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While there’s plenty to be excited about with regards to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, one of the biggest draws is that it’s a brand new Rian Johnson film. The director behind Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and Looper, as well as the best episode of Breaking Bad ever (“Ozymandias”, has built up a devoted fan base over the years with his diverse yet assured filmography, always showcasing his talent in new and interesting ways. So in some ways, the fact that we’re getting a new film written and directed by Rian Johnson is as exciting (if not moreso) as the fact that we’re getting a new Star Wars movie.

Johnson was certainly a big draw for the cast, including Domhnall Gleeson, who spoke to Collider’s own Steve Weintraub about The Last Jedi and his experience with Johnson during the press day for American Made. Gleeson recalled his first time reading the script, and how it led to an exciting discussion with Johnson:

“When I read it I needed to talk to him, and I think that’s always a good sign. I was like, ‘Wow there’s some stuff there which is kind of—not scary but different to what I expected,’ and that’s a really, really nice thing. I think that’s a really positive thing, I think that’s important for those films that we don’t repeat ourselves. So I just wanted to talk to him, and when I talked to him he was so clear and so confident, not in a brash way but he knew the film he wanted to make, and it was a really lovely thing. Just [to] sit down with a filmmaker you really enjoy… but to see him, just the confidence of it and his excitement about what it could be and everything, it was really pleasing to see. Very calming. And I got really excited about being in it, and it was a really very, very cool experience working with him. I would love to work with him again, I really enjoyed it.”

Gleeson says you never really know how a film is going to turn out until you see the finished product, and he’s just as excited as the fans are to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi: