Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker star Anthony Daniels rejects the notion fans will boycott the film and says everyone will enjoy it. The Star Wars discourse took an interesting turn back in 2017, when Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi was released. Continuing the sequel trilogy after 2015's The Force Awakens, Last Jedi became one of the most polarizing blockbusters in recent memory. While some viewers felt Johnson's deconstructive approach was exactly what the franchise needed in order to remain viable for years to come, others blasted the director for his creative choices and claimed he ruined Star Wars beyond repair.
The debates continue to rage on to this day, especially as anticipation for The Rise of Skywalker mounts. J.J. Abrams has gone on record multiple times to state he is going to honor what Johnson did with Last Jedi, which isn't what moviegoers in some circles want to hear. Those who consider themselves among the TLJ Disowners might even contemplate skipping Star Wars 9 when it premieres this December. For his part, Daniels doesn't believe they will and expects audiences to come away satisfied.
During a press conference in Paris to promote his upcoming book I Am C-3PO - The Inside Story, Daniels of course found time to discuss the upcoming film. Reddit user Futur_alliance (hat tip Star Wars News Net) provided an English translation of the main talking points, including Daniels' thoughts on the current state of Star Wars fandom:
“[He] is aware of the fan division, reads and hears that some fans are saying they will never watch TROS, says he doesn’t believe it because this film is the final one, and he believes they’ll be first in line… [He] says everyone will be satisfied with the ending, called JJ a brilliant mind as well as Chris Terrio, as they really gathered all the scattered storyline pieces and concluded them. Says there is something for everyone in this movie from darkside lovers to light side.”
Of course, Daniels isn't going to badmouth a film that's still two months away from release, but even the rosiest Star Wars optimists would say it's a stretch "everyone" will be satisfied with the finale. Ending beloved, long-running stories is hard, and all viewers are going to go into The Rise of Skywalker with their own opinions about how the saga should end. Whenever something as massive as Star Wars is involved, it's impossible to please everyone. J.J. Abrams himself is cognizant of that fact and just focused on doing the best job he could while making the film. The optimal scenario is most people enjoy what The Rise of Skywalker has to offer and any backlash or criticism was minor. Lucasfilm would definitely prefer to avoid a Game of Thrones situation - although that might be wishful thinking at this point.
As for any threats of a boycott, it's unlikely that would have any noticeable impact on Star Wars 9's commercial performance. Fans have less influence over the box office than they think. For instance, Solo bombing last summer can be attributed more to a weak marketing campaign and competitive release window than audience dissatisfaction with the direction of the franchise. If the spinoff played in December like Disney's other Star Wars movies, chances are it would have done better business. It's true some people may choose to skip The Rise of Skywalker in theaters, but the film is expected to be the main event of the holiday season and continue Disney's unprecedented run of dominance in 2019. Like The Force Awakens and Last Jedi before it, Star Wars 9 should be a $1 billion sensation as it ends the Skywalker saga.
Source: Futur_alliance (via SWNN)
