The women of The Last Jedi on Carrie Fisher and making a more modern Star Wars

Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi is finally opening next week, and there has been heavy fan speculation about everything from the origins of its characters and the fate of Luke Skywalker to the complicated relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren. But at a recent press conference in Los Angeles, the cast of the film was eager to highlight something else: the film’s progressive, modern portrayal of women.

The shift was apparent just from the composition of the panel itself. J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens garnered attention for introducing Daisy Ridley’s character as a lead, but other than Carrie Fisher as General Leia, the only other woman in a primary role was Lupita Nyong'o, with her motion-capture performance as Maz Kanata. Nearly...

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