Rian Johnson Talks Up His Star Wars Experience So Far

'It's the most fun I’ve ever had writing...'

We were definitely enthusiastic when Looper and Breaking Bad director Rian Johnson was selected as an unexpected choice to craft Star Wars: Episode VIII and, most likely, Episode IX. And from the sounds of it, his experience working within the revitalised franchise is more positive than even he figured.

A lifelong Star Wars fan, Johnson is clearly enthusiastic about the work, which helps assuage some worries that directors with vision are being hired and then yoked into a system that negates what they can bring to the work. Chatting to Terry Gilliam on the TalkHouse Podcast, Johnson was positive about his time so far, even though it’s early days. “I’m just starting into it, but so far it’s the most fun I’ve ever had writing. It’s just joyous,” he says. “The first movies I was making in my head were part of this world, so part of it is a direct connection – it’s almost like an automatic jacking-in into childhood in a weird way.”

And as for what he’s faced so far? “I’m figuring it out as I go. I’m dancing on top of the avalanche a little bit. But it’s a challenge of remembering what inspires you about the original films, but I think you can probably go to the wrong place by feeling too responsible to it. You have to keep your head loose enough to tell a story you actually care about.”

He also has nothing but praise for his collaborators on this mammoth endeavour. “Kathleen and her whole creative team have been so insistent on all the filmmakers they’ve been hiring for these new movies: ‘We want you to take it and turn it into something that you really care about.’ And we’ll see how the process plays out. Because that just seems like their attitude towards it. It’s really exciting actually.” For more from Johnson (and Gilliam), check out the first part of the podcast at the bottom of the page.

J.J. Abrams is currently shooting Episode VII, which features John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong'o and Max von Sydow, plus saga veterans Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker. The film will be out on December 18, 2015. If Disney keeps to its planned schedule, Episode VIII is set for 2017.

from Empire News