Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Daisy Ridley has teased that the highly-anticipated sequel has a "more ominous" feel to it than its predecessor. Writer/director Rian Johnson has promised viewers he didn't skimp on humor (see: his claim BB-8 is the Buster Keaton of Star Wars), but his filmmaking sensibilities certainly lend themselves to a darker narrative. That was readily apparent in the Episode VIII teaser trailer, which established Johnson's serious approach and a new direction for the saga. Luke Skywalker's proclamation that it was time for the Jedi to end left fans with a much different set of emotions than Han Solo telling Chewie they were home.
Basically from the beginning, The Last Jedi has been pitched as a more foreboding chapter, an unsurprising development given its status as the middle film in the trilogy. Though Johnson has quelled fears that he's simply remaking The Empire Strikes Back, that seminal movie went a long way in forming the notion the second installment should also be the "darkest." Ridley is now the latest to confirm that will be the case here, as Episode VIII is going to be more dire than The Force Awakens.
In an interview with The Star Wars Show while at Celebration Orlando (watch the video above), Ridley briefly discussed The Last Jedi, saying that things are "more ominous" when compared to Episode VII. She didn't elaborate beyond that, but her statement adds credence to similar ones made in the past. The galaxy is going to be in a very chaotic state in Star Wars 8, after both the Resistance and First Order were dealt heavy blows in Force Awakens. Supreme Leader Snoke will be looking to capitalize on this, and from the sound of things, he's still more well-resourced than General Leia, despite losing Starkiller base. These are very uncertain times, especially since the Republic was just annihilated. "Ominous" is a rather fitting word.
Oscar Isaac has gone on record a couple of times to say that the returning characters will all be tested immensely, as Johnson looked to expose their various flaws and learn more about who they are. The director wanted to challenge the likes of Rey, Finn, and Poe to see how they would handle certain situations. Based on that, things should be quite perilous for everyone involved, which will only help underscore the gravity of the film's main plot. Relying more on character-driven drama than flashy spectacle to fuel the story sounds like a compelling formula for success; audiences responded very positively to this new generation of heroes after Force Awakens, so diving deeper into their psyches should be rewarding.
Johnson's screenplay has been praised from day one, and the cast cannot stop raving about what he was able to do with the material. This is to be expected, since actors know better than to trash their own movie before it comes out, but all the comments paint a highly exciting picture. Mark Hamill even confessed his experience making Episode VIII helped make Johnson one of his all-time favorite directors. With early word that Last Jedi is "different," viewers should be in for a wild ride come December, as there's no telling what awaits the fans following the iconic text crawl.
NEXT: 15 Answers We Need In The Last Jedi
Source: The Star Wars Show
