DisneyStar Wars: The Last Jedi posted the second-largest opening weekend of all-time, behind its predecessor The Force Awakens, which debuted to $247.9 million in 2015. It also became the second film — along with The Force Awakens — to gross more than $100 million on its opening day.
Among the new characters in the movie: Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, played by Laura Dern. She credits writer/director Rian Johnson with preventing the Death Star-sized project from being intimidating to the Star Wars universe newcomer.
“Rian is ridiculous!” she tells ABC Radio. “You feel like you’re on this small indie [film], you’re improvising, you’re collaborating, you’re your creating your look, your character, really as a member of the team. And then you turn around and you see C-3PO, and remember you’re on Star Wars.“
“So, how he seamlessly made you feel like it was this small family experience was kind of incredible.”
In the film, Dern’s character butts heads with Oscar Isaac’s cocky pilot Poe Dameron, which really drives the movie’s plot.
“As Oscar says, our [characters’] chemistry and our connection really serves the complication of the story,” Dern explains.
“Because as he’s said, in different circumstances he would feel even attracted to this person, and they have a great dynamic, and yet their will and their determination for their point of view is definitely a conflict. And we [the viewers] trust Poe so we’re on his journey. So that makes her complicated for us.”
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