Overview

• Johnson admits he and friends in college were “Prequel Hate Central” when the 1999–2005 films premiered.
• He describes that “ruthless” early disdain as a healthy element of Star Wars fandom’s natural push-and-pull.
• He notes that the prequel trilogy, once widely derided, has since been largely embraced by fans.
• His own film, 2017’s The Last Jedi, still holds the franchise’s lowest fan score on Rotten Tomatoes.
• He says confronting criticism for The Last Jedi mirrored his past fan disputes, offering a full-circle view of the saga’s community.