Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" left fans wondering the identity of its new lead character, Rey, two years ago, but there was one other big question fans were hoping "The Last Jedi" may answer: Who is Supreme Leader Snoke?

If you were hoping to learn more about the villainous First Order's mighty leader, too bad.

Last chance to head back before spoilers.

In one swift motion of his fingers, Kylo Ren sealed his master's fate when he sliced him in half with a lightsaber. 

And just like that, Supreme Leader Snoke was dead along with the chance to know anything about his mysterious background.

No flashback sequences, no cool story about how he got those scars, and no crazy Jar Jar Binks reveal. Game over, man.

He left the scene as quickly as he came. 

If you were bummed that "The Last Jedi" failed to tell us more about the franchise's biggest villain since Emperor Palpatine, we get it. We've been waiting two years to learn this guy's deal. Now we'll probably never know. 

If that bothers you, there's some good news. If you've read any of the companion books or series that came out after "The Force Awakens"— you did that, right? — then we know a little bit about the Supreme Leader behind the disfigured face. 

What we know about Snoke

"The Force Awakens" novelization describes Snoke as a "humanoid alien." He was someone who was alive to watch the Galactic Empire come to power before falling to the Jedi. He pursues Kylo Ren, believing him to be someone with the right balance of light and darkness in the Force.

Snoke himself is supposed to have telepathic abilities. In "The Last Jedi," we learn he has the capability to bridge the minds of Rey and Kylo so that they start communicating with one another. We also briefly see that Snoke is able to use Force lightning much like Darth Sidious.

Andy Serkis, who plays Snoke, told Empire his character is not a Sith, but that he is "way darker than Palpatine." As for those scars? Serkis said Snoke has osteoporosis, which gives his body its twisted form.

"He’s incredibly damaged, so there’s a bizarre vulnerability about him," Serkis told Empire. "Beneath that vulnerability, though, is this intense hatred."

At the end of the day, it may not even matter who Snoke is in the grand scheme of things. Snoke was almost a red herring to detract from the the bond shared between Ben Solo and Rey, which serves as a more interesting focal point of this new trilogy.

Yes, the battle between good and evil and balance in the Force will always be there. But there's something as equally satisfying, if not more, about finding your place in the universe and knowing that you're not alone.

You can follow along with our coverage of "The Last Jedi" here.

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• "The Last Jedi" is a powerful "Star Wars" movie because it breaks all the usual sequel rules.
  
• Writer-director Rian Johnson has created a story that is worthy of the saga, but also has the feel of a powerful standalone movie.

If you are wondering why director Rian Johnson has been handed the keys to the “Star Wars” franchise, and been allowed to create a whole new trilogy, look no further than what he’s accomplished in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

After J.J. Abrams helmed the first “Star Wars” movie beyond "Return of the Jedi" 32 years ago with 2015's “Episode VII: The Force Awakens” — an entry that featured new characters but also included many familiar hallmarks from the original three movies — Johnson has essentially delivered a sequel that forges a new path in the “Star Wars” saga, as it extends the mythology without using the original three as a crutch.

“The Last Jedi” (opening in theaters on Friday) breaks the usual rules sequels live by. Put simply: It doesn't just take the things the audience loves about the previous movies and amplify them.

Unfortunately, going into detail on how“The Last Jedi” breaks these rules would divulge things about the movie that would spoil it for you, but what I will say is that all the fan theories that sprung from “The Force Awakens” mean very little.

Johnson, who also wrote the screenplay, proves there are greater things to explore — more complex and fascinating subplots. And to get to those he gives us a movie with the kind of moments you usually never see in the second film of a trilogy.

Adam Driver's multi-layered performance as Kylo Ren is a highlight of the movie

We left off in “The Force Awakens” with the Resistance destroying the First Order’s Starkiller Base and Rey (Daisy Ridley) going off to track down Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). At the start of “The Last Jedi,” Rey is still on the island Skywalker has purposely used to hide from the universe, and the First Order has tracked down the Resistance and is looking to wipe them out.

This is the foundation of “The Last Jedi,” as both settings are where we stay for most of the movie. But thanks to multiple characters we care about and a surprising amount of lightheartedness, the 2.5-hour running time never gets boring or stagnant.

We follow Rey delving deeper into the power of the force, under the reluctant guidance of Skywalker. Poe (Oscar Isaac) and General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) are together for most of the movie, with the legendary Resistance leader trying to make the talented fighter pilot understand the difference between heroism and leadership. Finn (John Boyega) finds a new girl to go on adventures with, Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). But out of the new crop of characters, the most fascinating is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

Ren is still trying to prove to Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) that he can be as evil as Darth Vader. But more importantly, Johnson further explores the mysterious connection Ren has with Rey. This is done using a heightened way of the force that has never been fully fleshed out in the saga before.

The complexities, anger, and manipulation that Driver gives Ren are a major highlight of the movie. It’s far from the only thing that’s impressive, but it’s just refreshing to see a fleshed out villain in this era of blockbusters and superhero movies where the bad guy character feels hastily put together.

Mark Hamill gives Luke Skywalker an aging samurai feel

Hamill’s return as Skywalker does not disappoint, either. The master Jedi has tried to block himself entirely from the legendary life he once lived, and the tipping point was Skywalker's failure to train Ren (aka Ben Solo). This is explained to Rey by both Skywalker and Ren, with Johnson cleverly using a “Rashomon”-like storytelling style to do it.

And this isn’t the only time in the movie when Johnson uses the feel of classic Asian cinema to influence his storytelling. The sections that involve Skywalker’s story have the feel of old samurai movies, with Luke as the elderly teacher who has nothing left in his life but the past, and the knowledge of his craft, neither of which he wants anymore. Johnson also shows this visually with a striking shot of Skywalker’s X-Wing resting at the bottom of the shallow water by the cliffs where he lives.

That's another thing "The Last Jedi" has a lot of: beautiful wide lens shots.

Another great part of “The Last Jedi” is that Johnson pulls off the difficult task of giving solid screen time to the ensemble, and including the new characters. Rose Tico is a spark plug of energy. Benicio Del Toro was born to be in a “Star Wars” movie, and he pulls off another unique speaking style for his role as the code breaker, DJ. And Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo has one of the biggest WOW! moments in the movie.

Yes, and the Porgs are fantastic!

Then there’s Leia. “The Last Jedi” marks the final performance in the iconic career of Carrie Fisher. She gets a good amount of screen time, including one scene that will certainly spark some major internet chatter.

If there’s one knock I have on the film it’s that, once again, Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) is given very little screen time. Guess we can only hope that will be rectified in “Episode IX.”

It certainly looks like Disney/Lucasfilm has found the filmmaker who it can use to extend the saga beyond just rehashing the greatness of the original three movies.

That’s perhaps the best part of “The Last Jedi.” Johnson has made something that isn’t just a worthy addition to one of the most fan obsessed franchises ever, but is also a powerful standalone story.

A rare feat for any sequel.

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• Disney announced Thursday it plans to buy Fox entertainment assets for $52.4 billion.
• Because of this, fans are hoping the Fox fanfare will return in front of future "Star Wars" movies.
• Even if it does happen, it wouldn't be for a long time.
• It could take up to 18 months for the Disney acquisition to be approved.

One of the saddest moments for "Star Wars" fans came in 2012 after Disney purchased Lucasfilm. 

The $4 billion acquisition meant that, among other things, Fox's iconic drum roll and fanfare would no longer roll in front of a "Star Wars" movie.

You know the music we're talking about:

After Disney announced Thursday morning it plans to buy Fox for $52.4 billion, it has some "Star Wars" fans hoping the Fox fanfare could return for future movies.

Is this a thing that could really happen?

Hold your horses.

Just because Disney is purchasing Fox entertainment properties doesn't mean the fanfare is coming back.

Lucasfilm isn't a Fox entertainment property. It's a Disney property the company spent billions to acquire. It's not clear what Disney would gain from slapping a Fox logo in front of a future "Star Wars" movie other than making fans happy. 

Otherwise, why would Disney want general audiences even thinking Fox was pumping out these films anymore when that isn't the case? 

Even if this does happen, it wouldn't be for some time. If approved, the Disney/Fox merger wouldn't go through for 12-18 months. That means the Han Solo spin-off movie, which is currently scheduled for a May 25, 2018 release,  would probably not get the Fox fanfare opening if it were to return. But that leaves three confirmed future "Star Wars" movies that could.

You can follow along with our "Star Wars" coverage here.

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• There is no post-credits sequence attached to the end of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."
• It wouldn't make sense to include one. "Star Wars" movies have never had extra scenes at the end, so any additional sequences would be a first.

If you're hoping for a first look at "Star Wars: Episode IX" at the end of "The Last Jedi," don't get your hopes up.

There is no extra scene during or after the credits of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" either for the next film in the Skywalker saga or the Han Solo spin-off movie.

This shouldn't be too much of a surprise. None of the other "Star Wars" movies have ever had post-credits scenes attached to them.

In recent years, however, Disney has become known for its additional end-credits scenes at the end of its Marvel and animated movies. Since Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4 billion, it may not have seemed out of the question for the company to start adding its popular tags to the "Star Wars" franchise.

That isn't the case, yet.

While there aren't any bonus scenes, it is worth sticking around to listen to the great John Williams'"Star Wars" score and for a dedication to Carrie Fisher at the top of the film's credits.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last Jedi' is a super-sized 'Star Wars' movie that will make you laugh and cry

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• "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" was a movie full of hope and resilience. 
• That's exactly the message we need after a year of heartache and loss. 
• In my opinion, this is the best "Star Wars" installment of the past 30 years. 
• This review is spoiler-free. 

"Star Wars" is no longer a science fantasy franchise; it's a monumental annual seasonal event. It's a time of tremendous celebration, one that rivals the holidays in its social and cultural relevance.

Tickets are pre-purchased like boxed gifts. Families, friends, lovers, maybe even amicable rivals gather together to offer good cheer to their nearest chain theaters (or, hopefully, their loyal, locally-owned arthouse joints). Movie theaters have dwindled at an alarming rate. But for one special weekend, it seems like everyone pays them a joyous visit.  

The newest movie is wonderful and, in my opinion, the best "Star Wars" installment in the past 30 years.

The magic of the movies is extravagantly on display in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," writer/director Rian Johnson's epic, entertaining, engrossing, invigorating, and politically conscious new sequel.

The newest installment builds upon Disney's massively successful "The Force Awakens," J.J. Abrams' charming, rousing, re-energized, and overly nostalgic contribution to the prolonged space-based saga, while also exemplifying everything eager fans to casual viewers will want to see. "The Last Jedi" is a smart, thoughtful, thematically compelling continuation to George Lucas' groundbreaking franchise.

It isn't just the best "Star Wars"movie since 1980's excellent "The Empire Strikes Back." Rather, it's the first truly really good "Star Wars" movie in over 30 years, and the first sequel to live up to the promise once laid in Lucas' grand vision since Disney's rich acquisition.

The film's successes are continuous. The performances are electrifying. The special effects are dazzling. The writing is surprisingly dense, layered, even poetic. The direction is, at once, somber and spellbinding. Every emotional beat is both fully commanding and warmly realized.

But best of all, this film is unabashedly democratic and vigorously relevant.

That's what makes it fantastically, unexpectedly vital in 2017: the gruesome year of the never-ending dumpster fire.

These past 12 months have produced a ruthless stream of constant sadness. Natural disasters, ballistic political movements, Twitter meltdowns, sexual assault allegations, mass shootings, — it's not worth reminiscing too much. Government is maddening. Several of your favorites have shown themselves to be problematic this year. These aren't fun times. Escapism isn't merely enough. People need inspiration. We need hope.

2017 is the year we looked to films for hope and this film delivered.

Several beautiful movies were released throughout 2017, many of them successfully lifting your soul and filling your heart with fluttering joy and re-invigoration, instead of engulfing you in your automatic state of intense, boiling anger. "Lady Bird" was divine. "The Florida Project" absorbed us in its bittersweet harmonium. "The Disaster Artist" reminded us that even failure can bring happiness and peace. "Get Out"was a stunning, revealing social commentary, one that won't escape the public conversation for decades to come. "Wonder Woman" rightfully kicked all kinds of ass this summer.

But "Star Wars" is a different beast. A new "Star Wars"movie isn't just your average public outing. It's an event. It's a pivotal pop culture scene. There are lofty expectations. Copious speculation. Assorted arguments on Reddit. One doesn't merely watch a "Star Wars" movie; they devour them.

It's easy for Disney to make a crowd-pleasing blockbuster that plays it safe and stays true to tired story conventions, indulging in excessive references and cameos to familiar beats and characters. Thankfully and shockingly, however, "The Last Jedi" is not that film.

Much like the original 1977 film, it challenges fascism and tyrannical oppression. That's not necessarily surprising — though the irony of Disney making a deal to further their monopolistic power on the first night of this movie's release shouldn't be lost.

But "The Last Jedi" also promotes individuality against the principles established by our elders, finding your path, fighting our growing evils, and, of course, absolute resistance towards any of its conformity and normalcy. I won't delve into spoilers, but let's just say that this 153-minute film has many powerful things to say, and it says them with cinematic splendor.

This isn't another "Star Wars" movie. This futuristic tale is very present. This is one for our times.

And although some people don't want to be reminded of our dire, depressing times during their yearly trip to a galaxy far, far away, "The Last Jedi" is, ultimately, the thrilling salvation we need. It challenges and it moves us. It surprises and it delights us. It brings us together and it reminds us why we love going to the movies.

It also reminds us why we keep fighting, why we simply cannot quit. It is hard to live in 2017. Very hard. 2018 isn't looking better. But "The Last Jedi"is not only terrific but purposeful. It's a spellbinding accomplishment with agency and meaning.

When you gather around your loved ones and experience it this weekend or the next, you'll soon remember why "Star Wars" is such a present cultural milestone, and why it has mattered — and continues to matter — so much to us.

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• Following audience thirst for true crime, Netflix has teamed with the master of the genre, Errol Morris, to make his latest documentary, "Wormwood."
• But like all of Morris' work, it's not just a straight doc. "Wormwood" has the most ambitious reenactments the Oscar winner has ever done.
• Morris teases more "Wormwood" to come.

In a moment when we can’t get enough of true crime stories, director Errol Morris has teamed with Netflix to prove why he’s the master of the genre. 

Morris is known best for having a well-trained eye for compelling true-life stories, and using highly stylized reenactments to tell them. The combination has led to legendary documentaries like 1988’s “The Thin Blue Line,” 2003’s “The Fog of War: Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara" (which earned him a best documentary Oscar), and 2013’s “The Unknown Known,” which looked at the career of former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Now, almost one month from his 70th birthday, Morris is unveiling his most ambitious project yet. 

Netflix’s six-part miniseries “Wormwood” (available on the service Friday) examines the 60-years-past death of Frank Olson. Olson was a US scientist for the CIA who for decades was believed to have died after being slipped LSD as part of the agency’s top secret Cold War program MKUltra, which focused on mind control. Supposedly due to the effects of the drug, Olson jumped out of a New York City hotel room and died. 

But it turned out that wasn't the real story. 

Morris tracked down Frank’s son, Eric, who for the last 60 years has dedicated his life to trying to find out what really happened to his father. Morris conducted interviews with Eric, reporter Seymour Hersh — who broke the story about the LSD link to Olson’s death — and did reenactments of Frank’s nine days from taking the drug to his death (casting actors like Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Blake Nelson, and Bob Balaban to be in the scenes). The resulting series “Wormwood” looks at how unreliable memory really can be, and how far conspiracies can go. Morris does this through a collage of documentary interviews, home video footage, archival news material, reenactments, and a clips from a movie version of “Hamlet” — all told with a psychedelic feel.

A potential cover-up and extraordinary interview subject were too much to pass up 

Morris had been wanting to do something on MKUltra for years, but he never knew how to tell it in a way that would work for the screen. The only thing he knew for sure was he wanted to do it in a grand way. Or as he described it, “an everything bagel.” Following a conversation with Netflix over two years ago, the streaming giant agreed to back the Oscar winner’s new project. 

“It’s an incredibly rich story,” Morris told Business Insider while talking at the New York offices of Netflix. “This is a story that has an extraordinary protagonist and the story in of itself is extraordinary. If you asked me in the outset did I realize how rich it was going to be I would have said, ‘No, not really.’”

Morris knew he had something when he had a phone conversation with Eric Olson before making the movie. The director realized instantly Eric was a documentary filmmaker’s dream: a subject who not only could easily lay out all the particulars of the story, but do it in a way that would entertain the audience. 

But Morris' major interest in doing the project was delving into the movie’s reenactments more aggressively than he ever had before — specifically Frank Olson’s last nine days on Earth and what could have led to a CIA cover-up.

“Often the most interesting part of a story is the cover-up,” he said.

An "everything bagel" worth of information 

The reenactments were where Netflix played a vital role. With its deep pockets the streaming giant was able to provide Morris with a budget the director had never been able to work with for any of his feature movies.

Dishing out between $14 million and $15 million to make the movie, according to Morris’ estimate, Netflix matched Morris’ enthusiasm for the reenactments. It shows. Set in the 1950s, the production design and costumes have the look of something out of a studio movie for the fleshed-out scenes. And then there is the CGI mixed in for the Olson death scene. It’s an embarrassment of riches that Morris previously only tapped into while directing commercials for major brands over his career like Nike, Target, Chevy (to just name a few). 

And Morris loved the experience and the story so much that he wants to continue the “Wormwood” story.

“I should be done with it, but I’m not,” he said. “I’m letting it be known that there’s more to come.”

Morris said that he still has many questions for Seymour Hersh regarding what he knows from sources on the CIA involvement in Frank Olson's death, and there were a lot of reenactment scenes he wrote that didn’t end up getting made.

When asked if Netflix knows of his sequel plans he replied, “I don’t know.” Business Insider contacted Netflix for comment about a sequel but did not get a response.

But outside of another season of “Wormwood,” Morris loves the “everything bagel” approach — where all aspects of the story (and storytelling methods) are explored in a single movie on a topic — and he said he has more projects that he wants to explore this way.

“It means you have these layers, and I believe it's far richer as a result,” he said. “Our attempts to know things, how we know what we know, the efforts to prevent us to know things, and the terrible human costs that come with the pursuit of knowledge. That's all in ‘Wormwood,’ and that makes a difference.”

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Warning: There are huge spoilers ahead for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" introduces a few new faces and loveable additions in Porgs and crystal foxes, but it's the unexpected return of one big legacy character who has fans talking.

This is your last chance to head back before spoilers.

Early on in the film, Luke Skywalker tells Rey that the Force is a balance between everything. It doesn't only belong to the Jedi. He says the Jedi were a bit hypocritical — something his father, Anakin, preached back in "Episode III." Luke notes that it was people on the light side of the Force who gave birth to Darth Vader and people on the light side of the Force who enabled Darth Sidious to also rise to power. 

Luke eventually decides that the Jedi Order is no longer necessary, and decides to renounce it by burning a giant Force tree that's located on the island of Ahch-To.

When Luke gets close to the tree though, he's hesitant about burning down the tree which holds the original texts of the Jedi Order. 

All of a sudden, Master Jedi Yoda appears as a Force Ghost and causes the tree to light aflame.

He tells Luke that it's time for him to look past the text of the Jedi Order. Luke tries to argue and tell him he has read all of the texts, but Yoda says he knows those books weren't page-turners, and that you can't learn everything you need to know from a book.

Yoda tells Luke that failure is the greatest teacher, and the two sit and watch the tree burn down.

Although Yoda's return to "Star Wars" was a bit of a surprise, the green guy also appeared in "The Force Awakens," but you may not have realized it. Yoda's voice can be heard several times in Rey's flashback. You can see a full breakdown of her vision here.

You can follow along with our coverage of "The Last Jedi" here.

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead. Do not read on if you have not seen "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is finally in theaters and fans are having a lot of different feelings about it.

Maybe you loved it. Maybe you're mad at the number of unresolved answers provided from 2015's "The Force Awakens." (We want to know who Snoke is, too!) Maybe you're just wondering what some of those weird scenes were about. The more you think about "The Last Jedi," the less some of it starts to make sense.

Whatever you're feeling about "TLJ," we hear you. Let's wade through this together.

Keep reading to see the biggest questions we have after the movie.

1. Who is Rey?

Let's start off with an easy one. 

Yes, we know Kylo Ren gave us some sort of answer. He said Rey is no one, a nobody from Jakku with nobody parents who sold her for money. Could Ben Solo have been lying? Rey seems way too advanced without proper training in the Force to not have some Jedi lineage. 

If that really was the big reveal, boy was it a letdown.

You can read more on Rey's reveal and what we know (or don't know) about her here.

2. So, who was Snoke?

Another letdown. "The Force Awakens" built up this mysterious villain, spawning two years worth of theories on his identity, only to kill him off without giving us any backstory whatsoever on him.

Sorry, gang. Your theories didn't matter. And that's a plot point which is most likely going to fracture the fandom — annoying those who invested so much time in something that had absolutely zero payoff.

If you decided to pick up any of Disney's tie-in novelizations you got a little more of a peek into Snoke (but not really). You can read more on the character here.

3. Is Luke dead?

In short, yes. Luke finally made peace with his demons and found some sort of resolve with his nephew. Now, he's one with the Force. Maybe we'll see him return as a Force ghost like Yoda.

• "Oceans 8" is coming out on June 8.
• It's an all-female-starring spinoff of the "Ocean's" series that starred George Clooney.
• Sandra Bullock plays his character's estranged sister, who also pulls off heists.
• She rounds up a group of women to pull one off at the Met Ball.
• You can expect to see a lot of great clothes.

People have been buzzing about "Ocean's 8" since it was announced back in 2016.

The movie will be a spin-off of Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's" movie trilogy (itself based on a movie from 1960), but with an all-female main cast. It'll be released on June 8.

Like the original movies, "Ocean's 8" will focus on a band of criminals teaming up to pull off a big heist — this one at the annual Met Ball. Here's everything we know.

Sandra Bullock plays Danny Ocean's estranged sister, Debbie.

Soderbergh's "Ocean's" trilogy centers around Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney (Frank Sinatra plays the character in the 1960 movie), who rounds up a gang of mischievous criminals to pull off heists.

"Ocean's 8" will focus on his estranged sister, Debbie, played by Sandra Bullock. We don't know a lot about her character right now, except that she just got released from a five-year stint in prison. As soon as she gets out, she organizes another heist.

"It’s not even a passing of the torch,"Bullock told Entertainment Weekly. "It’s a parallel story of another family member that was raised in the same family Danny Ocean was and what happens when Debbie steps out of jail with all of these amazing, powerful women."

It'll be only her second major performance since she was nominated for an Oscar for 2013's "Gravity." (She also starred in the little-seen 2015 movie "Our Brand Is Crisis.")

The cast is stacked.

Bullock pulls together a group of criminals, all women, to pull off her heist.

The talented group of actresses playing them — also praised for its diversity — is probably the biggest part of the movie's appeal.

There's Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, and the relatively unknown but no less talented rapper and comedian Awkwafina.

Damian Lewis plays the "villain" of the movie.

And in addition to the main cast, the movie promises a bunch of glorified cameos. Dakota Fanning, Matt Damon, Carl Reiner, Anna Wintour, Alexander Wang, Kim Kardashian, and Kendall Jenner are all reported to be making appearances in the film.

It'll be the most fashionable "Ocean's" movie yet.

Much ado has already been made about the incredible coats the characters have been wearing in the movie's promotional images. Plus, it's set during the Met Ball, so you can expect a lot of great outfits.

Olivia Munn, who's appearing in the movie during a scene set at the Met Gala, said she actually lost money on the film because she had to pay up front for her expensive wardrobe.

It's directed by Gary Ross, who made the "Hunger Games" movies.

Gary Ross has been one of the most reliable screenwriters and directors in Hollywood for decades, most famously with the "Hunger Games" movies but also with "Pleasantville" and "Seabiscuit." He also had a hand in writing the classic comedies "Big" and "Dave."

He co-wrote the "Ocean's 8" script with Olivia Milch, a relative newcomer to the industry. Milch also has a buzzy comedy movie called "Dude" that Netflix picked up earlier this year.

Steven Soderbergh, who directed "Ocean's Eleven,""Ocean's Twelve," and "Ocean's Thirteen," will be staying on as a producer.

Bullock has mixed feelings about adding on sequels.

Asked by Entertainment Weekly if "Ocean's 8" could grow into a series, Bullock was ambivalent.

"I don’t know," she said. "I think the mindset was let’s just see if we can make this work, and let’s see if we can get the greatest actors and we did. Let’s see if we can take the original and then make our own version, sort of pay homage to the 'Ocean' series."

Bullock said her experiences with other sequels haven't been great and they'd need to come up with something good to make it worthwhile. But if fans like the first movie, she's open to it.

"If something strikes a chord, an 'Ocean’s 9' would be ideal," Bullock said.

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Warning: There are massive spoilers ahead for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" left us with more questions than answers and a few eyebrow-raising scenes, but there's one moment in the two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza fans are unsure how to feel about.

This is your last chance to head back before spoilers.

All good? Great. 

We need to talk about that Princess Leia scene.

You know which one I'm talking about. 

Early in the movie it looks like Kylo Ren is going to pull the trigger on his mom's Resistance ship. He decides not to go through with it. (You know, because killing one parent was enough.) 

Two other TIE fighters wind up shooting at the ship instead. The giant window breaks and we watch as Leia braces herself for what she knows is imminent. 

"The Last Jedi" then appears to kill off Leia. It looks like a bold choice, but it's not a surprising one. Fans have been wondering how the film would deal with the character since Carrie Fisher died December 2016. This moment was even teased in some of the trailers so those who watched knew it could be coming.

But the moment isn't done.

After fans accept Leia has been killed out of the franchise, the movie returns to her seemingly lifeless form floating in space. The camera gets closer to Leia, focusing on her face before lingering down to her hand. It starts to feel a bit gratuitous.

And then it gets weird.

One of Leia's fingers starts to move and then another. Then her eyes open and she's awake. In space! What!?

All of the tears you may have just shed were for naught.

In a mostly silent scene, Leia then flies through space back to her ship like some majestic Peter Pan figure. She somehow has the strength to get inside the ship and be put on a stretcher to lie comatose for a stretch of the film before coming to in the third act.

If you were left flabbergasted by what transpired on screen, you're not alone. A lot of fans aren't sure what to make of the scene. Sure, Leia has Force powers, but to what extent? And what kind of Force powers allow you to cheat death and float through space?  

It literally made some fans cringe.

Some are saying it's the worst thing to ever be in a "Star Wars" movie.

How did you feel about the Princess Leia space scene?

You can follow along with our "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" coverage here.

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is one of the best-reviewed movies in the saga, but you wouldn't know that if you spoke to many fans after seeing the film.

Since the movie's release, the fandom has been vocally divided over the movie on social media and Reddit. People either enjoy the film a lot or seem to downright dislike it. 

The disparate Rotten Tomatoes critic and fan scores say everything:

Personally, I really enjoyed the film. Director Rian Johnson's took some risks by inserting concepts and playing with the Force in a way that has never been done in any "Star Wars" movie. I knew exiting "The Last Jedi" there were things in the film which may divide some fans — space Princess Leia for instance— but I certainly didn't imagine it would be to the degree I'm seeing. 

That's because the two screenings I've attended — one with press and another opening night — were both met with cheers, claps, and loud applause both throughout and after the film was over. I've been overwhelmed and surprised by the amount of fans let down and downright disappointed.

What are fans taking issue with? There are four main things:

1. Princess Leia flying in space.

Let's just get the biggest one out of the way. A lot of people are upset with the near-death fakeout scene with General Leia Organa. She was blasted out into space, but then miraculously used powers of the Force to wake up and fly like Superman or Peter Pan (take your pick) back to safety. 

It felt like Disney toyed with fans emotions and they were not happy one bit about how their beloved princess was treated.

You can read more about Leia's space scene here.

2. The entire casino scene / Finn and Rose subplot

This is the other main point that comes up when people tell me their thoughts on "The Last Jedi."

The entire casino scene where Finn and Rose went on a mission for a codebreaker just felt very unncecessary to many. The addition of a stampede of giant animals wrecking the casino made it play out like a scene straight out of a "Harry Potter" movie. 

Canto Bight appeared to fulfill one giant void in "The Last Jedi." They needed to insert a location that felt like it belonged in "Star Wars." There was no other distinct location in the film where the "Star Wars" creature shop was allowed to show off a number of distinct alien creatures at once in a playful atmosphere.

3. The movie's immediate dismissal of Snoke's identity by killing him off.

It was an absolute surprise to see Snoke killed in "The Last Jedi" at the hands of Kylo Ren.

Only after people initially clapped and cheered for his demise did it start to sink in that they knew absolutely nothing about this mysterious being. That's what bothered fans. We have no idea who this villain was.

But honestly, Snoke's identity never mattered in the grand scheme of things. 

I think what people are failing to see here is that Snoke wasn't the payoff here in the same way Emperor Palpatine was in the original trilogy. He was a red herring to the real story. We thought Snoke was the real villain because he turned Kylo Ren to the dark side, but clearly Disney and Lucasfilm have something else in mind.

I think more people are hurt that two years of theorizing just went down the drain.

If you're still upset about Snoke, you can read a little bit more on who he is here.

4. The letdown of an answer given for Rey's heritage.

The answer everyone was waiting for two years finally came, and it was disappointing. According to Kylo Ren, Rey's no one, just some girl who was pawned off by her drunk parents for some money.

That's it.

Now, we're not sure that we're really buying that answer from Ben Solo. The movie spent way too much time centering itself around Rey's identity for the big reveal to be wasted on that, right? Rey is too powerful in the Force to be a "nobody." (We hope.)

You can read more about who Rey could be here and follow along with our "Star Wars" coverage here.

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• Writer-director Greta Gerwig crafts an authentic high school movie with "Lady Bird."
• The movie isn't just becoming a box-office hit, but is the best-reviewed movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes.
• A big reason for that is the performance by Saoirse Ronan, who delivers a role that is one of the best ever in the coming-of-age genre.

Greta Gerwig has gone from one of indie film’s most sought-after actresses to now being one of its rising directors.

Her first solo directing effort, “Lady Bird,” has become the end-of-year FOMO movie thanks to its award season hopes (it received four Golden Globe nominations on Monday), and status as the best-reviewed movie ever on Rotten Tomatoes (at the time of writing it had an astounding 195 "fresh" reviews).

What has wowed audiences about “Lady Bird” (currently playing in theaters) is its authentic feel focused on coming-of-age and family. These are two things that almost any audience member can relate to.

Gerwig, who in the early 2000s became the face of the mumblecore genre with her captivating acting talent, also got her own ideas to the screen through writing (a highlight was Noah Baumbach’s 2012 film “Frances Ha”), and codirecting “Nights and Weekends” in 2008 with Joe Swanberg.

“Lady Bird” is a culmination of the work she’s absorbed in front of and behind the camera throughout her career.

A semi-autobiographical look at her youth growing up in Sacramento, California, the movie revolves around the senior year of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (beautifully acted by Saoirse Ronan). Literally living on the wrong side of the tracks, Lady Bird is seeking more than what her current circumstances offer. She wants to live in a better part of town, she wants to lose her virginity to a hot guy, and she wants to go to a college on the East Coast. The latter is the hardest because of her family’s financial situation. Already struggling to pay the bills, things get worse when her dad (Tracy Letts) gets laid off. This puts even more pressure on her mom (Laurie Metcalf) to do it all.

Lady Bird is basically Andie in “Pretty in Pink,” but she’s got a lot more guts and doesn’t give a damn what people think about her.

The center of Gerwig’s story is the relationship between Lady Bird and her mother, which is constantly hot and cold. Conversations with them can jump from happiness to cutthroat hatred in the blink of an eye (or vice versa). It's watching this emotional relationship that leads to the movie's powerful ending.

And along with drama, Gerwig also gives us a lot of comedy.

The movie’s 94-minute running time flies by because Gerwig’s pacing is at lightspeed. With jump cuts and brief scenes, Gerwig plows through the story, and with a lot of the fat trimmed, when a meaty scene comes up, it pays off because there is importance to it. These scenes can come in the form of a mother-daughter (or father) chat; Lady Bird navigating her relationship with best friend, Julie (Beanie Feldstein); or exploring love or lack thereof with a boyfriend (Lucas Heges followed by Timothée Chalamet).

And set in 2002-2003, Gerwig pulls off the nostalgia perfectly by including some great needle drops, including Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket,” Bone Thugs N Harmony’s “Crossroads,” Justin Timberlake’s “Cry My A River,” and Dave Matthews Band's “Crash Into Me.”

Though Gerwig’s talents as a writer-director shine, it’s the casting of Ronan in the lead that makes “Lady Bird” such a memorable work. The layers she gives the character will make the performance go down as one of the best high school characters ever.

The movie is one of the best teen movies I’ve seen in a long time, you should really find time to see it.

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Warning: There are massive spoilers ahead if you have not seen "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" finally gave fans an answer to one of the 2015's most-debated questions: Who is Rey?

After numerous, and creative, fan theories, the resulting answer was pretty unsatisfying. During a Q&A Friday evening after a screening of the movie, director Rian Johnson explained his choice behind the controversial answer.

This is your last chance to head back before spoilers.

Late in the movie, Ben Solo tells Rey that she knows who her parents really are, she just doesn't want to face the truth.

He says they were poor drunks who sold her into slavery for some liquor money on Jakku. She's nobody. No one. Oh, but not to him. (How nice, Kylo.)

Why is Rey established as a no one?

Johnson said when he came on board the movie he was free to come up with an answer to Rey's origin. Lucasfilm didn't give him an answer set in stone. He went from there.

"I was thinking, what’s the most powerful answer to that question? Powerful meaning: what's the hardest thing that Rey could hear? That’s what you're after with challenging your characters," said Johnson, according to Entertainment Weekly.

"I think back to the 'I am your father' moment with Vader and Luke, and the reason I think that lands is not because it’s a surprise or a twist but because it’s the hardest thing Luke and thus the audience could hear at that moment," Johnson added. 

According to Johnson, the easiest thing for Rey to learn would be that she was related to one of the greats like Luke Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Johnson wasn't down with that. 

"That would be wish fulfillment and instantly hand her a place in this story on a silver platter," he said. "The hardest thing for her is to hear she’s not going to get that easy answer. Not only that, but Kylo is going to use the fact that you don’t get that answer to try and weaken you so you have to lean on him. You’re going to have to find the strength to stand on your own two feet and define yourself in this story."

As far as whether or not Ben was actually telling Rey — and us — the truth remains to be seen. Johnson says Ben certainly believes that to be the truth, but he also noted that "Episode IX" director J.J. Abrams, who directed "The Force Awakens," is currently working on the script for the final movie in the new trilogy. 

Maybe Abrams will shake it up.

It looks like we'll have to wait another two years until we possibly get a resolution. "Star Wars: Episode IX" is currently set for a December 20, 2019 release.

You can follow along with our "Star Wars" coverage here.

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• "The Last Jedi" earned an estimated $220 million this weekend, the second-best domestic opening weekend of all time, only trailing 2015's "The Force Awakens."
• "Last Jedi" has the biggest opening of any 2017 release.

As anticipated, the latest "Star Wars" movie, "The Last Jedi," did not disappoint at the box office. The only question was: How much it would earn?

Weekend estimates have the movie taking in $220 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.

That's the second-best opening weekend of all time at the domestic box office. The only movie that's done better is, you guessed it, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015 with an incredible $247.9 million opening.

As Disney/Lucasfilm had hoped, the performance by "Last Jedi" is by far the best of any movie at the box office in 2017 (beating out previous best opening weekend of the year, Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast" of $174.7 million). And its figures only trail "Force Awakens" in the all-time records.

The movie took in an estimated $45 million in its Thursday night previews, the second best all-time ("Force Awakens" earned $57 million). That added to the movie's Friday take of $104.7 million ("Force Awakens" took in $119 million). Then on Saturday, "Last Jedi" earned a strong $56.7 million— the seventh-best all time. In third place all-time on Saturdays: "Force Awakens" with $68.2 million.

These are astronomical figures that Disney seems to do in its sleep with its releases, especially the latest "Star Wars" trilogy titles.

But by putting "The Last Jedi" on a record-breaking 4,232 screens ("Force Awakens" was on 4,134), Disney was aware that it was bringing a different blockbuster into the world at a different time.

"The Force Awakens" broke box office records across the board because it was the first "Star Wars" release in a decade.

The movie wasn't just good; it touched on elements of George Lucas' original trilogy that attracted the die hard and casual fans alike. Now with a "Star Wars" movie coming out yearly, the anticipation for "Last Jedi" (though still high) wasn't at the ultimate peak that we saw with "Force Awakens."

And Rian Johnson's movie clocked in at two-and-a-half hours, the longest "Star Wars" movie ever released. Though movie theaters added 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. showings, there are still only so many times a theater can play a movie in one day at that length.

However, theaters now have more IMAX, RealD 3D, and 4D theaters than when "Force Awakens" opened two years ago, and tickets for those showings are at a premium price. So that made up a little for the long run time.

The next test for "Last Jedi" is how it plays in its second weekend. Repeat showings for "Force Awakens" fueled it to a $149.2 million earning in its second weekend (only a 39.8% drop from its first weekend).

With only "Pitch Perfect 3" as the only major competition next weekend (Universal is opening it on over 3,000 screens), it should win the weekend. But can "The Last Jedi" continue to keep pace with its predecessor?

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DON'T MISS: The 21 biggest questions we have after seeing 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'

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It's now become a yearly discussion: Where does the latest "Star Wars" movie rank all time?

With Disney releasing a "Star Wars" movie every year for the foreseeable future, the ranking of all the movies in the franchise has become one of those things you pencil (well, magic marker) in leading up to the newest one hitting theaters.

With "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" opening on Friday, it's time to do it again.

Here's how I rank all the "Star Wars" movies after seeing "The Last Jedi."

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9. "Attack of the Clones" (2002)

It's a movie I struggle with ranking every year. I watched it again recently and I'm back on the disapprove side. There's a lot to enjoy about the second episode in the prequels — mainly, how Ewan McGregor has fit into the Obi-Wan Kenobi role nicely. The movie focuses heavily on his storyline as he encounters Jango and Boba Fett as well as Count Dooku. From a nostalgic standpoint, the last third of the movie brings to life dreams you've had for decades, as Lucas gives us the start of the Clone Wars as well as Yoda having a lightsaber battle. But the agony of watching the Anakin Skywalker/Padmé Amidala storyline was just too much for me in this latest viewing. (I'm sure I'll change the placement of this title again next year.)

8. "The Phantom Menace" (1999)

George Lucas has said from the beginning that "Star Wars" was made for kids, and he really took that to heart when he unveiled "Episode I: The Phantom Menace," 16 years after finishing the groundbreaking original trilogy. Introducing us to Anakin at the age of 9 as he's plucked by Qui-Gon Jinn as the "chosen one" who will bring balance to the Force, the first prequel gives us a lot of tame action and unlikely scenarios for Anakin to be in, even in a galaxy far, far away.

The best part of the movie is its villain, Darth Maul, who has an incredible duel with the Jedi at the end of the movie. It's one of the only goose-bump moments in the whole movie — heightened by John Williams' score — and, sadly, you have to wait over an hour to get to it.

Yes, this is the movie that introduced us to Jar Jar Binks. That is all I'll say about that.

7. "Revenge of the Sith" (2005)

The conclusion of the prequel trilogy is one of the saga's darkest. A grown Anakin is seduced by the dark side of the Force and wipes out the Jedi, including the younglings (!). Padmé dies, but not before giving birth to their twins, Luke and Leia.

The most agonizing part of this movie to sit through is Hayden Christensen's performance as Skywalker conflicted with the dark side — more a sniveling 20-something than a disillusioned "chosen one." We don't get a good performance of that pull to the dark side until Adam Driver comes along to play Kylo Ren in "The Force Awakens." We can only partly blame Christensen: Lucas was never big on giving actors instructions, which proved here to be costly.

On the bright side: Another excellent performance by McGregor as Kenobi, and the duel at the end of the move between Skywalker and Kenobi is worth the wait.

• "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" writer-director Rian Johnson addressed the backlash from fans who say his movie isn't like the original trilogy.
• He explained how the fan theories of where the story would go after "The Force Awakens" didn't affect writing the script.
• He said he hoped a female director would soon make one of the "Star Wars" movies — perhaps in the new trilogy he's creating.

WARNING: Spoilers below if you haven't seen "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

It's getting into the evening hours in Los Angeles on the first full day "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is in theaters. Rian Johnson, the director of the biggest movie of the year, has not stopped moving for a week.

First Los Angeles for the press junket. Then Japan. Back to LA for the flashy world premiere. Followed by a jump to London. Now back again to LA for a final round of press — for now.

When Johnson, 43, gets on the phone, he sounds weary from jetting around the globe. But he perks up when it's time to talk about "The Last Jedi." It's not just a movie he spent the past four years of his life writing and then directing. It's more than that.

Johnson has been a lifelong fan of the franchise, and he even chose to go to film school at the University of Southern California because the creator of "Star Wars," George Lucas, went there. In many ways, his entire career has been leading up to this point.

You can see many traces of Johnson's filmography in "The Last Jedi"— risk-taking ("Brick"), lighthearted moments ("The Brothers Bloom"), and world-building ("Looper"). But it's his love of the "Star Wars" franchise and his drive to tell a story that builds on "The Force Awakens" with something new and challenging that shines through.

It's that newness that has divided "Star Wars" fans about "The Last Jedi." Though many appreciated a movie that didn't just feed off the hallmarks of the original trilogy, others have voiced their disappointment with Johnson for breaking fresh ground.

That's where we began our wide-ranging conversation with Johnson. The director also touched on not being distracted by fan expectations, the challenge of bringing Luke Skywalker back into the saga, why Captain Phasma isn't featured more prominently in the movie, and what he hopes to accomplish with the new "Star Wars" trilogy he's creating.

The following has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Jason Guerrasio: Like making any "Star Wars" movie, the director can't win. People complained that "The Force Awakens" was too much like the original trilogy. With your movie, the knock is it's nothing like the original trilogy. What are your thoughts when you hear that take?

Rian Johnson: Having been a "Star Wars" fan my whole life, and having spent most of my life on the other side of the curb and in that fandom, it softens the blow a little bit.

I'm aware through my own experience that, first of all, the fans are so passionate, they care so deeply — sometimes they care very violently at me on Twitter. But it's because they care about these things, and it hurts when you're expecting something specific and you don't get it from something that you love. It always hurts, so I don't take it personally if a fan reacts negatively and lashes out on me on Twitter. That's fine. It's my job to be there for that. Like you said, every fan has a list of stuff they want a "Star Wars" movie to be and they don't want a "Star Wars" movie to be. You're going to find very few fans out there whose lists line up.

And I also know the same way the original movies were personal for Lucas. Lucas never made a "Star Wars" movie by sitting down and thinking, "What do the fans want to see?" And I knew if I wrote wondering what the fans would want, as tempting as that is, it wouldn't work, because people would still be shouting at me, "F--- you, you ruined 'Star Wars,'" and I would make a bad movie. And ultimately, that's the one thing nobody wants.

And let me just add that 80-90% of the reaction I've gotten from Twitter has been really lovely. There's been a lot of joy and love from fans. When I talk about the negative stuff, that's not the full picture of the fans at all.

Guerrasio: Even though the movie is the second part of a trilogy, it really feels like a standalone. Was that a goal of yours?

Johnson: Well, I wanted it to be a full meal. I wanted it to be a satisfying experience unto itself — because when you go into a theater, that's what you always want.

I did want to pick it up where the last one left off. I did want to do service to these characters in a way that felt consistent. And I wanted to leave it in a place where you felt you were excited for the potential of what could come next, and you're invested maybe a little more deeply in these characters and where they end up. In that way it is a middle chapter — it has to function like that.

But you know, it's also a movie, and I wanted to give people a full "Star Wars" experience. I wanted to give them something where they come out of the theater and feel totally satisfied.

Guerrasio: Speaking for myself, the satisfaction is that you move the trilogy someplace beyond the hot takes fans had since "The Force Awakens." And you did that by making some very shocking choices on who we will no longer see beyond this movie, theoretically. Has it been fun waiting for this movie to come out knowing "The Last Jedi" is a very different movie than what fans expected? Or was it panic that maybe your take could miss the mark?

Johnson: [Laughs.] It's been a combination of both of those things. When I was writing the movie, I was doing it while they were shooting "The Force Awakens." So it wasn't like I was reading all these theories online and being at my typewriter and going "Ha! Ha! Gotcha!" It was me coming up with a story. I was writing purely from a personal reaction to the script of "The Force Awakens" and what they were shooting. Snoke, for example, I probably would have done the same thing regardless.

Guerrasio: Oh yeah?

Johnson: Yeah. Snoke's fate came entirely out of Kylo's arc and realizing that in this movie the most interesting thing to me was for Kylo to be ascendant — to start by knocking the shaky foundation out from Kylo's feet and then building him back up into a complicated but credible villain by the end of it. And one that Rey now has a more complex relationship with than just "I hate you, I want to kill you."

And once I kind of landed on that, it quickly became evident that, OK, what is Snoke's place in this? If I build Kylo up to that point, the most interesting thing to carry into the next movie is Kylo running things, not any echo of the emperor/pupil relationship. And you realize the dramatic potential of that, and it just makes a lot of sense from the story point of view.

Guerrasio: Was coming up with how Luke Skywalker would come out of his self-imposed exile a challenge to write?

Johnson: Yeah. It's something that, early in the process, the first thing I had to crack in the movie is why Luke is on that island. I had to figure out something that made sense, and you don't know much about where's Luke's head is at coming out of "The Force Awakens."

But what you do know is his friends are out fighting the good fight, and he's taken himself out of the equation. So for me growing up, I know Luke as a hero. I know that he must think he's doing the right thing by taking himself out of the equation, and that means he thinks the best thing for the galaxy is that he's not a part of this and, by extension, that the Jedi are not a part of this. So that leads you down a certain path.

Guerrasio: And how did you come to the realization that this would be the end of Skywalker?

Johnson: As I worked out that his arc was going to be coming to a place where he does this big heroic act that is going to be spread throughout the galaxy — basically taking back the mantle of Luke Skywalker, a Jedi master, a legend — it just slowly became clear to me that it would be this big grand act. It would be an act of mythmaking. And if there was ever going to be a place in this entire trilogy to give him this emotional moment of a goodbye, this was probably going to be the most emotionally potent place to do it.

Guerrasio: In many ways, this is Luke's coda.

Johnson: Yes, exactly. But I also have to say I'm not writing the next one, and I'm not sure what J.J. [Abrams] and [screenwriter] Chris Terrio are going to do in the next one with Luke.

But setting up possibilities for the next one, honestly, it seems much like Obi-Wan going where he did after "New Hope." The possibilities seemed even more exciting in terms of what Luke's place could be in the next chapter with him entering into this other realm as opposed to him having a lightsaber and being with our heroes. It opened more possibilities as opposed to fewer.

I was holding my breath when I did it and I realized all these things, though I also thought, "S---."

Guerrasio: And how did Mark Hamill react to all of this?

Johnson: It wasn't the thing he wanted to necessarily hear. [Laughs.] Understandably so. Mark had all these years to think what Luke's triumphant return would be. Luke's the hero coming back into this story, and the fact that this character and this movie could not be that — this character in this movie was by necessity what he had to be, and also in relation to Rey, that brought its own necessity.

If he comes in as just an optimistic fighter for the good guys, that gives Rey nothing to bounce up against — that's just an older version of Rey. So it's not what Mark had in his head initially, and that's why he's spoken very openly about his being caught off guard by the script and where the character ends up. But I knew this is where it had to be. We got into the conversations, and we got into the work, and we talked, and we argued, and we discussed, and that process ended up being very good for the character and also for our working relationship. It was a very good one.

Guerrasio: Like most movies, this one was crafted in post, you guys shot a lot.

Johnson: Yes.

Guerrasio: Is the lack of Captain Phasma in the movie just simply that most of her scenes were left on the cutting room floor?

Johnson: There wasn't a ton of Phasma that we shot for this. The God's honest truth is, if you take a look at the movie, it's so full already. There are so many characters to serve already, and it's tough because Phasma really enters the movie when she needs to, and she does exactly what she needs to do in it. She's someone at the tail end of Finn's journey that represents his past for him to have this cathartic moment of being on the side of good and fighting her.

The notion of having a side plot of Phasma throughout the course of the film — look, I love Gwen [Christie]. I love Phasma. It would have been fun. But it just wasn't the story we were telling. There just wasn't a place for it. We already had quite a full plate to deal with in terms of all the other characters.

Guerrasio: So what you're saying is you've basically helped build the next Boba Fett-level fan-obsessed character for the "Star Wars" saga.

Johnson: [Laughs.] Look, I'm bummed about it too. Absolutely. I wish we could have more Phasma. Just the truth of it is there wasn't room for her in this movie. She's so badass, I wish it was her story. But it isn't. Maybe there will be one eventually at some point.

Guerrasio: I like that tease.

Johnson: [Laughs.]

Guerrasio: In regards to you taking on a new "Star Wars" trilogy, do you have a notebook filled of just ideas that would be cool to plug into this universe, or are you really going into this with a blank page?

Johnson: What's exciting to me right now is the open blue sky of it and the potential of it. I wish I had a file cabinet full of "Star Wars" ideas just in case, but also it's great because I can start from the beginning and work forward.

As opposed to having stuff I think would be cool, the thing that I think is cool is to figure out what the story will be and what character we're going to follow and build it from there. It's easy to come up with cool "Star Wars" stuff. It's just like grabbing your toys and starting to play. The real question is what the story will be — how are we going to create something that's really going to be a new and inspiring "Star Wars" story.

Guerrasio: It sounds like you will direct the first movie of this trilogy and then go on and produce the other two.

Johnson: We'll see. I'm not sure yet.

Guerrasio: But if that holds, would you push to have a female director do at least one of those movies? Is that important to you?

Johnson: Hell yeah. I think that would be fantastic. Again, I don't know how it's going to go. I'm going to write and direct the first one and tell the story for the rest of them. But yeah, there are so many talented female directors that I would love to see do one of these movies. Look, I hope it happens in a "Star Wars" movie even before that! Going forward, that's something I would absolutely love to see.

Guerrasio: Give me the one scene/shot in "The Last Jedi" that, regardless of how many times you've seen it, you are pretty impressed that you pulled it off.

Johnson: [Laughs.] It was an early image that I had. I really love that slow-motion shot of Kylo and Rey back-to-back with the guards coming from all the sides in Snoke's chambers. And look, there were a lot of people whose work went into it to design the space and the guards, the stunt work, but that was a moment that I had just always held dear to me, and it's one of those very rare things where the realization of it on screen I just feel like, "Ah, we got it!" It makes me happy.

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is now in theaters.

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• You can watch "The Last Jedi" in 4DX, where physical elements make the movie more immersive.
• Bring a hooded sweatshirt to protect yourself from the air spraying by your head.
• Otherwise, the 4DX experience is absolutely worth it, especially when the seats move along with the action.
• A spoiler-free review of the 4DX experience is below.

I was fortunate enough to watch "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi" in both 2D and 4DX. The movie is great in both mediums, but the 4DX version is totally worth it and is reminscent of the "Star Tours" rides at Disney theme parks.

But there are some caveats.

If you're not familiar, 4DX is an option available in a handful of movie theaters in the United States. Basically, it's 3D, plus there are some special physical effects that you experience that coincides with what's onscreen. Your seat moves along with the movie's action, air or water may spray at you to amplify some special effects, and smoke might rise up in front of the screen during some explosions.

Most of it is fun. But first, we have to talk about the water-and-air-spraying thing.

Fortunately, each seat in the 4DX theater I attended — this one was in the Regal E-Walk Stadium 13 & RPX theater in Manhattan's Times Square — had an option to turn off the water-spraying function. Some people might enjoy it, but I wasn't in love with it. When you turn the water function off, you still get sprayed with spurts of air from the same places.

The air spraying part was mostly fine, but there is one part of it that sprays by your head, which I could have done without. The seats in the theater aren't height-adjustable or anything, so that air spraying kept hitting my ears.

Luckily, I had a solution at hand: I brought a hooded sweatshirt with me. To anyone watching a movie in 4DX, I highly recommend bringing a hooded sweatshirt, which can help block off any parts of the experience you don't like.

But for the most part, the experience was fun. The best part, by far, is that the seats move and rumble along with the action onscreen.

I don't want to spoil any of the plot, but the effect is especially cool when you're in space and flying around in the cockpit with Poe Dameron, or witnessing a spaceship crash-land on a planet. It feels a bit like a roller-coaster and absolutely makes the whole experience worth it.

It's worth noting that the 4DX experience is pricier than the other options. At the Regal theater in Times Square, a regular adult ticket cost $17.15, a 3D screening costs $21.65, and a 4DX ticket costs $30.65. Manhattan has among the most expensive movie ticket prices in the world, so you may have different prices at your own local theater. Through a communications agency, the company behind 4DX paid for my "Last Jedi" ticket.

I have a few more minor quibbles about the 4DX experience — the smoke effect cast a noticeable shadow on the movie screen sometimes — but for the most part, "The Last Jedi" is exactly the type of movie you should be seeing in 4DX.

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" premiered this weekend. And though there has been some backlash among subsets of the fandom, people can't stop raving about the film. With dozens of cameos and references to the original "Star Wars" trilogy, fans have enjoying poring over every aspect of the movie.

One of the best Easter eggs spotted so far comes from "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." The entire plot point of the First Order having hyperspace tracking abilities was teased in last year's "Star Wars" prequel.

"The Last Jedi" kicks off with the First Order arriving at the rebel base, intending to trap them and destroy their fleet once and for all. But after a tense sequence with a terrifying dreadnought ship and heroic bombardiers, the rebels escape. 

They think they're safe, since they escaped using light speed, but moments after they arrive at their new destination the First Order appears once more. 

The First Order figured out how to track the Resistance ship through hyperspace, a feat previously thought to be impossible. The rest of the Resistance storyline in "The Last Jedi" hinges upon the fact that they can no longer jump to lightspeed to escape the clutches of General Hux and Kylo Ren. 

If you thought this seemed like an overly convenient way to trap the movie's core plot in a slow-moving space battle, you might want to rewatch "Rogue One."

As many fans (including Redditor Rhodetolove) have noticed, the hyperspace tracking project was mentioned in "Rogue One."

Toward the end of the movie, while Jyn Erso is scanning the Empire's project database to find the Death Star plans, she mentions a few different categories and code names.

"Hyperspace tracking, navigational systems," she says to herself. 

The events of "Rogue One" take place approximately 35 years before "The Last Jedi." This means, according to the new movies, the Empire and then First Order have been working on the tracking technology for decades. It's a clever way for Disney and LucasFilm to tie the prequels and spin-offs into the lore of the new trilogy. 

A bonus Easter egg contained in that same "Rogue One" scene came from the project code names Jyn was naming. 

"War-Mantle, Cluster Prism, Black Saber," she says.

Black Saber is a nod to the animated series "The Clone Wars," where a dark saber weapon was featured. For more "Star Wars" references hidden in "Rogue One,"read our full breakdown of all 20 Easter eggs. 

SEE ALSO: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' director Rian Johnson reacts to the backlash and addresses the movie's most shocking moments

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Warning: This post contains spoilers for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

When Carrie Fisher died last December, it wasn't just the passing of a pop-culture icon; Fisher's untimely death also threw plans for the new "Star Wars" trilogy into disarray. Though the actress had completed work on "The Last Jedi" at the time of her death, she was meant to play an integral part in the franchise's unnamed ninth installment, with Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy saying Episode IX would have been "her movie."

After much reshuffling, and some confusion — Fisher's family publicly gave their permission for previously shot footage of the actress to appear in the ninth film, while Lucasfilm had to deny a rumor that she would be recreated digitally — Kennedy finally announced that Fisher would not appear in the new trilogy's final installment at all. "The Last Jedi" would be Fisher's, and Leia's, final "Star Wars" film.

So, how does the movie handle the departure?

Quite subtly, for the most part. Fisher gets more to do in "Last Jedi" than she did in "Force Awakens," but the movie basically treats her like she's still a living actress. (The end credits do contain a touching dedication to her.) There are no moments of Leia pausing in a doorway, turning around and smiling, and the film doesn't end with her pulling up next to Mark Hamill on a highway.

This seems to have been by design: "Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson has said he didn't tinker with any of Fisher's scenes after her death, and after watching the film, it's easy to take him at his word.

There is, however, one scene that plays very differently in the wake of Fisher's death. It's very spoiler-y, so I'm going to give you another chance to get out of here before I start talking about it for real. Go away!

Okay, here it is. If you haven’t heard, most of "Last Jedi" is basically the record of one single standoff between the Resistance and the First Order. (It seemingly takes place over the course of 24 hours; Aristotle would be proud, though not as proud as he would if the heroes didn't go flying all across the Galaxy.)

Near the beginning of the movie, Kylo Ren and the baddies are attacking the Resistance's capital ship in their little TIE Fighter things. Kylo targets the ship's bridge, where Leia is, but he hesitates — is he really going to blow up his mom, 15 minutes into the movie? (You see a bit of this moment in the trailer.)

But before our tragic prince can decide on a course of action, one of his buddies decides they've had enough dilly-dallying and launches their own proton torpedoes at the bridge. Kaboom. There goes Leia. In the moment it seems a ruthlessly pragmatic solution to the "No more Carrie Fisher" problem, and you would be forgiven for wondering why the movie would be so heartless.

But it turns out that's just a setup for one of the film's biggest crowd-pleasers. A little while later, we cut to Leia's body spinning through the emptiness of space. Turns out she's not quite dead yet, and she uses her dying energy for one big Force push, which flies her all the way back to the ship's airlock. (In a bit of pleasing corporate synergy, it's a little reminiscent of Mary Poppins, who returns December 2018.)

Onscreen at least, Carrie Fisher has come back from the dead. In my screening, the audience lost their freaking minds at this moment. It's the purest form of cinematic wish-fulfillment I've seen all year, and it seemingly happened completely by accident.

I've spoiled enough, so I won't tell you what Fisher gets up in the rest of the film except to say, she's great. (As our David Edelstein says in his review, "It took 40 years, but she and Leia finally merged.") In further proof Johnson wasn't lying when he said he didn't change a thing about Fisher’s scenes, Leia doesn't get a big farewell scene, or even any kind of spotlight. She simply fades into the background in the film's final minutes — the movie version of an Irish good-bye.

If this is truly the last we get of Leia in "Star Wars," how will Episode IX handle her passing? We won't know until that film comes out in 2019, but the ending of "Last Jedi" seems to hint that there's going to be some sort of time jump between the two installments. If that's the case, expect Leia to die (peacefully, I hope) offscreen, the same way Gilmore Girls handled Edward Herrman's passing. May the Force be with her.

SEE ALSO: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' director Rian Johnson reacts to the backlash and addresses the movie's most shocking moments

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead if you haven't seen "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is more interested in subverting its predecessors than paying homage to them like "The Force Awakens" did. But there's one character from the past that writer-director Rian Johnson brings back and takes care to honor.

In the new movie, Yoda's back! He appears in one scene, as a Force ghost, to lecture Luke Skywalker about the importance of learning from failure, tell him to support Rey, and burn down the sacred Jedi library on Ahch-To. (Rey, though, saves the books.)

According to Entertainment Weekly, the movie's creature designer, Neal Scanlan, used the original molds from "The Empire Strikes Back" to recreate the little green alien.

Writer-director Rian Johnson also recruited Frank Oz, the legendary puppeteer and director, to provide Yoda's voice again in the movie. Producer Ram Bergman worked hard to make sure it was a surprise.

"I had to convince Frank to basically make sure we don’t put his name on the poster, and not to do any press about it," Bergman told Entertainment Weekly. "I made sure he ate in the office and not publicly in the restaurant when he came to Pinewood [Studios.]"

The way Johnson explained it, he needed someone from Luke's past to come back and teach him to do the right thing. With Alec Guinness, the actor who originally played Obi-Wan Kenobi, dead, the character who fit best was Yoda.

"That was really it," Johnson said. "When I was thinking about what Luke’s arc is going to be, and realized that someone coming back and kicking his butt would be his final beat on the island, Yoda just made the most sense."

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