Hayden Christensen & Ewan McGregor Reflect On Star Wars Prequel Backlash
Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor reflect on how difficult it was to experience the backlash to the three Star Wars prequels. Years after the conclusion of the original trilogy in 1983 with Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, it was announced that a new trilogy was in the works with George Lucas on board to write and direct. This prequel trilogy would introduce McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Christensen's Anakin Skywalker and set the stage for what would eventually come (and what had already happened) in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
Hotly anticipated by fans, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace drew intense criticism from fans and critics upon its release in 1999. From the stilted dialogue to the slow-moving story and the forced humor from the infamous Jar Jar Binks, many viewers were highly vocal about their disappointment. The criticism largely continued upon the release of the two subsequent installments, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, although the latter is widely seen as the best of the three. Time has been kind to the Star Wars prequel trilogy, with many fans coming to appreciate it for various reasons, particularly the evolving dynamic between McGregor and Christensen.
Related: What If Leonardo DiCaprio Had Played Anakin In The Star Wars Prequels
In a new interview with EW, Christensen and McGregor reflect on the backlash the prequels received and how it felt to be making movies that so many fans didn't seem to like. Both actors were relatively early in their careers at the time and both Christensen and McGregor agree that, after putting so much into their performances, the backlash wasn't easy to deal with. Check out the
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