Star Wars Dreams Come True: Future Episode VIII/IX Director Rian Johnson Confirms Episode VII’s Sparing CGI Use

The prequel trilogy didn’t exactly make it easy to get excited about new Star Wars movies, but details of a return to form for the franchise have slowly trickled out and made things a lot more interesting. Now, Episode VIII and IX director Rian Johnson has said that the return to practical effects isn’t just speculative wishful thinking.

Speaking about Episode VII on the Girls in Hoodies podcast, Johnson said:

They’re doing so much practical building for this one. It’s awesome. I think people are coming back around to [practical effects]. It feels like there is sort of that gravity pulling us back toward it. I think that more and more people are hitting kind of a critical mass in terms of the CG-driven action scene lending itself to a very specific type of action scene, where physics go out the window and it becomes so big so quick.

I probably sound like a grumpy old man talking about it. I do wonder because I think kids are growing up watching those and that’s the thing that they love now, so I don’t know whether it is a generational thing, and it could be.

So, there you have it. In case the full-size X-wing prop, the fact that they’re building sets instead of green screening everything, or the puppet alien in the Force for Change videos didn’t tip you off, Episode VII will favor practical effects, and it sounds like VIII and IX are likely to continue the trend.

People are “coming back around” to practical effects? Take that, CGI-heavy prequels. Now your failure is complete.

(via Hollywood Reporter, image via Star Wars: Force for Change)

Previously in Star Wars

• We may finally get the original Star Wars movies on blu-ray
• The set has very good, non-CGI quinoa
• Disney may give us an entire Star Wars theme park

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