Despite rumors of Lucasfilm stymieing creatives, The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson says he was given plenty of control over his project. The entertainment world is still reeling from the news that Lucasfilm fired directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller from the upcoming Han Solo film. Known for their work on The LEGO Movie and 22 Jump Street, many fans were excited for their unique voice to be added to the Star Wars franchise. After they (and many other creatives) departed DC's The Flash, Han Solo seemed to be the pairs' last shot at tackling a big budget spectacle film. With the news of the firing, however, they may be sour on the whole experience.
The report has also brought with it word that Lucasfilm resented the creative control the directors were exerting over the project. With the production already four months in, it's not a good sign regardless of the reasons. Still, the notion that auteurs are being brought in only to be hamstrung by the studio isn't encouraging for the film. Meanwhile, fans are worrying that this year's The Last Jedi could have been similarly interfered with. Luckily, the writer and director has assured fans that's not the case.
In response to a recrimination by a fan, Rian Johnson took to Twitter to confirm that his experience working with Lucasfilm on The Last Jedi was no different than the indie films he's made.
I had as much creative control on TLJ as I've ever had on any of my own movies.— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) June 21, 2017
Best known for writing and directing Brick and Looper, Johnson is one of dozens of indie filmmakers who have been called up to the big leagues by studios lately. Like Gareth Edwards (Rogue One) and Colin Trevorrow (Star Wars IX), Johnson was chosen for his skills as a creative. Because of that, it's likely that Lucasfilm respects his vision, though they still exert plenty of control over the final product. Still, Johnson both wrote the script for The Last Jedi and is directing, meaning many of the film's creative decisions are up to him.
Lord and Miller, meanwhile, seem to have clashed with Lucasfilm as they began tweaking the script by Star Wars veteran writer Lawrence Kasden. With Lord and Miller passing on The Flash and now being removed from Han Solo, it's not clear if the issue lies with the directors or with big studios not properly respecting their vision.
Only time will tell how Han Solo will shape up and what exactly happened. Meanwhile, Johnson has already received some early criticism for the assumption that he's recycling story bits. Of course, until the next trailer comes out, no one has seen enough of the movie to begin passing that judgement. As for whether the collaboration between Johnson and Lucasfilm will be beneficial for fans, we won't have to wait much longer to decide for ourselves. With The Last Jedi just six months away, we should have our answer soon enough.
Source: Rian Johnson
