Colin Trevorrow Says It Was J.J. Abrams' Idea To Bring Back Palpatine, Reveals His 'Last Jedi' Contribution

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Colin Trevorrow was going to direct Star Wars: Episode IX, but then it all fell apart. Trevorrow either walked away amicably or was fired, depending on who you believe. In any case, he's gone – but his presence will still be felt in The Rise of Skywalker. Trevorrow and his writing partner Derek Connolly will both have a "story by" credit on the film, which means a large part of the film's story was taken from whatever Trevorrow and Connolly came up with. While we don't know what Trevorrow deserves credit for yet, here's something he definitely had nothing to do with: the return of the Emperor. Trevorrow himself says that idea was all J.J. Abrams.

We may never know what Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars: Episode 9 would've looked like, but one thing's for sure: the Emperor wouldn't return. Speaking with Empire, Trevorrow said:

 "Bringing back the Emperor was an idea JJ brought to the table when he came on board. It's honestly something I never considered. I commend him for it. This was a tough story to unlock, and he found the key." That said, there are still some of Trevorrow's ideas in the film. He has a story credit, and he added to Empire: "I'm grateful to JJ [Abrams] for embracing some of our ideas. It's exciting that fans will get to see the moments that felt essential to all of us."

I'm not a big Trevorrow fan, but I've yet to be sold on the idea of the Emperor returning. The character was clearly dead at the end of Return of the Jedi – he got thrown down a god damn hole full of exploding lightning on the new Death Star, and then the Death Star blew up. On top of that, there has been zero hint of the Emperor's presence in the previous two Star Wars film. I'm still reserving judgment for the final film, but as of now, I'm uneasy about the whole thing. But hey, maybe J.J. Abrams pulled it off.

Elsewhere in that interview, Trevorrow reveals that he had a tiny bit of input on The Last Jedi as well. Specifically: a scene near the end of the film. "I just asked Rian if he could include a little moment where Rey and Poe meet for the first time," says Trevorrow. "They're such beloved characters, it felt right for them to have some history in the next movie. I thought the way he did it was perfect." At the end of The Last Jedi, Poe and Rey share a hello when she finally catches up with the remaining members of the Resistance.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens December 20.