Question 1

True or false: Rian Johnson won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for 'Knives Out'.

Accepted Answer

False. He was nominated for Best Original Screenplay but lost to Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite'. He has not won an Oscar.

Question 2

True or false: Rian Johnson wrote and directed 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' without any prior Star Wars involvement.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite being a fan, Johnson had no prior Star Wars credits; he was hired fresh based on his original work.

Question 3

True or false: 'Knives Out' was originally written as a dark comedy with no murder.

Accepted Answer

False. The script always centered on a murder mystery; the dark comedy tone was there, but the murder was essential from the start.

Question 4

True or false: Rian Johnson directed an episode of 'Breaking Bad' before making 'Looper'.

Accepted Answer

True. He directed the acclaimed 'Breaking Bad' episode 'Fly' in 2010, two years before his sci-fi hit 'Looper' released.

Question 5

True or false: Rian Johnson's debut feature film was 'Brick', which he wrote in college.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Brick' (2005) was written while Johnson was a student at USC, and it launched his career as a neo-noir cult hit.

Question 6

True or false: Rian Johnson's film 'Looper' was inspired by a nightmare he had about time travel.

Accepted Answer

True. Johnson has said the core idea of a man hunting his future self came from a vivid nightmare he had in his twenties.

Question 7

True or false: Rian Johnson has a cameo as a stormtrooper in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'.

Accepted Answer

False. Johnson did not appear in 'The Force Awakens'; his cameo is in 'The Last Jedi' as a small rebel character.

Question 8

True or false: Rian Johnson's cousin is actor Nathan Johnson, who scores his films.

Accepted Answer

False. Nathan Johnson is actually Rian's cousin and longtime composer, but he is not an actor—he's a musician and composer.

Rian Johnson Trivia Questions