STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Star Daisy Ridley Admits That "January Was Not That Nice"

In a new interview, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker star Daisy Ridley has admitted that January was a struggle for her due to the negative response to the movie online. Hear more from the actress here...

By JoshWilding - Apr 10, 2020 01:04 PM EST

Filed Under: Star Wars

Love them or hate them, both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi received extremely positive reviews from critics (they scored 93% and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes), while a lot of fans did actually enjoy them. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, on the other hand, has 52%, appears to be incredibly divisive, and actually ended up underperforming at the box office.

Since its release, the backlash from fans has been significant, and it's clear that a lot of them simply didn't appreciate the way the Skywalker Saga wrapped up. That was despite a great deal of fan-service from director J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Chris Terrio, and it probably doesn't help that original helmer Colin Trevorrow's ideas leaked online and, well, were much better!

Now, Daisy Ridley has opened up about the response, and it sounds like it hasn't been easy.

"It's changed film by film honestly, like 98% it's so amazing, this last film it was really tricky. January was not that nice. It was weird, I felt like all of this love that we'd sort of been shown the first time around, I was like 'Where's the love gone?' I watched the documentary, the making-of, this week, and it's so filled with love; and I think it's that tricky thing of when you're part of something that is so filled with love and then people...You know, everyone's entitled to not like something but it feels like it's changed slightly. I think in general that's because social media and what have you."

There's certainly a lot of very toxic fans out there, but the response to The Rise of Skywalker really can't be blamed on them, especially when it's clear from the reviews that this film split opinions right down the middle. Some loved it, of course, but the finale simply didn't live up to what came before and, in the eyes of many, wasn't the ending this beloved series of films deserved.

What are your thoughts on The Rise of Skywalker?

For more details about Colin Trevorrow's Duel
of the Fates, click on the "Next" button below!

Rey's "Boomerang" Lightsaber

The opening of the movie is very much the same but the Resistance can no longer communicate with the rest of the Galaxy as the First Order has found a way to block their transmissions.

The plan is still to attack the the planet - likely Coruscant - which the villains use as their base but it's now "the Jedi Spire of Osis" that Rey needs to reach in order to send out a message to the rest of the Galaxy rather than the old Jedi Temple. Kylo Ren, meanwhile, is on a mission to kill Rey so that he can finally fully embrace the Dark Side.

Talking of Rey, she's created her own double-sided lightsaber which "works like a boomerang."

The Knights Of Ren Get Names...And A Sinister Rival To Kylo Ren

The Knights of Ren board a ship called the "Knife 9" in this version of the movie and the biggest difference is that they also get names and personalities! One of them is revealed to be a woman who, like Darth Maul, is from Dathomir.

With Kylo Ren off on his own mission, she's in charge and even General Hux reports to her. Why is this important? Well, we'll get to that later in this post but she doubts Kylo's ability to usher in a new era of darkness for her and this group.

C-3PO Is Going...Senile?!

We don't currently have a lot of details on this point but in Trevorrow's version of Episode IX, C-3PO would have begun "showing his age." Whether that means physically or mentally isn't clear but this subplot being used for comedic effect seems likely and Threepio is always good for some laughs.

Kylo Ren's New Mission

In this version of the movie, Kylo Ren wasn't going to track down an ancient Sith Master and would have instead just been trying to find that tomb with a weapon which would ensure his victory.

However, rather than a hologram of Emperor Palpatine, it would have been Darth Plagueis and upon watching his message, the Supreme Leader's face would have once again been left scarred after being hit with red Force lighting due to the fact he isn't a true Sith/entirely one with the Dark Side.

On the verge of death, Kylo would have been saved by some of the planet's locals and been moved by their selflessness, a sign that this version would have been on the path to redemption.

General Leia's Death

The previous Duel of the Fates draft was turned in a week before Carrie Fisher's death so some changes obviously had to be made for this version. In this screenplay, the Resistance would have had to flee from the First Order and Leia would have been badly injured in the melee.

She gives Rey one last message before dying and fading into the Force, while an enraged Kylo Ren also feels his mother's death but is calmed by the aliens who have nursed him back to health.

The Millennium Falcon Crashes

Pursued by the Knights of Ren, Poe Dameron pushes the Millennium Falcon too hard as they try to make their escape and it crashes into a frozen ocean. The ship begins to sink and after Rey uses her lightsaber to save them from drowning, she swims back to retrieve the ancient Jedi texts from inside.

Kylo Ren's New Mask

Kylo Ren is in a bad way and seemingly relying on droids to keep him alive after being badly burned and scarred by that Force lightning. Sollony notices that he's found the Sith Holocron they were looking for and points out that he now needs to sever his connections with both Luke Skywalker and Rey in order to clear his path to the Dark Side.

Donning "a new, more savage" mask which is said to be similar in appearance to Darth Vader, Ren now knows what he must do.

Finn Meets A Fellow Stormtrooper

Finn's subplot remains largely unchanged but he does come to blows with a First Order Stormtrooper whose helmet falls off as they fight. He tells him to remember his past before being taken by the First Order and tells him to get a name and a cause that's actually worth fighting for.

He later takes the name "Rafe" and joins our heroes during the movie's final battle.

There's also a throwback to Rian Johnson introducing those Force Sensitive children at the end of The Last Jedi as a kid is shown with a Rey doll, clearly inspired by the reputation she's gained in the Galaxy.

Purple Lightning

Much of the movie deals with Rey coming to terms with some of her darker impulses and anger about her past, something that comes to a head when she battles the Knights of Ren.

In a moment of pure rage, she kills one of them with purple lightning that explodes from her fingertips. Rey makes Poe and Chewie leave her so she can tackle what comes next alone.

Rey Goes Full Jedi

Deciding that she needs to face Kylo Ren and end this, Rey goes full on Jedi (with a robe and everything). Luke warns her that he can feel her anger building and reveals that the Knights of Ren are indeed some of his former students who Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren managed to turn to the Dark Side.

They're both heading for the Spire that can be used to send out a message to the Galaxy and it's there that Kylo seems to believe he will find a weapon capable of ending the Resistance for good.

Lando Calrissian Returns

This time, it's Poe and Chewbacca who track down Lando and it's revealed that the former captain of the Millennium Falcon once flew with Poe's mother (something we've seen in Marvel's tie-in comics). Lando refuses to help the Resistance in this draft too and Poe leaves by telling him that when his mom always said about him was right.

Clearly, that strikes a chord with Lando because just as things are looking bleak for the Resistance during the final battle, he returns with thousands of ships in toe.

Kylo Ren Vs. Rey

It's the big Kylo Ren vs. Rey battle but there's no vampire-like Force powers this time. He is still blamed for murdering her parents but it sounds like it was actually Snoke in this version.

While this is happening, Sollony finally gets her hands on the Sith Holocron and unleashes the "Dark Power" within. Unlike Kylo Ren, it doesn't hurt her because she's fully embraced the Dark.

Sollony Strikes

Rey has a chance to kill Kylo but chooses to forgive him and pleads with the Supreme Leader to bring Ben Solo back. Before he can reply, Sollony grabs him and she's now too powerful for them both.

Kylo saves her from being crushed by rubble and she splits her double-sided lightsaber with him so they can fight this Knight of Ren. Kylo sacrifices himself by taking a blow that was meant for Rey and she unleashes her own Dark Side in a bid to finish the powered up Knight once and for all.

After sharing a look of love, Kylo dies in Rey's arms but reveals her name: Rey Solana.

Rey's Message

Despite being "almost dead," Rey climbs the Jedi spire and manages to send a message out to the Galaxy. Revealing her full name, she tells them that hope is not lost.

It's at this point in the screenplay that Rey is healed by those Force Ghosts we mentioned in our last breakdown and with the Dark Side defeated, the Light again rises.

The End

During the closing few minutes, Chewbacca finally gets a medal while everyone wonders whether Rey really has gone. Finn is reading a story to a group of young kids and they ask him that very question; he says that he believes that she's alive because of the Force (a hint, perhaps, that he's also Force sensitive).

Lando has a moment with Threepio as R2-D2 comes back online and it's him who gets to see their memories whereas it was Leia in the earlier version of the screenplay.

Poe and Chewie find a beacon on a planet that may lead them to Rey while we watch the Jedi pull the Millennium Falcon out of the ocean before turning around to teach kids in her own Jedi school.

STAR WARS: Disneyland Kyber Crystal Reveals Rey's First Post-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Dialogue

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112 Comments

1 2 3

jj2112 - 4/10/2020, 1:10 PM

I fast-forwarded my way through the movie. Didn't miss much.

VicSage - 4/10/2020, 1:12 PM

@jj2112 - You got that option? My theater just had it on fast-forward for all of us. Both times.

MUTO123 - 4/10/2020, 1:12 PM

I despised this movie.

At the same time, I didn't feel the need to go out and spam her or the other people involved in the production with how much I hated it.

Nightwing1015 - 4/10/2020, 1:12 PM

Thing94 - 4/10/2020, 2:56 PM

@Nightwing1015 - haha

VicSage - 4/10/2020, 1:16 PM

For all of my critiques on these trilogy, all the fan service, all the woulda-coulda-shoulda...

I think Kathleen Kennedy, JJ, Rian, and everyone in between didn't keep one thing in mind. This trilogy was meant to be the last of the saga. I think all involved parties came into these films happy to "get Star Wars up again" and "re-introduce it to a new audience" that they lost sight of the hard fact: this is the last trilogy in a series.

We didn't hear talk of the creators acknowledging this fact until Star Wars 9. But it should have been acknowledged from Star Wars 7. This trilogy is the beginning of the end for the SW saga. But that's no fun to market, right? But that's how they should have been writing this story, in my opinion. If they had gone in with that approach, maybe they would have answered questions fans have had for years, instead of introducing new concepts and ideas and never fleshing them out.

TheManWithoutFear - 4/10/2020, 1:17 PM

The sequel trilogy is a giant mess and the biggest waste of potential in modern cinema history. But none of that is the fault of the actors.

TheUnworthyThor - 4/10/2020, 1:21 PM

You’ll find the love again Daisy as time goes on.

Jayman627 - 4/10/2020, 1:34 PM

I understand some people didn't like this film, but when they start harassing the cast and crew that's completely uncalled for and immature.

Gmoney84 - 4/10/2020, 1:37 PM

@Jayman627 - this! So much, this. Couldn’t agree more!

Nebula - 4/10/2020, 1:35 PM

Nebula - 4/10/2020, 3:00 PM

Definitely haven't been basically listening to this on loop since I posted this comment. Definitely not.

TDKRnry88 - 4/10/2020, 6:06 PM

@Nebula - Dope song. My favorite of theirs.

SpideyPuffsMJ - 4/10/2020, 1:41 PM

Daisy was great, of all the issues with the sequel trilogy, the cast was not one of them

1 2 3

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STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Star Daisy Ridley Admits That "January Was Not That Nice"

In a new interview, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker star Daisy Ridley has admitted that January was a struggle for her due to the negative response to the movie online. Hear more from the actress here...

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