothing is ever set in stone and change is part of the creative process. Is this annoying for the fans? Hell, yes! But it’s also something that most of us should expect in any film regardless of what franchise it comes from. I guess when it’s your favourite franchise that happens to be turned upside-down, it is a little more frustrating to endure. But again, that’s part of being a dedicated fan – not everything will will go the way you want it too.
What do you think about this video clip? Do you think both directors were right to change certain events in the films? Or do you think the changes they made did more to split the fandom than keep it together?
Thanks for reading and I’ll catch you tomorrow or in the comments!
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I think every director is an artist that brings their own creativity and vision to the movie they’re directing. I don’t think either Rian Johnson or JJ Abrams was “wrong” in their approach to their respective films. Different directors bring different flavors to the stories, and I think that’s all to the good. I don’t care who directed the movies, there are just some fans who would have hated them no matter what. Are the movies perfect? Of course not. I don’t expect that. But I loved each film for what they were, and what they brought to the Star Wars universe. Even grumpy Luke, lol (I loved him!).
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Luke is my hero lol he always was – I didn’t agree with how they treated his character and probably never will. But that’s my choice as a fan and that’s okay. I just don’t think it does anything for the fandom at all when people get nasty and personal about things they don’t agree with. I agree that every director brings their own creativity to the project but I think Rian Johnson did a better job of not listening to what the fandom wanted and focusing on what mattered. Kylo Ren was also one of my favourite characters so there’s that as well and that wouldn’t even be part of star wars if it wasn’t for JJ’s insight into the material. I am not sure if you’re a fan of the original trilogy or not but sometimes I find it hard to see how they went from that to some of the stuff that happened in the sequels. But I do believe that all star wars is good star wars 🙂 It’s never going to be what everyone wants, you’re so right about that too 🙂
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I grew up on the Original Trilogy, and it was the standard for all things Star Wars for me for a long time. In fact, when the prequels came out, I kind of hated them, lol. I expected them to be like the OT, though I’m not sure why. I’m older and wiser now, and in fact absolutely love the prequels! What I’m saying is, I hope that in 20 years or so, the sequels will also be more respected and beloved than they are now. Sometimes you need time and distance (and life experience) to see things differently. That’s why I loved Grumpy Luke–I grew old with him, and I totally got it. The cynicism, the weariness, the regret, lol. But also seeing the error of your ways and setting it right. Anyway, that’s a whole blog post I’d like to do in the future. And I agree–all Star Wars is good Star Wars, and we all have our own personal relationship with it.
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Hey Tina 🙂 thanks for the thoughtful reply. Oh yeah I totally agree, I grew up with the OT. When I first heard about the PT I was a little weird about it but then I got to love it due to Anakin’s backstory. In fact the final film in that trilogy is in my top 5 and still remains one of my favourites. His story is so well fleshed out – it’s hard to ignore how interesting this story is. And I think the same about Kylo/Ben in the sequel trilogy. I guess I have a thng for the wayward men lol 😛
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Same!
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