JJ Abrams has responded to some of the criticism Star Wars: The Last Jedi received, suggesting that the problem is with the individuals, rather than film.

The latest instalment in the franchise, which was directed by Rian Johnson, became the most divisive movie in Star Wars history when it was released at the end of last year, with some fans hitting out at the film and driving down its 'Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

As The Telegraph pointed out, one of the biggest complaints against the film from upset audiences was its focus on female-lead roles – something the film critics were very much in support of, by the way – and it's those complaints JJ Abrams is talking about in his defence of the film now.

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"Their problem isn't Star Wars, their problem is being threatened," he told IndieWire.

"Star Wars is a big galaxy, and you can sort of find almost anything you want to in Star Wars. If you are someone who feels threatened by women and needs to lash out against them, you can probably find an enemy in Star Wars.

"You can probably look at the first movie that George [Lucas] did and say that Leia was too outspoken, or she was too tough. Anyone who wants to find a problem with anything can find the problem. The internet seems to be made for that."

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Abrams will once again take up the directing job on the Episode IX of the Star Wars series, coming back on board to finish the trilogy he started with The Force Awakens – but he insists the backlash from The Last Jedi won't impact his film-making.

"Not in the least," he replied when asked. "Certainly something I discovered early on in the Star Wars world, is that you're going to have an incredibly passionate and vocal fanbase, and they're all going to have a lot of specific opinions."

Abrams' untitled Star Wars: Episode IX is due to be released in cinemas in December 2019 – no doubt featuring plenty more from Daisy Ridley's Rey and her strong female co-stars and be sure to keep on upsetting the haters.

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