We’re only a few short months away from the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the ninth installment in the main saga of the long-running franchise, which looks set to bring the story that George Lucas began with A New Hope in 1977 to a close. The recently-released trailer has only served to heighten the buzz and sense of expectation surrounding the movie as well, something that director J.J. Abrams is very aware of.
Star Wars has one of the most passionate fanbases in all of popular culture, and they certainly aren’t shy in making their opinions known. In recent years, the franchise has been coming under increased scrutiny, with Abrams’ The Force Awakens being criticized from certain quarters for failing to bring anything new to the series, while Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi became the most divisive Star Wars movie yet after making some controversial changes to the established mythology.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy recently claimed that she loved hearing the feedback and criticism and in a recent interview with the Associated Press, Abrams also addressed the increasingly-vocal section of fans that aren’t best pleased with the direction of the franchise, admitting that some of them won’t be happy with the Rise of Skywalker, but he still set out to make the best Star Wars movie that he could.
“You just have to be grateful for them, because you don’t want to be working on something no-one cares about. And you have to understand that they’ve got their opinions and, of course, you have to value them. You’re never going to please everyone, you have to know that going in, and just do the best you can. I’m nothing but thankful as someone who considers myself a fan. I can’t wait for them to see the film.”
Having directed The Force Awakens and served as executive producer on The Last Jedi, Abrams knows full well that regardless of how Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker turns out, there will inevitably be people unhappy with the movie. In the digital and social media era that we live in, everybody has the means to let their opinion be heard whether it be positive or negative, and when it comes to such a universally-beloved property as Star Wars, he’s right, you simply can’t please everyone.