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Rian Johnson says “being wrong” is normal for Star Wars fans

Rian Johnson, director of the divisive Star Wars movie the Last Jedi, opened up about fans of the science fiction franchise and their reaction

Kylo Ren in Star Wars

Rian Johnson definitely went through the wringer as director of Star Wars movie The Last Jedi. The neverending discourse around the science fiction movie has become just as infamous as the film itself, and to this day, years later, is still rumbling on.

Following the backlash The Last Jedi faced, J.J. Abrams returned and replaced Johnson to direct the final instalment of the sequel trilogy: Rise of Skywalker. Of course, Star Wars fans can never be happy, so naturally this movie sparked just as much discourse and debate as the last one.

So, amid the release of detective movie Knives Out 2, Johnson shared some thoughts about his involvement with Star Wars for an interview with The New Yorker.

When asked if he found the criticism surrounding The Last Jedi upsetting, he simply replied, “No.”

He added, “When I read what those people were actually saying, I was, like, ‘Oh, I completely disagree with this.’ They’re wrong. For me. Everybody can like whatever they want and not like what they want. And Star Wars fans, in particular—growing up as one, arguing about other people’s opinions being wrong is sort of the bread and butter of it all. I didn’t feel crushed. Like, ‘Oh, no, I didn’t make a real ‘Star Wars’ movie.’ I felt, like, ‘No, I did.'”

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However, he revealed that his experience hadn’t put him off the series as a whole, adding, “I think I love Star Wars even more now. I think what actually frustrates me is people’s perception that I had a negative experience somehow, or people’s perception that it was somehow a traumatic experience, or something. The reality is that it was a completely joyful experience even through the back end of it, the past few years, the reception of it.”
If you want to know more about the people in the Skywalker saga and beyond, check out our guides to the Star Wars cast, the best Star Wars characters, and all the Star Wars series ranked.