JJ Abrams explains the reason behind his "provocative" title for Star Wars: Episode IX
The director feels a "weird responsibility" to end the nine-film saga in the right way
JJ Abrams has explained that the newly revealed Star Wars Episode IX title, The Rise of Skywalker, fulfils a "weird responsibility" of bringing the nine-film franchise to an end (though it is almost certainly not the end).
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Speaking at the Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, the director explained that the "provocative" title's true meaning will become clear upon seeing the film.
"The title feels like it’s the right title for this movie and I know that it’s provocative and asks a bunch of questions, but I think when you see the movie, you’ll see how it’s intended and what it means,” Abrams told ET Live.
He added that the film had a "weird responsibility", following on from the two George Lucas trilogies, and his own coming to an end.
“It had to be the end of not just three movies, but nine movies, and the idea of having to incorporate the stories that have come before, strangely, is the story of the movie, which is to say it’s the characters in the film inheriting everything that’s come before in previous generations, whether it’s sins of the father, whether it’s the wisdom they’ve acquired, and the question is can this new generation... are they up to the task? Can they stand up to what they have to?”
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There's certainly a fair bit of pressure on Abrams, especially with a subsection of fans willing him to "correct" perceived errors made in Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi...
Good luck, JJ. Pleasing all Star Wars fans is a near-impossible task.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in UK cinemas on 19th December 2019
