Movies News

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Buzz: Mark Hamill and Director Rian Johnson React

The eighth installment in the Star Wars saga now has an official title — Star Wars: The Last Jedi — and we’ve had a day to consider the implications of that title. While the title came as a surprise to almost everybody, two people had a little advance knowledge and have shared their feelings..

Mark Hamill, who will reprise his role as Luke Skywalker, says he was told the title while the movie was being made. In the Associated Press video below (via ScreenCrush), he gives his charming reaction.

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The actor notes: “It’s got a real samurai — you know, it’s straightforward and minimalist and I like that.” George Lucas acknowledged the influence of Japanese master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in this video.

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While we’re at it, here’s Hamill talking about the ending of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

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Referring back to Hamill’s comment about the movie having a “samurai” tone, director Rian Johnson had the cast watch a number of movies in preparation for filming, including Japanese classic Three Outlaw Samurai (1964).

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Johnson shared his reaction to the title announcement on social media: “Felt so good to drop this into the cut this morning.”