Rey Movie Director Addresses Fan Outcry

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is focused heading into the new Star Wars.

Rey Skywalker is coming back to Star Wars in a new movie and the film’s director addressed some of the criticisms online. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is the filmmaker that will helm Daisy Ridley’s return to the Lucasfilm franchise. She hears about some of the online outcry and says that people have their own connection to Star Wars. However, while those fans are entitled to their opinion, Obaid-Chinoy told Variety that it doesn’t change her focus from making the kinds of movies that interest other people in the fanbase. That fervor online has been carried forth by some voices and met with pushback by viewers who feel like there’s room in that large galaxy for a variety of stories. 

In particular, the idea of Ridley’s Jedi bringing the order back after the events of the sequel trilogy would be interesting to a lot of fans. Most of the older Jedi who would show Rey the way are long gone. But, probably not all of them. In fact, covering how the young woman decides to help rebuild the group is very enticing to the director and her biggest interest heading into the film. “The story that interests me most is in Rey’s journey as a female Jedi,” Obaid-Chinoy told the outlet. “That’s how I can best bring my experiences to it.”

“The greatest thing about Star Wars is that everyone has a personal connection to it,” the director added. “Everyone is passionate about it. And throughout the fandom, people have clear ideas about who should direct or what the stories should be about. I’m just drowning out those voices until I’m done. As a storyteller, I’m focused on drawing new moviegoers into the cinema, and bringing a sense of nostalgia that will appeal to older fans of the series.”

Rey Coming Back For New Movie

Rey’s big movie return has been a constant source of conversation among Star Wars fans since it was announced at Star Wars Celebration. Since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters, fans have wondered if they would ever see Rey pick up a lightsaber in live-action again. Now, that the upcoming film has been confirmed, Ridley recently sat down with Empire Magazine to talk about the decision to lead the Jedi into a new era. It seems like the actress always had the thought at the back of her mind. But, when the opportunity came knocking, the chance to break some new ground sounded even more enticing.

“It wasn’t a difficult decision,” Ridley explained. “I didn’t say yes right away, Kathy [Kennedy, Lucasfilm president] was like, ‘Take as long as you need.’ It was actually really funny, on the way there [to meet Kennedy], I was on the phone to my best friend and he goes, ‘Oh my God, Dais, imagine if they’re doing a Rey TV show.’ And I was like, ‘Nah, we’re literally just going for breakfast.’ And then I called him and I was like, ‘You will never guess what.'”

“Why wouldn’t I [do it]?” Ridley mused. “Yes, they have been divisive, but also they bring a lot of love and joy to a lot of people. It feels pretty amazing to be able to continue a character – like, can I even remember how to play her? It’s an interesting challenge as an actor to come back to something and try to figure out what’s changed for me and what’s changed for her.”

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