There were cheers, gasps and more than a few standing ovations at Saturday night’s world premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson, the writer and director of the movie, dedicated the night to Carrie Fisher, who died after filming had completed. “She’s up there flipping the bird and saying, ‘Don’t bring this night down with solemn tributes,’” Johnson said onstage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was in that spirit that Johnson excitedly introduced the cast, including Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley and Laura Dern. John Boyega, who earlier in the day tweeted that he might miss the premiere because a snowstorm had snarled travel out of Atlanta, was able to make it to the event. Hamill and composer John Williams, who Johnson called one of the “greatest living film composers,” were among those who got standing ovations. The enthusiastic audience then laughed and cheered throughout much of the 2½-hour film. The event was the first showing of the film in advance of its Friday release. Formal reviews won’t be out for a few days, but journalists and others at the screening who shared their initial reactions said The Last Jedi packed the adventure expected in a Star Wars film but took it into new territory. J.J. Abrams, who directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will return to direct the franchise’s Episode IX, said the film was “great” and that “Rian killed it.” Entertainment Weekly’s Anthony Breznican said the film “will shatter you and then make you feel whole again.”
President Donald Trump on Saturday demanded and received an apology from a Washington Post reporter over a photo from a rally. The Post reporter, David Weigel, had earlier tweeted a photo of the crowd gathered at the Pensacola Bay Center in Florida for Trump’s speech there Friday evening, showing numerous empty seats. He removed the tweet after being told by others that the photo was taken before the venue filled up. In response, Trump tweeted Saturday that “.@DaveWeigel @WashingtonPost put out a phony photo of an empty arena hours before I arrived @ the venue, w/ thousands of people outside, on their way in.” The Twitter post included photos of the Pensacola venue when it was filled with attendees. “Packed house, many people unable to get in. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo!” Trump tweeted. Within minutes, Weigel complied. “Sure thing: I apologize,” he tweeted. Weigel said he deleted the photo after another reporter “told me I’d gotten it wrong.” Trump in a follow-up tweet said Weigel should be fired.