When the writer/director of Looper and Brick, Rian Johnson, was announced to take the director’s chair for Star Wars Episode VIII, few were more excited than me. I thouroughly enjoyed Looper for the fantastic storytelling ability of Johnson, and his visionary work most assuredly came into play when Disney/Lucasfilm pegged him as the man to continue the story of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And, after a brief look into one of his ideas yesterday on Twitter, I am now more confident than ever, that Episode VIII might be the best film in Star Wars history.
It started out with a tease…a tantalizing tidbit of information that would enthrall the faithful followers of the Star Wars universe.
It then moved past a mere tease, to an exciting hype missile being fired from a Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer piloted by Rian Johnson himself.
Johnson had us, we were clay in his hands, to be molded into whatever shape he saw fit. The intensity increased, and the desire to know just what this mad scientist was envisioning became palpable…you could literally hear a pin drop across the internet.
And that’s when he hit us with the near a sledgehammer like blow that would leave a Gorog sized void of mystery and wonderment, on the fanbase, that will be nearly impossible to fill by any other director, other than Rian Johnson himself.
A Jedi fighting a dog on a canoe. There is literally nothing else I can imagine, that would make any larger of an impression on this ravenous and passionate group of fans, than a Jedi fighting a dog…on a canoe. Rian Johnson is clearly the visionary that the Star Wars franchise needs, in order to take the next step in cinematic history. Just to top things off, Johnson posted a professional artist’s rendering of what that would look like, and I have to say, it was exactly how I imagined.
As you can see from the picture, Rian Johnson clearly has a firm grasp on what is needed to make a wonderfully exciting Star Wars film. And, although this was all just in fun, I still kind of hope to see a Jedi go head to head with a dog on a canoe. Rian Johnson is going to make an excellent film.
Next: Watch Han and Chewie age 40 years right before your very eyes!