Daisy Ridley “open” to returning to the Star Wars universe
By Dan Selcke
In 2015, Disney released The Force Awakens, the first new Star Wars movie in 10 years and the first big screen sequel to the original trilogy since Return of the Jedi came out in 1983. There was a ton of pressure on lead actor Daisy Ridley (Rey) to carry the thing, and not just because it’s a huge franchise; in the age of social media, fans have direct access to actors in a way they didn’t back in the days of the original trilogy or even the prequel trilogy, and some of them aren’t shy about acting like abusive little hobgoblins. Ridley quickly deleted her social media stuff after being exposed to one too many rage trolls after The Force Awakens, and has some advice for women joining the franchise now.
“The world is a crazy place,” Ridley told Variety at the Sundance Film Festival. “It’s important to tune out the stuff. Not just with Star Wars, but with everything, you try and be in the moment and enjoy what it is because life moves quickly.”
"Everyone knows how things are and how they can be. We’re all living in that, with people saying more than they need to and commenting more than they need to. It’s so individual. Find the good in it all and enjoy it."
That’s advice that might benefit someone like Amandla Stenberg, who has a lead role in the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ show The Acolyte, although Ridley isn’t worried about her being able to take the heat. “Amandla Stenberg can handle herself,” she said. “She’s been working for a long time. I sat next to someone at the ‘Wakanda Forever’ premiere, an executive, and they said [‘The Acolyte’] is amazing.”
Daisy Ridley gives advice to other women entering the Star Wars universe
Ridley was at Sundance promoting her new movie Sometimes I Think About Dying, although she’s open to returning to the Star Wars universe at some point. “I’m open to a phone call,” she teased to IMDb. “I’m looking for employment.”
The sequel trilogy inspired mixed feelings among fans, and since it wrapped up with The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, Disney doesn’t seem to have much appetite to follow it up. Still, the nostalgia cycle goes round and round, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was interest in a revival in a few years’ time.
In the meanwhile, The Acolyte comes out on Disney+ this summer.
Next. Jason Momoa says he’ll “always be Aquaman”. dark
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