J.J. Abrams had a different plan for Rey’s lineage

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Arguing about The Last Jedi is the Internet’s most favorite thing to do. Half the conversations I have about any movie at all somehow turn into discussions on the film. It’s getting kind of tiring… so lets pour a little lighter fluid onto that shit.

During a recent interview, Simon Pegg, who acted in and helped write The Force Awakens, revealed that J.J. Abrams had much different plans for Rey and the mystery of who her parents were, basically saying that Abrams had tossed around the fact that they were important in some way or another. 

“I know what JJ kind of intended or at least was being chucked around. I think that’s kind of been undone slightly by the last one. There was some talk of a relevant lineage for her.”

Obviously, Abrams was aware of what Rian Johnson was doing with the screenplay, and other interviews have indicated that Abrams was on board with Johnson’s take on things, but it’s interesting to see that Johnson’s film really did deviate drastically from what Abrams and Disney had planned. The fact that Disney even let him run in a completely different direction with a franchise this important is pretty incredible, and shows some balls in letting their creative leaders actually control the product. It’s really interesting to think that Disney  didn’t have this all planned out down to the smallest detail or if they did that they let Johnson just blow it all up.

And, for me, that’s why The Last Jedi was so damn good. It took the bog standard ideas set up by the fun-but-cliche Force Awakens and flipped everything on its head. Johnson made some bold movies, and they paid off in fantastic ways that make the flaws of the film seem minute. 

The real question now is what Abrams will do now that he’s back in control for Episode IX. Are we going to veer back towards more traditional Star Wars tales and possibly attempt a retcon of Johnson’s work or is he moving forward with a story that’s more in line with The Last Jedi. 

J.J. Abrams’ Initial Plan For Rey’s Parentage Was Far Different Than What We Saw in ‘The Last Jedi’ [/Film]

 

Matthew Razak
Matthew Razak is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Flixist. He has worked as a critic for more than a decade, reviewing and talking about movies, TV shows, and videogames. He will talk your ear off about James Bond movies, Doctor Who, Zelda, and Star Trek.