J.J. Abrams Debunks Rumors of Feud with Rian Johnson, Addresses 'Rise of Skywalker' Criticism

(Keith Mayhew / Echoes Wire / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

The Rise of Skywalker director responds to early takes on the film during a candid Q&A session.

Though it led the box office this weekend, J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker has received a mixed bag of reviews since premiering nationwide on Friday.

And at a recent Q&A session hosted by Variety, Abrams took a moment to address those underwhelmed by the finale to his Star Wars trilogy. Asked if he thought fans were being gipped by the events in the film, Abrams claimed, "they're right." He also notes that fandom at large has become as polarized as any discourse in the age of social media. "We live in a moment where everything immediately seems to default to outrage," Abrams said. He added, "There’s a kind of M.O. of either it’s exactly how I see it or you’re my enemy."

Abrams went on to discuss and dispell rumors of tension between him and The Last Jedi's director, Rian Johnson. When asked if he had to correct course after some of Johnson's decisions in the second film of the trilogy, Abrams was gracious and grateful, stating "The truth is when I was getting The Force Awakens up and running, I was nothing but grateful that a director and writer I admire as much as Rian was coming in to do the next one."

The Rise of Skywalker is projected to have earned $179 million over its opening weekend, the lowest premiere numbers of any film in this trilogy.

You can watch clips from Abrams' Q&A session below.