Amid all of the lasers, spaceships, and supernatural powers, Star Wars is ultimately about the interpersonal drama between characters. There's action, comedy, and romance in every film. In fact, the romance between General Leia and the late Han Solo is easily one of Hollywood's most iconic love stories. Although The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson recently confirmed a romance in the upcoming Episode VIII, it won't be anything like Han and Leia because the film is about how these characters deal with the fallout of The Force Awakens. When asked about the possible love story in The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson said:
It is certainly true that there is romantic drama, but there is nothing the same as the two lovers of Han and Leia, this time [laughs]. This movie, which is after the ending moments of The Force Awakens, each character was beginning to walk their own path. So, my duty was to dig down into: where do those paths go for each character?
So there will definitely be some semblance of romance in The Last Jedi. After all, it wouldn't be a Star Wars movie without at least one love story somewhere in the mix. That said, per Rian Johnson's remarks to Yahoo! Japan (quote translation via Comicbook.com), the film isn't leaning headfirst into that type of narrative because of where it lies in the overall Star Wars timeline. The wounds of The Force Awakens are still fresh, which means the film is more about the personal journey for each individual character.
In the end, it is probably for the best that the Star Wars franchise is not trying to recreate the Han and Leia love story in this new trilogy. The modern era of films already echoes the original trilogy in a number of key ways, so including yet another romance like that might feel a bit too much like an homage. We are still not sure which characters will actually develop a relationship (it could be Finn and Rey, or even Finn and Poe for all we know), but it looks like Star Wars is earnestly trying to break the mold with the creation of this new love story.
For a closer look at The Last Jedi's story, check out a recent trailer for the upcoming Star Wars film below!
We will see how this new romance pans out when Star Wars: The Last Jedi debuts in theaters on December 15. Make sure to get your tickets (opens in new tab) now, and check out our handy The Last Jedi guide to get yourself up-to-date on everything that you need to know about the upcoming adventure.
