Mark Hamill sticks up for blogger mocked for emotional reaction to 'Star Wars IX' trailer

Mark Hamill in The Last Jedi (Credit: Lucasfilm/Disney)
Mark Hamill in The Last Jedi (Credit: Lucasfilm/Disney)

US blogger Eric Butts posted his reaction video to the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer just few minutes after it was released online last week.

He was even on holiday at the time, but knocked up the video anyway from his hotel room.

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His emotional response to the clip, the last instalment in the current Star Wars series, has since gone pretty viral. But sadly, not necessarily in the best way.

Butts has found himself at the pointy end of things, with a deluge of mockery for his admittedly rather extreme reaction to the first footage.

One particularly barbed reaction to Eric’s video from a ‘conservative influencer’, one that’s since gone viral itself, joked: “Star Wars and super hero movie obsession culture has revealed a whole new population of undateable men. Might be worse than men who wear cargo shorts.”

“He cried over a shot of an empty desert. How is this even normal?” added another. “Why do we pretend otherwise? We’re truly living in some f**ked up simulation where everyone has to act like his video didn’t make them cringe or laugh at his absurd reactions. I’m not sorry for being honest.”

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But the Force appears to be with Eric.

Mark Hamill himself is among those rallying to his side.

In a couple of tweets, he replied: “Hi Eric – Thanks for sharing your amazing reaction to the trailer. It was inspiring to see you transported with joy in anticipation of IX. Makes what we do seem all the more worthwhile.”

“Why anyone would ridicule someone so passionate & clearly enjoying what he’s seeing is beyond me,” he said in another.

Gary Whitta, who wrote Rogue One, also rode in with some support.

“I remember vividly when @TheEricButts posted his Rogue One trailer reaction videos. Seeing his utter joy remains one of my favorite memories from being involved with that movie. The passion of fans like Eric IS EXACTLY WHY WE MAKE MOVIES. Haters can f**k off and die,” he said.

Jared Bush, the writer of Disney’s Zootropolis, is also Team Butts:

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker lands in the UK in December. The trailer is below. Tissues at the ready.