Rian Johnson had his cast watch these 6 films before shooting Episode VIII

July 19th 2016, 12:34pm

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

There’s no doubts that THE FORCE AWAKENS was very reminiscent of the original STAR WARS, for better and for worse, and I think it’s safe to say that fans are really looking forward to Rian Johnson (LOOPER) bringing something different to the saga. While great films inspire all filmmakers, Johnson seems to have a very specific vibe he’s aiming for with his EPISODE VIII. He recently revealed a list of six films that he had his cast and crew watch before production, and they may give us some ideas on what to expect. Take a look!

Twelve O’Clock High (1949)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)
Letter Never Sent (1960)
Gunga Din (1939)
Sahara (1943)

War, honor, survival, the nature of good and evil . . . it’s not hard to see how some of the thematic material found in the films above can tie into a STAR WARS film. There’s plenty of rumors floating around about the direction this film is headed (none of which I’ll list here), but I think it’s safe to say that EPISODE VIII wont have as much in common with EMPIRE as FORCE AWAKENS does with A NEW HOPE. In any event, if you’re looking for a killer marathon to embark on before EPISODE VIII reaches us, now you have one!

STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII will hit theaters on December 15, 2017.