Star Wars: The Force Awakens might have successfully resurrected the Star Wars franchise after its long pause after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, but the film also had its flaws. There were complaints that the film felt too much like Star Wars: A New Hope. There were complaints that the film's lead character, Rey (Daisy Ridley), felt too much like a Mary Sue.
Now, as his second Star Wars movie fast approaches its debut, The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams reflects on a few of the things that he would have wanted to turn out differently in Episode VII.
Speaking in an interview with IGN Japan to help promote his new Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker, Abrams opens up about a few of the things that he could have "done better or differently" in The Force Awakens.
According to the filmmaker, one of his biggest regrets is not having Chewbacca and Leia (Carrie Fisher) interact with one another after Han Solo's (Harrison Ford) death.
"I always look at what I have done and see things that I wish I had done better or differently," he said."I wish that Chewie hadn't walked past Leia in the third act of The Force Awakens after Han died. There are things all over the place I always know I could have done better, but that's part of learning, I guess."
Of course, Abrams has the perfect opportunity to improve. The filmmaker was hired to take on The Rise of Skywalker after Lucasfilm parted ways with Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow, and now Abrams has the chance to give Star Wars the film it deserves.
It's not going to be that easy though. Not only is The Rise of Skywalker closing the curtain on the sequel trilogy, but it's also culminating the entire Skywalker saga. There's a lot riding on this film.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premieres December 20, 2019.
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