Here’s why this new movie has “Star Wars” fans VERY NERVOUS
Colin Trevorrow, writer and director of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX, has a new movie out, and the reviews have Star Wars fans very nervous about the future installment of the iconic saga. Star Wars is more than just a popular film series — it’s a beloved franchise spanning forty years, and fans feel a ferocious instinct to protect it from those who *may* not do the films justice.
So just how is a non-Star Wars movie affecting Star Wars?
With the reviews of Trevorrow’s latest film, The Book of Henry out, it seems fans are questioning Trevorrow’s ability to helm a project as big and beloved as Episode IX, with many taking to social media to speculate as to whether or not Trevorrow could actually lose the gig, despite early production of the film already being underway.
Reviews for The Book of Henry, Trevorrow’s film starring Naomi Watts and Jacob Tremblay — which is about a child genius who attempts to rescue his neighbor and crush — have been scathing, leaving many critics unsure of what they’d even seen. But the consensus has been that The Book of Henry is not good (sorry, Book of Henry). In his review, John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter calls the film a massive red flag for Star Wars fans.
“Those of us who’ve allowed ourselves to care about the latest Star Wars trilogy may be made fearful about the prospect of an Episode IX directed by Trevorrow,” DeFore writes. “The garden-variety blockbuster lameness of his Jurassic World was one thing; after this near-catastrophe, can he really be trusted with the fate of the Jedi?”
Trevorrow was hired for the Star Wars gig soon after Jurassic World — his first major blockbuster — hit theaters, which made fans very nervous. World wasn’t a huge hit (or, to be fair, a *terrible* film), but fans were already wary about his ability to take on this role, and it looks like The Book of Henry is only adding fuel to the fire.
Rian Johnson, who directed the upcoming Episode VIII: The Last Jedi seems all too familiar with fans’ wariness. Despite having a devoted following from his films Looper and The Brothers Bloom, Johnson spent much of the 2017 Star Wars Celebration convention proving to fans that he was the man for the job, even crashing the all-night waiting line for The Last Jedi panel to talk to fans about the upcoming film.
Episode IX still has a long way to go before it hits theaters in 2019, but we’re holding out hope that Trevorrow — or whoever helms the project — will make it a film worthy of the Star Wars name. We just can’t handle another prequel series disaster.
