Page 11 - Star Wars Insider - The Last Jedi 2018

JOURNEY TO THE LAST JEDI

8 /
“

Rian was able to come
up with a story that

was powerful and
emotional and goes in

an unexpected way.
”

Ram Bergman

Ram Bergman, Johnson’s longtime producing partner,
notes that it’s “always about the characters” for the
director, and that by making them his starting point, “he
was able to come up with a story that was powerful and
emotional and goes in an unexpected way. The story is
what is true for the characters; it takes them on a journey
that feels real.”
As alluded to by Kathleen Kennedy, a big part of the
appeal of The Last Jedi for Johnson was the presence of
strong female characters. “One of the first things that 8 / Phasma and her

loyal stormtroopers.
Kathy told me when she asked me if I’d be interested in
doing this was that the lead character was a girl named
9 / Poe Dameron and
Rey. I was instantly into that; it just felt right. Leia was Vice Admiral Holdo
the first female figure that girls and women could look clash as the Resistance’s

up to, and seeing how much it meant to them, Carrie plight increases.
Fisher was very conscious of that and held that with
her. She felt a responsibility to make Leia great.”
But The Last Jedi offered the tantalizing prospect
of introducing yet more compelling females to the
Star Wars saga, as well as expanding on existing ones.
Alongside Rey and Leia, there are new characters, such
as Rose and Vice Admiral Holdo, and returning ones,
such as Captain Phasma—a mix of, as Johnson puts
it, “really interesting strong and powerful and weak
and conflicted and good and bad female characters”

—portrayed by an amazing array of acting talent.
“There are a lot of kick-ass women in this movie,” says
Johnson, “which is pretty great.”
One of the most vital aspects of the story was the
relationship between Rey and Luke Skywalker; as such,
this was something that Johnson needed to work out as a
writer. When Rey arrives at the island on Ahch-To where
Luke has retreated, she has her expectations of who and
what the Jedi Master is, but Johnson needed to work out
why Luke was on the island. “Because I know he’s not a
coward and I know he’s not hiding. I know if he’s there,
he’s taken himself out of the fight, and he must have a

reason for doing that. What is that reason?”
Ultimately, the writer/director was able to get to a place
where he could put himself in Luke’s shoes, to understand
who Luke is and how events had conspired to get Luke to
the island. “Now, let’s see what happens when Rey comes
into his life and messes everything up, by showing up
on his doorstep with a lightsaber,” says Johnson. a

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