Online critics want to remake 'The Last Jedi' — and Rian Johnson is all for it
Star Wars: The Last Jedi was acclaimed by critics and earned $1.3 billion worldwide (including $620 million here at home), and yet some die-hard fans continue to express their oh-so-outraged discontent over it online — including in ways nasty enough to compel co-star Kelly Marie Tran (i.e., Rose Tico) to leaving social media over what seemed to be intolerant harassment. Earlier this week, a few of these persistent detractors took such complaints to a new level, posting a request for help in remaking the blockbuster sequel. And that, in turn, led to expert trolling from high-profile individuals like the film’s writer/director.
Yesterday, the aptly titled @RemakeTheLastJedi Twitter account made the following announcement-by-way-of-plea to fellow Last Jedi haters:
Our team of producers is offering to cover the budget for a remake of The Last Jedi in order to save Star Wars. Share this and spread the word to let @RobertIger & @Disney know you want this! This isn't a joke, we're ready to have the convo now! #RemakeTheLastJedi #StarWars
— Remake The Last Jedi (@RMTheLastJedi) June 20, 2018
We will be consulting with Star Wars fans directly throughout the writing of the remake of The Last Jedi as the plan is to make a version of TLJ that is as close to universally accepted as possible! (You'll never please everyone, but at least it wouldn't be blasphemy)
— Remake The Last Jedi (@RMTheLastJedi) June 20, 2018
In fact we want the writing team to be a diverse group of people that both loved and hated TLJ, so we will have an inbox for story treatment submissions and actually hire people onto the writing team from what we receive! So this is your chance to write a Star Wars film!
— Remake The Last Jedi (@RMTheLastJedi) June 20, 2018
Iron sharpens iron and the best writing comes from a group of people who have differing opinions but can constructively work together for the best story possible. Not just one writer sitting in a room thinking whatever pops into their head is the best idea ever.
— Remake The Last Jedi (@RMTheLastJedi) June 20, 2018
The people in power think the fans who disliked TLJ are an irrelevant minority of basement dwellers who are just keyboard cowboys that will never actually effect real change. If you don't want them to win then spread #RemakeTheLastJedi and let your voice be heard!
— Remake The Last Jedi (@RMTheLastJedi) June 20, 2018
As their official website indicates, these producers are soliciting “pledges” (which total $22 million, but require no financial commitment and are thus highly questionable) to help create this fan-pleasing opus, which will ostensibly be made by Disney once it supposedly realizes the benefits of redoing one of the franchise’s biggest hits. Suffice it to say, that plan makes little sense. And the campaign was thus predictably met with mockery from many corners, including from writer/director Rian Johnson. The filmmaker has previously fought back against extreme trolls (as have his co-stars and supporters), and today, he made it clear that he’d love to see these amateur auteurs try their hand at improving upon his series installment:
please please please please pleeeeeeeaaaase please actually happen please please please please please 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 https://t.co/mNpSjgovax
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) June 21, 2018
None other than Seth Rogen also chimed in, expressing what sounded like genuine bafflement over this entire scheme, which — as he made clear in a series of comments posted in response to the above Tweet — doesn’t make much logistical sense, thanks to the fact that these individuals don’t own the rights to the very material they’re trying to use.
Yo I’m very confused as to what your goal is here. You literally want to spend 200 million dollars remaking the last Jedi? And someone is giving you that money? I don’t get it.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) June 21, 2018
Ok. Is someone actually investing money in this?
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) June 21, 2018
How did you get investors without a script or stars or director or legal ability to make this movie? Those have been important elements in the past.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) June 21, 2018
So do you already have investors? Like, you already got people to invest money with the HOPES that Disney will let you make this, which there is no reason or historical precedent for?
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) June 21, 2018
I reread your other tweet. So from what I gather you don’t have investors, so Disney would just be entrusting you with the IP in the hopes you do it justice and are able to pay for it. Is that the plan? I’m so curious how this is supposed to work.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) June 21, 2018
As the Remake The Last Jedi’s post says, “This isn’t a joke,” so if you want to participate in their project, you know now where to send your hard-earned “pledges.”
