The New ‘Last Jedi’ Trailer Premieres Tonight, But Rian Johnson Wants You to Skip It
If you haven’t heard yet, we’re getting a new trailer for The Last Jedi tonight during Monday Night Football, which has director Rian Johnson a little torn. He says it’s a really good trailer… but you might want to avoid it.
Spoiler culture abounds these days, especially with a film franchise as secretive (and as good at keeping their secrets) as Lucasfilm. When asked on Twitter whether fans should consume as much Last Jedi advertising as they can get their paws on, or if they should lay low and mute every single hashtag with “Jedi,” “last,” and “the” in it, Johnson said he was “legitimately torn.”
More often than not, it’s a lot more fun to go into the theater knowing as little as possible about the movie you’re about to see. The eventual surprise just feels more earned that way. Recently, the folks behind Blade Runner 2049 cautioned critics against revealing too many plot points in their reviews, because their trailers were actually remarkably good at keeping most plot details a secret. Plus, this isn’t the first time Johnson has said something to this effect — even Mark Hamill told fans to be cautious about the Star Wars marketing.
On the other hand, trailers are a hell of a lot of fun. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve queued up that first look at Mad Max: Fury Road when I need some inspiration. Plus, the first Last Jedi teaser was great, and was pretty good at not revealing too much aside from the new costumes of a couple characters. The title of the movie is already intriguing enough.
So, ultimately, it’s up to you to do what you feel is best. If you just can’t stand the suspense and need something to tide you over until December, go for it. If you have steeled yourself to the prospect of avoiding the water cooler at all costs for the next few months, switch to HGTV for a couple minutes during the halftime show.