The range of emotions sparked by Star Wars: The Force Awakens is quite vast. While some moviegoers thought the film was an absolute triumph, others were quick to pan the film as a frustrating disappointment that introduced nothing new or refreshing to the now decades old franchise.
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But no matter what side of that fence you fall on, one thing that can’t be disputed is that the film has been an absolute box office smash, breaking both domestic and global box office records with ease. That being the case, the Star Wars franchise seems to be in good hands (at least profit-wise) now that
Notably, Star Wars: Episode VIII may be a bit different than Episode VII because of an entirely new writing and directorial team. Whereas Episode VII was co-written and directed by J.J. Abrams, Episode VIII will be written and directed by Rian Johnson. Johnson’s previous film credits include Looper and Brick. Johnson, we should add, has also directed three Breaking Bad episodes, including the widely beloved episode Ozymandias and the widely criticized episode Fly.
While details surrounding the upcoming Star Wars film remain scarce, J.J. Abrams, for one, is incredibly excited about the film. In fact, Abrams found the script for the film so compelling that he recently expressed regret for not being on-board as the director.
Speaking to The Washington Post, actor Greg Grunberg said:
“He read it and said something he never, ever says,” Grunberg, who plays pilot Snap Wexley in the new film, tells The Post’s Comic Riffs. Grunberg said that Abrams called the Episode VIII script “so good” that he wished he had written it.
“He may have said something one time on ‘Lost,’ with Damon [Lindelof, the co-creator],” continues Grunberg, whose credits on Abrams series include “Lost” and “Felicity,” “but I never hear him express regret like that.”
Well that’s certainly intriguing.
Of course, Abrams isn’t necessarily going MIA. He’s still the film’s producer and made a point to involve Johnson during the creative process of Episode VII’s development as to ensure a seamless transition from film to film.
