John Boyega shared the following comments with Entertainment Weekly when asked about how working with Rian Johnson on The Last Jedi has differed from his time with J.J. Abrams when The Force Awakens was being produced.
“Being a different person comes with a different energy, a different perspective, and Rian definitely has his own unique style,” says Boyega. “Rian is just fun. Rian is just a fun guy. I have a feeling he is Santa Claus. I think Santa Claus is a part time director when it comes to December. He grows out the beard then does his thing, because he just so giving, he’s cheerful on set, and it’s always a fun time.”
He went on to say how he believes having a different director helming each of the films (Abrams for Episode VII, Johnson for Episode VIII, and Colin Trevorrow for Episode IX) in the new Sequel Trilogy is the right way to go.
Boyega thinks having a different director on each of the new episodes is the perfect way to keep the franchise fresh 40 years in and counting. “What people fail to understand sometimes is that the success of these stories that will stay with us long-term is to bring new ideas, is to expand the universe. So we can have new stories, new people, just a different perspective is awesome. [Rian] had a chance to really go crazy, and I’m a big Star Wars buff so certain things I saw I was just like ‘Well, that’s a first.’ And that, for me, is really cool to experience.”
And how does he feel now that he’s no longer a newbie when it comes to portraying a character in the Star Wars universe?
“The second one was like coming home in a strange way going through a weird déjà vu, but this time you’re more comfortable. You’re settled in your character and you’re ready to go, but it was definitely different because now you’re known as Finn and there’s Rey and you’re just part of the culture in a strange way.”
