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Director Rian Johnson helmed the second installment of theStar Warssequel trilogy, which was universally polarizing and remains the most disliked entry in the epic space opera franchise. Johnson’sThe Last Jediwas a followup to the J.J. Abrams-directedThe Force Awakens, which did much of the heavy lifting to relaunch the Skywalker saga for a new generation of audience.
However, to make his much-anticipated follow-up work, Johnson had to ask Abrams for a huge favor. Johnson requested Abrams make one very important change to the first installment so that he could have all the characters in the right place for his story to pick up. In hindsight, the change proved to be essential for Johnson’s film which would’ve otherwise been very different.
Rian Johnson requested J.J. Abrams make one change toThe Force Awakens
J.J. Abramshelmed the return to the epic space opera saga that isStar WarswhenThe Force Awakensflew into theaters, packed with nostalgia for the iconic franchise.Rian Johnsonwas hired to direct the follow-up, 2017’sThe Last Jedi, which proved to be extremely divisive andarguably the worst in the franchise.
During an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Johnson reflected on liaising with Abrams to ensure a smooth transition between the two installments. The filmmaker admitted he asked Abrams to make one change to his film, which the latter gladly agreed to make. Johnson said:
Originally it was BB-8 who went with Rey, which makes sense for the story in a way. But I asked, ‘Can you do me this solid and switch the droids?‘
Johnson revealed that Abrams’ film initially had Poe’s astromech droid BB-8 accompany Daisy Ridley’s Rey during the film’s climatic scene.
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However, Johnson requested Abrams replace him with the fan-favorite original trilogy droid R2-D2. In the final version, R2-D2 and Chewbacca accompany Rey on the Millennium Falcon to the distant planet of Ahch-To, where they meet the exiled Jedi Luke Skywalker, setting up the events of Johnson’s film.
Rian Johnson’sThe Last Jediwould’ve been very different if J.J. Abrams refused his request
In the interview, Johnson admitted that having BB-8 accompany Rey would’ve made narrative sense since both characters spent the majority of the first installment working alongside each other. However, Johnson wanted R2-D2 to reunite with Luke Skywalker for one very important story beat to be possible.
Johnson’s film would see R2-D2 finally reaching out to Luke after the exiled Jedi refused to train Rey in the ways of the Force. R2-D2 playsan old video of Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa, which causes Luke to have a change of heart, serving as a very important emotional beat in the story.
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Meanwhile, BB-8 spends most of his time working with Finn and Rose, which would have felt like an underutilization of R2-D2, had the two droids not been swapped. Furthermore, given that Luke is killed off during the film, it would have frustrated fans that he did not get to reunite with his droid. Hence, Johnson’s requested change worked out for the better andThe Last Jediwould’ve been drastically different if Abrams had refused.
The Last Jediand otherStar Warsmovies are streaming on Disney+.
Pratik Handore
Content Writer
Articles Published :1774
With a keen interest in comic book movies and blockbuster franchises, Pratik usually covers news and updates on the DCU, MCU, Star Wars, and more.A die-hard fan of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Pratik spends most of his time exploring different storytelling mediums that invoke a sense of wonder and adventure. Other filmmakers whose works have deeply influenced him include Alfred Hitchcock, James Gunn, and Guillermo del Toro.
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J.J. AbramsRian Johnson
