Star Wars Last Jedi backlash: Director agrees Rian Johnson got it WRONG?

Seven months later and the war still rages.

Star Wars 8 may have delivered a fake lightsaber battle, but the bitter conflict between an enraged section of the fandom and Lucasfilm is not going away.

Much of the media and many Lucasfilm filmmakers have denounced the angry fans as zealots and bitter bigots, painting them as “woman-fearing” extremists. Most of the rebellious fans, however, simply feel that Johnson, Kathleen Kenendy and Lucasfilm undermined some of the most central and essential tenets of the franchise.

Now a major director appears to have agreed that Johnson should not have experimented within the main nine-film cycle.  

James Mangold is rumoured to be directing the spin-off “bounty hunter movie” which is expected to be the Star Wars Anthology Boba Fett project. He also helmed recent box office, fan and critical smash Logan.

He waded into the debate by warning fans that if visionary and risk-taking directors were continually and bittery attacked, they may choose to avoid taking on major franchises, which would result in less creativity and the impoverishment of the movies themselves.

However, one commentator suggested that the eighth film of a nine-film saga spanning five decades of cinema history was not the best place to start changing everything. 

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Mangold tweeted: “Let movies be free, the same way comics’ve been. Superman didn’t look the same in 1952 as they did in 78 or 99. Encourage filmmakers to follow passion/story over universe building which is just a way to hook you for more dollars. Nolan never could have made Batman Begins if making a sequel.”

Richard Hoeg replied: “That is 100% fine, and I couldn’t agree more. Alternate universes are the way to go.

“Perhaps not in a film called Episode ___, however.”

Mangold’s blunt reply was rather surprising.

Mangold simply responded with one, telling, word: “True.”

This would actually line-up with the majority of the much-maligned fans (repugnant extremists aside) who are not afraid of change, or misogynist bigots. They simply would like an ending to three trilogies which remains true to its fundamental core themes.

Luke tossing his lightsaber over his shouder was perhaps not the best way to convince them of that…

STAR WARS 9 IS OUT IN DECEMBER 2019