'The Last Jedi' certainly sounds like one of the more ominous 'Star Wars' films in the episodic collection, and new comments from the movie's director Rian Johnson hint that the flick will certainly be headed in a darker direction than those that have come before it.

Oscar Isaac stars in upcoming 'Star Wars' flick 'The Last Jedi'Oscar Isaac stars in upcoming 'Star Wars' flick 'The Last Jedi'

Speaking with Empire Magazine, the director teased: "This is the second movie in the trilogy, so it’s easy to draw parallels to 'Empire' in terms of a darker feel. And we do dig into the characters: we’re going to challenge them and things are gonna get tough for everybody. But I didn’t want this to go too dark. One of the things I drew from J.J.’s film was that sense of fun and playfulness – that as much Star Wars as ‘I am your father'."

Comparisons with Episode V, 'The Empire Strikes Back' mean that we will likely see the saga's newest heroes at their lowest points throughout Episode VIII. Of course, Johnson's words also promise that while the tone will be darker than before, the lightheartedness and humour that's usually woven throughout the films will remain a foundation of the movie.

Director J.J. Abrams did a great job when working on Episode VII, 'The Force Awakens', providing a brilliant launch pad for what is to come.

Making a periodical shift rather than a major one in tone is probably the best decision for Johnson, as anything that is too blunt would be rather jarring for mega-fans of the series.

The comments come after the news that Colin Trevorrow had been removed from his position as the director on Episode IX, with rumours suggesting that Johnson could stick with the franchise for the rest of the trilogy altogether. 

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'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' is set to hit cinemas on December 15.