Colin Trevorrow will donate his Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker residuals to charity

By Sam Barsanti  |  November 27, 2019 | 3:56am
Aux Features Film
Colin Trevorrow will donate his Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker residuals to charity
Photo: Emma McIntyre

Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow was fired from making Star Wars: Episode IX two years ago, but apparently there’s enough of his vision—and that of co-writer Derek Connolly—in J.J. Abrams’ The Rise Of Skywalker that the two of them are getting a “story by” credit in the finished film. (This raises some interesting questions about just how much of the sequel trilogy was planned from the beginning, especially given the shifts that Lucasfilm had to make in the wake of Carrie Fisher’s death, but that’s not really what we’re here to talk about.) What we are here to talk about is that Trevorrow has announced that he’s going to donate the residuals he makes from this “story by” credit on The Rise Of Skywalker to charity, specifically the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice in England.

In a statement to Deadline, Trevorrow explained that he wanted to honor the positive spirit that George Lucas’ Star Wars films taught him about as a kid:

Through his films, George Lucas taught us about our connection to all living things. He taught us to take care of one another, and he set a powerful example himself. The Alexander Devine Hospice helps families in the most challenging of times. I can’t think of a more fitting way to honor George’s legacy.

George Lucas is still alive, for the record, in case Trevorrow’s tone there made you think otherwise. Anyway, the hospice’s co-founder Fiona Devine also released statement, thanking Trevorrow for signing away his share of the profits from a Star Wars movie and noting that it’s “the equivalent of paying for a nurse for a year.” Devine says the money will, “really help us to continue to do this and importantly reach out to even more families that need us,” explaining that the services the hospice offers are free and it therefore relies on donations and fundraising.

Next, Trevorrow will direct the third Jurassic World film, so he’s still not quite done with big blockbuster sequels. (So did Abrams just keep some threads that Trevorrow had planned for his version of Episode IX, or had Abrams and Lucasfilm already planned so much of it out that Trevorrow was just following the existing plan when he wrote his movie and Abrams held on to that stuff?)

 
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