In less than a month, the Star Wars franchise as we know it will come to an end. J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker will complete the Skywalker Saga, which George Lucas began back with A New Hope. Abrams helped to kickstart the franchise back up after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, but he wasn't originally going to direct Episode IX. Jurassic World's Colin Trevorrow was originally set to helm the upcoming blockbuster, but ended up dropping out. He's still credited for contributing to the movie's story, and has broken his silence about that turn of events.
Colin Trevorrow has officially gotten a "story by" credit on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, honoring his contribution to the movie before leaving the director's chair behind. J.J. Abrams returned to finish the trilogy, making his own changes to Episode IX's story. Now Trevorrow has responded to this credit, saying:
I’m not sure anyone who chooses the creative life should expect things. But I’m grateful to J.J. [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.
What a class act. While Colin Trevorrow ultimately decided not to direct an installment in the galaxy far, far away, he appreciates that some of his early ideas will make it into the theatrical cut of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Although exactly what the movie will contain remains a mystery.
Star Wars may be one of the biggest and most beloved franchise in film history, but it's not without missteps. The space opera has lost plenty of directors in recent years, resulting in various levels of success. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were famously fired from Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Colin Trevorrow obviously left The Rise of Skywalker long before production started. Plus, Game of Thrones creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff recently stepped down from developing their own movie.
Related: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Features A Ship From Colin Trevorrow’s Episode IX
While Colin Trevorrow is being credited for helping with the story of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it's unclear exactly what ideas he contributed to the upcoming movie. During his same conversation with Empire, he was asked about what specific story beats he came up with. And he said:
That’s not my place, especially right now. I know how hard this crew has worked over the past two years, a lot of them are working with us now on Jurassic. I want to support them as they put this film out into the world. In the end, I’m just proud to have my name in space.
Colin Trevorrow might have departed from his role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but there doesn't seem to have any ill will toward the franchise. He's committed to guarding the movie's secrets until its release, honoring his collaborators that are also working on Jurassic World 3.
Luckily, we won't have to wait much longer to see how the story goes down, including the beats that Colin Trevorrow shaped out for Episode IX. There's just one month left before the Skywalker Saga ends forever, so anticipation is at a fever pitch.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will hit theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. And our 2020 release list to look ahead toward the New Year.
