Rian Johnson wrote the script for ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ before ‘The Force Awakens’ was finished.
The 43-year-old filmmaker helmed the eighth instalment of the popular sci-fi franchise, which has opened to rave reviews, and he claims that he had definite ideas for the saga before J.J. Abrams had released his 2015 blockbuster as he said read the script and got ideas for all the characters’ futures.
Speaking to Variety, Johnson said: "When ‘Force Awakens’ came out we were in prep and there was definitely a little gasp. The spotlight turned on us briefly and we went and made sure the script was as tight as it could be and did a little polish to it. For me, the big thing I’m thankful for looking back is I wrote the script before ‘Force Awakens’ was even really made. They were shooting it while I was making the script. So I got the best of both worlds. I got to just personally react to the story and the script and what I was seeing the actors bringing to the parts in the dailies, and I got to put that personal reaction into it without trying to filter all the world’s reaction to it."
Johnson also said when he pitched his story idea to Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy he was adamant he wanted to "test each one of the characters", who include Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).
He said: "My pitch to Kathy was basically if the first movie was introduction, this movie is training. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Yoda-style training or a training montage. To me what that means is it’s the movie where we test each one of the characters. We find the hardest possible thing they can come up against and we throw it at them. It’s just like the second act of any movie. It’s where the complications come in and everyone gets stumbling blocks thrown in their way. That’s how you define characters."
Rian Johnson had Last Jedi idea before The Force Awakens
