Colin Trevorrow on his contribution to Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

In another case of the revolving door of STAR WARS directors, Colin Trevorrow was all set to direct STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, but after several years of development, Lucasfilm parted ways with the director, saying that "Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon." Although Trevorrow no longer has anything to do with the STAR WARS franchise, a few of his contributions have survived.

Speaking with Empire, Trevorrow touched upon his contribution to Rian Johnson's STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. "I just asked Rian if he could include a little moment where Rey and Poe meet for the first time," said Trevorrow. "They’re such beloved characters, it felt right for them to have some history in the next movie. I thought the way he did it was perfect." The moment which Trevorrow is speaking of took place during the final moments of THE LAST JEDI where Poe introduced himself to Rey; when Rey offered her own introduction, Poe merely said, "I know."

Although much of Colin Trevorrow's script was scrapped when J.J. Abrams returned to take the helm for STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, Trevorrow still shares a story credit (along with writing partner Derek Connolly) on the upcoming film. Regarding his story credit, Colin Trevorrow said, "I’m not sure anyone who chooses the creative life should expect things. But I’m grateful to JJ [Abrams] for embracing some of our ideas. It’s exciting that fans will get to see the moments that felt essential to all of us." Trevorrow also revealed that the return of Emperor Palpatine was not part of his original vision for the film. "Bringing back the Emperor was an idea JJ brought to the table when he came on board," said Trevorrow. "It’s honestly something I never considered. I commend him for it. This was a tough story to unlock, and he found the key."

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER will hit theaters on December 20, 2019.