Ahead of its release, director Rian Johnson really wished he could have test screened Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Released in 2017, The Last Jedi was Johnson's first foray into the galaxy far, far away. While it was met with positive critical reviews, the fan response was decidedly more mixed, making The Last Jedi one of the most polarizing Star Wars films. This is largely due to Johnson's story decisions, which some thought as original and others saw as an insult to the world George Lucas created. Regardless of the fan backlash, Johnson has mainly spoken positively about his experience working on the film, and he's even expected to return to the Star Wars franchise to create another trilogy.

Since The Last Jedi, Johnson wrote and directed an original whodunit called Knives Out. A surprise hit, Knives Out follows a spoiled-rotten family after the death of their patriarch as an eccentric detective (played by Daniel Craig) is brought in to investigate. Knives Out performed so well financially and critically that a sequel is currently in development, with Johnson again writing and directing. The Last Jedi and Knives Out are different in many ways, though both feature Johnson's signature twists on classic stories and genres.

Related: Star Wars: The Last Jedi's Backlash Has Changed

As part of the recent home release of Knives Out, Johnson spoke a bit more about the process behind making the murder mystery film. One of the things that seemed to help him was a test screening that allowed him to see what worked and what didn't. According to Johnson, he wasn't able to do the same for The Last Jedi, though at one point he wanted to. As he explained:

It was like a party in the theater, it was really fun. It was like the first time I was like ‘Oh wow, this actually plays. This is good.’ Which is really nice and that’s something on Star Wars, you can’t test Star Wars movies for a lot of different reasons. I’ve always hated test screening, and when we were making Star Wars, at a certain point in the process you’re like ‘God, I would give my left arm to put this in front of 300 people in Burbank and just see how it plays.’

Rian Johnson on the set of Knives Out

Considering how spoiler-phobic Disney gets when it comes to the Star Wars movies, it's not surprising that Johnson was unable to screen The Last Jedi for test audiences. However, when making a film like The Last Jedi, which has the added stakes of a very dedicated and passionate fanbase, it's also natural to want to get opinions on the film before its release. A test screening would have helped Johnson tweak some things and put him more at ease.

Regardless of how one feels about The Last Jedi, it can't be denied that Johnson is a talented filmmaker with a solid track record. The reception to Knives Out proves that he has a knack for storytelling, and many are eager to see what he does with Knives Out 2. Here's hoping he'll get the chance to do a test screening for that one too.

More: Rian Johnson Is Better Off Without Star Wars

Source: Knives Out home release