Jurassic World was a box office smash, but not everyone loved Colin Trevorrow’s resurrection of the franchise. Between that and the fact that The Book of Henry has been torn apart by critics, many Star Wars fans are now concerned that the filmmaker may not be the right man to be at the helm of Star Wars: Episode IX.
Perhaps realizing that not everyone is sure he’s the best choice to bring this trilogy to a close, Trevorrow has gone on the record to promise that Star Wars: Episode IX is going to be a movie that those who love these characters and the franchise will definitely appreciate.
“Not only did I grow up on these stories, like all of us did, [but] I think that the values of Star Wars are values that I hold very close and very dear in my life,” said the director.
“I feel that the message of the way that the Force teaches you to treat other people and show respect for others, and the way it guides you through life, is really important to me. And I hope everybody would realize that that set of stories has affected me as deeply in my life as it has affected them.
I think the challenge for me is to recognize that everyone has their own personal relationship with these stories, and it’s different depending on who you are. And I need to make a film that you’ll appreciate, even if your experience with it was different, which is making something that will be deeply emotionally resonant and satisfying for people all around the world. And I think about it a lot.”
There’s no denying that Trevorrow is saying all the right things here, but that may not be enough to win over some sceptics. The fact he too is a fan definitely should help matters, but there’s no denying he has some seriously big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of directors like J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson. There’s also concern over Lucasfilm’s handling of these movies after what happened with Han Solo.
We won’t find out until Star Wars: Episode IX is released in 2019 whether or not the director succeeds, but the pressure is clearly on Trevorrow to deliver. He knows that though and seems to have a genuine love for the franchise, so here’s hoping he doesn’t drop the ball.