John Boyega Praises Axed ‘Star Wars’ Movie ‘Duel of the Fates,’ but He Refuses to Read Leaked Script: ‘I’d Be Heartbroken’
Zack Sharf For many “Star Wars” fans, John Boyega included, the axed “Duel of the Fates” movie will forever be the best “Star Wars” film never made. “Duel of the Fates” was the original script written for Episode IX, which was to be directed by “Jurassic World” filmmaker Colin Trevorrow. When he exited the project over creative differences, Lucasfilm brought in “The Force Awakens” helmer J.J. Abrams to finish the trilogy with an overhauled script that would become “The Rise of Skywalker.” The “Duel of the Fates” script leaked online in January 2020, revealing a far different film than what Abrams crafted with the polarizing “The Rise of Skywalker” (there was no Palpatine, for starters). Whereas Abrams was widely panned for sidelining characters like John Boyega’s Finn and Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose, Trevorrow’s script gave these characters their own adventure as the two set out to lead a Stormtrooper rebellion against the First Order. This storyline brought Finn’s arc full circle, as he started out in “The Force Awakens” as a defected Stormtrooper.