Tag: rian johnson

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So many photos! The Vanity Fair spread is live

Vanity Fair’s full spread and story is up! You need to go check it out, but here’s a quick rundown what we’ve learned: Laura Dern is Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo of the Resistance, and Benicio Del Toro doesn’t get a name at all in the film – though they’re calling him DJ. (Seeeecretsss.) And yes, there are pictures of both. Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico has a sister, Paige, a Resistance gunner, played by Veronica Ngo. And the planet filmed in Dubrovnik is indeed named Canto Bright. “I was thinking, O.K., let’s go ultra-glamour. Let’s create a playground, basically, for rich assholes,” director Rian Johnson said.

The article also includes some touching tributes to (and photos of) Carrie Fisher, so keep the tissues handy.

Writer David Kamp will be answering questions about the story on Reddit later today.

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May the 4th roundup: Mark, Rian and Doctor Aphra

May the 4th is rarely a big day for anything but goofiness, and we did get that in spades. Below, Kristen Bell (guest hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live) surprised Adam Scott with Mark Hamill.


→ In addition to giving a few quotes to Entertainment Weekly, The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson did share a quick video with another Star Wars luminary:

→ Meanwhile, Han Solo director Philip Lord teases something he can’t talk about just yet.

→ Marvel’s Doctor Aphra won the latest Hasbro fan figure poll. Expect a 3.75-inch action figure, the character’s first, sometime next year.

→ Also: Laura Dern still isn’t saying much, Star Wars character popularity by state, Padme’s outfits ranked, and a Force playlist.

→ And no, we didn’t get a new Vanity Fair spread, as many of us were assuming. But do expect one later this month. Let’s just not pin it on any specific dates this time.

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Yes, Kylo’s scar is different (on purpose) in The Last Jedi

Star Wars fandom being Star Wars fandom, it didn’t take long for fans to note that Kylo Ren’s scar in The Last Jedi trailer is different from the wound he received in The Force Awakens. Why the change? For the aesthetic! “It honestly looked goofy running straight up the bridge of his nose,” director Rian Johnson said on Twitter.

It’s good an explanation as any, given we’ll be seeing a lot more of it in The Last Jedi and (probably) Episode IX than we did in TFA.

Speaking of Rian Johnson, there’s a new/old interview with him in this week’s Star Wars Show.

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What is The Last Jedi’s “bio-hexacrypt” and what does it have to do with Finn?

John Boyega revealed a gift from Rian Johnson on his Instagram, and a The Last Jedi hint – of sorts. The illustration expresses Boyega’s “frustration with the most complex Star Wars lingo.” So what could a bio-hexacrypt be, and what does it have to do with Finn? Tumblr user Bripenguin13 has a degree in cell biology and one (possible) explaination.

Meanwhile, if you’re still poking at The Last Jedi title, Johnson has an answer. (And more.)

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Celebration’s The Last Jedi panel will be Friday, April 14

To the surprise of no one, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and director Rian Johnson will be on a Celebration Orlando panel on Friday, April 14. The Last Jedi panel is expected debut the film’s first trailer, or at the very least a behind-the-scenes feature, as the con is expected to launch the movie’s first wave of publicity. Expect some other “special guests” to appear as well.

For the past few Celebrations, the first big movie panel has featured the upcoming release, while a second on Sunday focuses on the other upcoming films.

The new Star Wars Show also features more Rogue One behind-the-scenes and a visit to Sideshow.


UPDATE: Johnson took the occasion to post a new behind-the-scenes shot on Tumblr:

http://rcjohnso.tumblr.com/post/157290828820/were-coming-to-orlando-for-a-star

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Josh Gad enlists Judi Dench in quest to pester Daisy Ridley on The Last Jedi

Josh Gad followed up with Daisy Ridley on his The Last Jedi “sneak attack.” With another sneak attack. But the real kicker here is the third video, which features Dame Judi Dench asking “What’s the deal with Reylo?” If only we knew, Dame Judi. (Okay, I kid: It’s a pretty typical ship, even if it does give some of us the willies.)

Remember that rumor that Dench would be playing Mon Mothma in The Force Awakens? And then remember how Genevieve O’Reilly actually showed up in a Rogue One trailer with none of us even hearing a hint of it beforehand? Gotta wonder if some major wire crossing happened in the rumor streams. Ahh, memories.

Also in The Last Jedi news…

→ In yesterday’s Disney earning call (which also gave us the Star Wars land dates) CEO Bob Iger admitted to seeing a cut of The Last Jedi. “It’s a great next chapter in the Skywalker family saga,” he said. (Of course.)

→ A pre-title reveal interview with Rian Johnson, and a post-reveal one with Mark Hamill.

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The Last Jedi is now opening-crawl official

Director Rian Johnson posted the above photo to his Instagram with the caption: “Felt so good to drop this into the cut this morning.”

For those engaged in furious debate over whether the title refers to one Jedi or many Jedi. (Remember: Singular plural!) here’s a bit of a… Something. When asked, a Lucasfilm source told Chris Taylor of Mashable to “Trust your doubt.”

As for the color “debate,” well, I’ll just leave this here.

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Adam Driver on Star Wars directors and how the Episode VIII script has “nuance and ambiguity”

tfa-han-kylo

Adam Driver is the latest Star Wars star to show up at the Toronto International Film Festival. (We previously heard from Lupita Nyong’o.) He’s actually there for Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson, but of course no one can resist asking him about Star Wars.

In the Toronto Sun, Driver praises Star Wars directors J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, citing their “very specific vision.” He went into further detail (on director technique, anyway) with Collider, and compared the VIII script to Empire… Sort of:

It’s great. It’s similar to how The Empire Strikes Back has a different tone. For that people always go “oooh, it’s dark” but I don’t know that it necessarily is. It’s just different in tone in a way that I think is great and necessary but also very clear. He trusts [that] his audience is ready for nuance and ambiguity. He’s not dumbing anything down for someone and that’s really fun to play.

He also talks about originally being overwhelmed with the scope of Star Wars, and how Abrams helped break that down. A full interview will be coming to Collider soon, and Patterson will be in theaters at the end of the year.