This Scene From 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Has Movie Theaters Warning Fans

We knew that Star Wars: The Last Jedi was going to be shocking, but we did not know that it would be so mind-blowing that movie theaters would have to give audiences a warning before they screen the new movie. One of the most pivotal scenes of the movie has apparently caused so much confusion among moviegoers that certain theaters are now posting pre-screening warnings. Yep, that silent scene in The Last Jedi now has movie theaters posting warnings to audience members before the movie starts.

Spoiler alert: I'm going to have to spoil a big scene in The Last Jedi in this post, so don't read on if you haven't seen it yet. If you have already seen the new Star Wars flick, then you probably already know the scene that prompted the audience warning. Towards the end of the film, Laura Dern's newly introduced character, Admiral Holdo, sacrifices herself to save the rest of the Resistance, turning her ship around to face the First Order and jetting into hyperspace, tearing the enemy ship in half. The big moment was pivotal not only in the movie, but the franchise as a whole, marking the first time hyperspace has been weaponized in this way in Star Wars history. It was also a standout scene in how it was filmed: director Rian Johnson paused the noisy, explosion-filled Star Wars galaxy for complete silence as Holdo's ship pierced the First Order ship in an epic beam of light.

The scene is obviously incredibly shocking to audiences, especially since Star Wars movies are usually so full of big sounds. In fact, the 10-second silence was so jarring to moviegoers that certain AMC theaters have begun posting warnings to audiences that the moment is intentional, and not a glitch in the projector.

A note posted outside an AMC theater showing The Last Jedi is circulating social media. It warns audiences that the 10-second silence is an intentional part of the movie, and not an error in the projection system... which means the theater has probably gotten more than a couple questions and complaints from confused fans who thought the brief loss of sound was the theater's fault. In full, the note reads:

Please note: The Last Jedi contains a sequence at approximately 1 hour and 52 minutes into the movie in which ALL sound stops for about 10 full seconds. While the images continue to play on the screen you will hear nothing. This is intentionally done by the director for a creative effect.

The warning is prompting a bit of frustration among fans online, many of whom are calling it unnecessary and expressing disbelief at moviegoers who thought the scene was a glitch. But of course, AMC must have only posted the sign after receiving a number of questions about the scene from audiences. The wording also avoids giving away any real spoilers in the movie, so no harm, no foul.

Ben Morris, the visual effects supervisor for The Last Jedi, talked about the importance of that silent scene to Collider recently, noting how rewarding it was for him to hear the audiences reactions so clearly in that shocking moment of silence:

We had always hoped that would resonate, both as a story beat and as a striking visual, and when I heard all of the cries and gasps in the silence, it was just fantastic. We realized that it worked. That’s never really happened in Star Wars before.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in theaters now, and no, your movie theater is not glitching out about two hours into the new movie.