Star Wars Last Jedi backlash and fan boycott: Director WARNS there will be consequences

The disturbance in the Force rumbles on. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how it can be resolved befoe Episode 9 hits cinemas next Christmas.

Fans furious with The Last Jedi are currently taking credit for the box office catastrophe of Solo A Star Wars Story.

They see Rian Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy’s Episode 8 as a heavy-handed and mishandled vehicle for a social agenda which betrayed evey aspect of their beloved franchise.

In return, some Lucasfilm directors and staff have called the rebelling fans ‘women-fearing’ bigots.

Now another major Hollywood director has waded into the battle.

James Mangold is lined up to direct the planned Boba Fett spin-off movie. 

The acclaimed Hollywood veteran also directed movies like Logan, Girl Interrupted and Cop Land.

He lashed out at fans who attack directors of beloved franchises, warning soon no talented director will take on these projects. However, he also appeared to agree with a comment that Rian Johnson should not have subverted the Star Wars franchise so flagrantly.

Mangold tweeted: “At this point, when work writing and directing big franchises has become the emotionally loaded equivalent of writing a new chapter of The Bible (with the probable danger of being stoned and called a blasphemer), then a lot of bolder minds [are] gonna leave these films [to] hacks & corporate boards.”

He directly addressed the accusations from Star Wars fans that Kennedy and Johnson betrayed the canon storylines of legacy characters like Luke Skywalker.

Mangold added: “Discussions of ‘canon’ would be more fruitful if A) Folks didn’t assume anyone who disagrees is evil/incompetent and B) There was recognition that rules of dramatic narrative demand something happened to characters since you saw them last, that is, they can’t be in same place you left them.”

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However, when he continued his argument that filmmakers needed to be allowed freedom to pursue their own vision, one commentator pointed out that this is a wonderful idea, except when you are working on the eight film of a nine-movie story arc.

Mangold agreed and simply replied: “True.”

This would clearly imply that he also feels Johnson had a duty to the fans and the franchise above his own personal vision.

However Mangold also impled that it was not Johnson’s fault. 

Mangold added: “If you feel the film makers are just corporate tools and powerless, then why bitch at us? In the case of Rian Johnson and (Mission Impossble director) Chris McQuarrie, I assure you these cats are not “owned”. They actually fight your battles behind the scenes.”

Johnson has seemed so sure of his movie it is hard to imagine what changes he might have fought for.

With 18 months to go until Episode 9 is released, it will be fascinating to see how this situation develops.