After the leak of Colin Trevorrow’s Star Wars 9 script, titled Duel of the Fates, many fans disappointed with J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker have suggested that Trevorrow’s version would have made a better film, but that’s not necessarily the case. The Rise of Skywalker has been criticized for sidelining Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), retconning Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s more divisive character arcs, and overall presenting a messy fan-service-heavy story that failed to provide the satisfying conclusion audiences had hoped for.
Trevorrow was the film’s original co-writer and director, selected by producer Kathleen Kennedy in 2015, early in the planning process for the new trilogy and the same year that Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit theaters. He ultimately didn’t continue the project, citing creative differences with Lucasfilm’s producers, not long after his 2017 film The Book of Henry was critically panned and failed at the box office. Trevorrow was given a story credit on The Rise of Skywalker, but reports indicate that he had relatively little influence on the final product.
The idea that fans wish for a more cohesive conclusion to such a meaningful film saga is understandable, and it’s true that the details released about Trevorrow’s script present a more cohesive narrative, adding to, rather than dismissing, what occurred in The Last Jedi. But because of what’s already been reported about the The Rise of Skywalker's development process, how vital execution is to making a movie work, and Trevorrow’s previous work, crowning Duel of the Fates an unquestionably better film is presumptuous.
Following The Rise of Skywalker’s disappointing critical response and divisive reaction from fans, rumors circulated indicating the even Abrams was unhappy with the final cut, leading to a brief #ReleasetheJJCut campaign online. Behind-the-scenes reports portrayed a heavily involved contingent from Disney, eager to mold Abrams’ film into a certain success after the divisiveness of The Last Jedi. What is known about Trevorrow’s script is from a very early draft that predates much of the discourse following The Last Jedi’s release. The idea that Disney would intercede in Abrams’ film but not in Trevorrow’s doesn’t make sense. Though fans may be disappointed with The Rise of Skywalker, if the rumors about the film’s development are true, then it’s possible that the movie that hit theaters is exactly the movie Disney wanted to make – one that is more concerned with fan service than it is with telling a cohesive story.
Trevorrow's Star Wars 9 does have some compelling story beats, especially in its depiction of Kylo Ren as Supreme Leader, and Rose has a full B-plot rather than a mere 76 seconds on screen. But good films pay off in execution. For example, in theory Batman finding out that Superman - an alien - has a human connection that relates to something formative in Batman's character is a good reason for the Batman v. Superman: The Dawn of Justice’s fight to end, but that on-paper idea became the often-mocked "Save Martha!" That Trevorrow had good ideas in his script does not necessarily mean they would have translated to great drama on screen.
Plus, there is Trevorrow’s filmography. As a director, his first narrative feature was Safety Not Guaranteed, a critically acclaimed low-budget science fiction dramedy starring Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass. This is his only universal success. Jurassic World scored high box office returns but middling critical response, and his script for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom produced a haphazard sequel with confused character arcs and a too-confined third act. And The Book of Henry’s plot is genuinely strange, featuring a dead child prodigy leaving his mother plans to kill their abusive neighbor. Giving Trevorrow the benefit of the doubt with regard to Duel of the Fates ignores that his career has not been blemish-free.
Sadly, fans disappointed with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker probably won’t see a satisfying conclusion to the saga, and it’s natural to look at the other possibilities that might have been better. But before Trevorrow’s script is too lionized, it’s good to remember that his Star Wars 9 might have received the same response – or worse.