Denis Villeneuve Is Wrong About 'Star Wars'

Few directors have captured my imagination in recent years like Denis Villeneuve. The visionary filmmaker has brought stunning worlds to life and imbued them with heart and passion. Arrival gave me hope for humanity. It lifted my spirit and crushed my soul. His Dune films are some of my favorites to emerge from any genre in the last decade. Not since Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films have I felt so immersed in a fantastic world (or worlds, in this case). Villeneuve has an incredible understanding of bringing audiences into a new landscape.

It’s not only that Villeneuve understands the source material he’s adapting (everything I’ve mentioned so far was based on books), he knows how it can appeal to moviegoers. He has a grip on what is appealing about what he’s making. He knows how to play into the scope of events but also their emotional core. There is something tangible about the world and something palpable about the emotions. So, it’s wild to me that the director thinks Star Wars started being for kids when Return Of The Jedi came along.

The Blade Runner: 2049 director was asked about Star Wars on The Town Podcast and explained how his love for the franchise began. “I was the target audience. I was 10 years old. It went to my brain like a silver bullet. I became obsessed with Star Wars,” he explained. “I mean, The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that I anticipated the most in my life. I saw the movie a billion times onscreen. I was traumatized by The Empire Strikes Back. I adore Star Wars.” Makes sense!

Since he was 10 when the first film came out, he was 13 for the second. That’s a perfect age for Empire. Still, I’d argue a 10-year-old would probably like it as well. It’s dark but not so dark it would freak a kid out (but that depends on the kid, of course). However, when Return of the Jedi was released three years later, Villeneuve was 15 and no longer interested in stuff that was “for kids.” “The problem is that it all derailed in 1983 with Return of the Jedi,” he explained. Hoo boy!

“It’s a long story. I was 15 years old, and my best friend and I wanted to take a cab and go to L.A. and talk to George Lucas — we were so angry!” Okay, Denis! Save the anger for a five-hour YouTube video. “Still today, the Ewoks. It turned out to be a comedy for kids … Star Wars became crystallized in its own mythology, very dogmatic, it seemed like a recipe, no more surprises. So I’m not dreaming to do a Star Wars because it feels like code is very codified.”

I don’t disagree that Star Wars has become bogged down by its own history. When there are surprises to be had, ala The Last Jedi, a subset of fans reject it ferociously. So, the films and shows tend to play it safe. Still, I’m already hearing people complain that Skeleton Crew is too much of a kid’s show, so the fanbase will never be pleased and Villeneuve is not alone. I mainly think it’s funny the director is angry that the franchise continued to be about kids as he aged, despite acknowledging that he was the “target audience” when he was ten!

I think George Lucas tends to have a fluid memory about his work, but I agree with his recent sentiment that the Star Wars films have always been meant for kids. Children can handle scarier themes sometimes, and the movies have allowed for that, but at their core, they are rollicking and comedic adventure films for kids. The comedy doesn’t always work, but it is always there. Denis Villeneuve is an incredible director and I’m excited to see what he does next, but his assessment of Star Wars is (mostly) wrong.