Following the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it’s time to get excited about for Episode IX – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Ahead of its December release, here’s what we know about the final film in the new Skywalker trilogy.
Recent updates:
- Star Wars have shared an official further look at the returning Palpatine
- James Earl Jones returns as Darth Vader in newly released clip
- It seems that redemption for Kylo Ren is out of the question
- It’s been confirmed that Leia will be training Rey in the Force
- New TV spot points to the Emperor somehow returning in The Rise of Skywalker
- JJ Abrams: “The ambition of this movie is far greater than Force Awakens.”
- Daisy Ridley says the film sees Rey “driving her own thing” and “not doing what other people are telling her to do.”
- Anthony Daniels discusses the film’s climax: “A good ending feels right.”
- JJ Abrams teases an appearance from Ahsoka Tano
Another look at the resurrected Palpatine has been shared
Many Star Wars fans were shocked at the return of Emperor Palpatine in the new film – he was presumed dead in 1983’s Return Of The Jedi – and the franchise have now shared another image of the character.
“It was kind of a delicate balance and went back and forth a lot about how much we wanted to reveal,” one of the film’s editors, Maryann Brandon, told The Huffington Post. “Some scenes changed quite a bit, the way that we wanted to present it to the audience. In the end, we ended up showing a lot less of it than we started with.”
Get a further look at Palpatine below.
Have we seen any footage from the film?
Yes! The a new clip has just been released, which sees Kylo Ren journey to meet with the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) – but ends with him hearing from an all too familiar voice.
“At last, my boy… I have been every voice you have ever heard… inside your head,” it says, as McDiarmid hands the baton to Andy Serkis as the CGI villain Supreme Leader Snoke, and, finally, to James Earl Jones – reprising his iconic role as Darth Vader from the original trilogy, and a cameo in Revenge of the Sith.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Clip
Nothing will prepare you for the end. Watch an exclusive clip from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. See it in theaters December 20! Get tickets: fandango.com/TheRiseOfSkywalker
Posted by Star Wars Movies on Thursday, December 12, 2019
Before that, the first clip arrived on social media a few weeks ago, and it’s action packed. It sees Rey, Finn, Poe and the rest of the gang riding on a desert craft while being pursued by a gang of relentless stormtroopers. Rather them than us.
Check out this clip from #StarWars: #TheRiseOfSkywalker. See it in theaters December 20. Get your tickets: https://t.co/EbJ0vDHKyt pic.twitter.com/ZAzp77ZLz0
— Star Wars (@starwars) November 25, 2019
A new TV spot called ‘Duel’ was also shared in November 2019, which features the voice of the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid). What that means, and whether he will somehow make a return in The Rise of Skywalker remains to be seen….
Have there been any reactions to The Rise Of Skywalker?
As the film nears its release date, a handful of actors have been sharing their thoughts after getting an early glimpse at the film.
Richard E. Grant said he “stood and cheered”, “cried” and “fist pumped the air” while watching episode 9 in a video message posted to Twitter.
“Just seen the 1st cast screening of [The Rise Of Skywalker],” he wrote. “What it achieves, weaves & resolves, is a total emotional meltdown & resurrection of the Spirit.”
Is there a trailer?
Yes, there is. A final trailer for Star Wars Episode 9 was released on October 22. It teases the appearance of Palpatine, an epic face-off between Rey and Kylo Ren, as well as a scene with the late Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa.
Watch it below:
Can I already buy my ticket?
Yes, you can. Tickets for Star Wars Episode 9 officially went on sale after the premiere of the October 22 trailer. Tickets for the US are officially on sale here.
Star Wars Episode 9: what’s the release date?
December 20, 2019.
The film was originally set to be released on May 24, but production issues in August and September 2017 – including director and screenwriter changes – has pushed the film’s schedule back by six months.
Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker himself Mark Hamill has been counting down to the movie:
Who's counting?#9WillBeFineAllInGoodTime pic.twitter.com/Q3rkwDdoLT
— Mark HoHoHoHamill (@HamillHimself) July 5, 2018
It’s claimed that the upcoming film could see Luke Skywalker’s return as a force ghost after he seemingly perished at the end of the last film.
What is the title of Episode 9?
The next instalment is called The Rise of Skywalker, as confirmed with the release of a teaser trailer in April 2019.
Who’s directing Episode 9?
J.J. Abrams
Colin Trevorrow – the man behind the $1bn-making blockbuster Jurassic World – was set to direct but crashed out of the project in September to be replaced by The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams.
Speaking to Empire in September 2019, Abrams spoke of taking over from Rian Johnson, who helmed The Last Jedi.
“I never found myself trying to repair anything,” he said of possibly undoing some of Johnson’s bold decisions from the last instalment. “If I had done VIII, I would have done things differently, just as Rian would have done things differently if he had done VII.
“But having worked on television series, I was accustomed to creating stories and characters that then were run by other people.”
He added: “If you’re willing to walk away from the thing that you created and you believe it’s in trustworthy hands, you have to accept that some of the decisions being made are not gonna be the same that you would make. And if you come back into it, you have to honour what’s been done.”
Talking more about the process of creating episode 9 in a new feature with EW, Abrams says: “We had more reshoots on Episode VII than this one. We had more story adjustments on VII than this one. We didn’t know if these characters would work, if the actors would be able to carry a Star Wars movie. There were a lot of things we didn’t know.
“On this, we knew who and what worked, and everyone is doing the best work I’ve ever seen anyone do. But the ambition of this movie is far greater than Force Awakens. What we set out to do was far more challenging. Everything is exponentially larger on this.”
Who wrote the script?
In August 2017, Jack Thorne – most famous for working with J.K. Rowling on the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – began rewriting the untitled Star Wars Episode IX, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In September 2017 it was reported that the film was now being rewritten by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Argo, Chris Terrio, and J.J. Abrams – meaning Thorne has presumably been replaced.
When did filming start?
In an interview on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, J.J. Abrams confirmed that shooting started towards the end of July 2018 – and that the script had been finished. “We have a script, which is a big deal for me,” he said. “It starts shooting end of July. Sometimes having the script in advance is something I haven’t always been lucky enough to have.”
Filming was confirmed to have wrapped in February 2018.
Have any posters been released?
Yes. Here’s the official theatrical poster.
A new poster was unveiled during a panel at this D23 Expo 2019.
A stunning array of character posters were unveiled to celebrate the final month leading up to the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Rey
Finn
Kylo Ren
Poe Dameron
BB-8
Zorii Bliss
Jannah
Lando Calrissian
Chewbacca
Rose Tico
C-3PO
R2-D2
D-O
An exclusive IMAX poster was released on November 30 2019. Incorporating franchise legends Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia with Rey and Kylo Ren, the poster sees twin moons float in the backdrop.
Have we seen any photos?
Yes. Photos have leaked from the set showing Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and more. The characters are pictured in a field, accompanied by some very shaggy horses. Fans have speculated a figure in the photos could be newcomer Naomi Ackie but the quality of the images make it too hard to tell.
Quelques autres photos. On y voit également Chewbacca ! pic.twitter.com/wajDU7VeAe
— Star Wars Actu France (@StarWarsActuFR) August 23, 2018
J.J. Abrams also celebrated the end of filming by sharing a set photo featuring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac. In the picture, the three are involved in what looks like an emotional hug on a sandy planet.
“It feels impossible, but today wrapped photography on Episode IX,” Abrams captioned the post. “There is no adequate way to thank this truly magical crew and cast. I’m forever indebted to you all.”
It feels impossible, but today wrapped photography on Episode IX. There is no adequate way to thank this truly magical crew and cast. I’m forever indebted to you all. pic.twitter.com/138AprtFuZ
— JJ Abrams (@jjabrams) February 15, 2019
John Boyega also shared the photo along with an emotional post about his experience filming the trilogy. On Instagram, the actor wrote: “That’s a wrap on Star Wars episode 9 and the end to a chapter of my life that I couldn’t be more thankful for. What a process! It really has been a joy to be in these movies surrounded by amazing people. I personally want to thank @jjabramsofficial for giving me a chance to make my dreams come true.”
He also shared a photo from the Wrap Party as filming came to an end:
On May 22, Vanity Fair shared epic promotional images from the movie as part of its ‘ultimate’ preview.
Boyega shared some of the images on his Twitter, including one of his character, Finn, riding Orbaks into battle with new character, Jannah (Naomi Ackie).
We fight. Thank you Annie Leibovitz for capturing this powerful image and thank you to @vanityfair for all your support throughout this franchise.I can’t wait for the audience to see us strike back this December! #Starwars pic.twitter.com/GUZap69Tq0
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) May 22, 2019
A lot of cool design and visuals happening here for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. pic.twitter.com/LdbacvsfUf
— Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) May 22, 2019
A new poster shared at Disney’s D23 expo in California shows footage from the film, namely Rey and Kylo Ren deep in battle. See that below.
On October 3, a first look was given at a new character called Babu Frik. Described as a “tiny Anzellan droidsmith”, the creature “works among the Spice Runners of Kijimi and can reprogram or modify virtually any droid — regardless of the security measures protecting its systems.” See the first image of the new character below.
On October 3, a new poster has revealed some more clues about Keri Russell’s mysterious new character, Zori Bliss. The poster clearly shows the character on the “good side” suggesting she will be involved with the resistance in some way.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Available 10/4 at https://t.co/mW7eGEey80#TheRiseOfSkywalker #TROS #StarWars #FirstLook #ForceFriday pic.twitter.com/N1dMUkIYuB— Trends International (@intltrends) September 27, 2019
On October 5, Dominic Monaghan shared a photo of himself in character. While the name of his character is still not yet known, Monaghan posted the pic to his Instagram, captioning it: “Oh it’s on now. @starwars #becurious.”
Who’s in Episode 9?
Disney confirmed much of the cast list last July. Returning cast members include: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd.
Veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams – who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian – also star in the film.
Newcomers to the cast include Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant.
Keri Russell is also on board for The Rise Of Skywalker, and we’ve been given a sneak peek of her character Zorri Bliss, who is set to become the most wanted toy in the universe. See the elusive first pic of the character below.
Fans also think they’ve unearthed footage of a new character in a new edition of the Topps Trading Cards. The photo, reportedly of a character set for The Rise Of Skywalker, comes along with the caption “A New Face.” The existence of the character isn’t confirmed.
from the new topps trading cards, apparently this is from the rise of skywalker ? pic.twitter.com/Mvx3hKB9Ro
— ?????? ❀ (semi hiatus) (@reysrepublic) October 15, 2019
Lord Of The Rings and Lost star Dominic Monaghan has also been confirmed to appear in the movie. “The galaxy far, far away has had almost as much influence as the one I live in, so I am delighted to be involved,” he told Deadline.
It’s been confirmed that Doctor Who‘s Matt Smith will also appear in the forthcoming film. However, details of his character are being kept firmly under wraps and it’s not known whether he’ll be on the side of the evil empire or the rebels.
The late Carrie Fisher will posthumously play General Leia Organa in the movie. She will be featured in the new film using previously unreleased footage which was shot for 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
“We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” Abrams said in July last year. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honour Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”
In May 2019, Abrams spoke further about the decision to include Fisher.
“It’s hard to even talk about it without sounding like I’m being some kind of cosmic spiritual goofball,” the director told Vanity Fair. “But it felt like we suddenly had found the impossible answer to the impossible question. It has a bizarre kind of left side/right side of the brain sort of Venn diagram thing, of figuring out how to create the puzzle based on the pieces we had.”
Hamill paid tribute to his late co-star on July 29, 2018 following the news, writing on Twitter that it was “bittersweet to be facing my final chapter without her – she is irreplaceable”. See his tribute below.
It's bittersweet facing my final chapter without her-She is simply irreplaceable. I'm finding solace in the fact that she won't BE replaced & would love the worldwide outpouring of affection from those who loved her when they heard the news.#CarrieOnForever pic.twitter.com/7ueMqBxQwa
— Mark HoHoHoHamill (@HamillHimself) July 29, 2018
Hamill also told the Radio Times in March 2019 that he believes Fisher would “get a real kick out” of starring in Episode 9.
“Something tells me she’d get a real kick out of the fact she had a hit movie years after she left us,” he said. “That was just her.”
Additionally, Hamill revealed that he still finds it difficult to watch his final scene with her in The Last Jedi, where Luke says farewell to sister Leia before facing Kylo Ren.
He said: “When I watch that scene when I say goodbye to her, it takes me out of the movie completely.”
“I’d like to think nothing would be better than having her here because she was always fun… She could always make me laugh. I was proud that I could make her laugh. That’s really what it’s all about!”
Although Fisher’s return will come in the form of unused footage, Ant-Man & The Wasp’s Evangeline Lilly has admitted that she wanted to play the role of Leia.
She told fans at a recent convention: “When JJ (Abrams) announced that he was gonna do his first Star Wars film, I reached out to his producing partner for the first time ever since Lost ended.
“I never requested anything ever before, and I said, ‘I wanna be Leia! Make me Leia!'”
The latest casting rumour claims that Episode IX will bring back Luke’s Rogue Squadron co-founder, Wedge Antilles. Denis Lawson, who played the character in A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), is expected to reprise the role 36 years on. A rep for Lawson told Star Wars fan podcast Rebel Force Radio that the character will have a presence in the new movie.
Additionally, in November 2019 a TV spot called ‘Duel’ (later shared on YouTube) has the Emperor’s (Ian McDiarmid) voiceover. Does this mean his character is somehow making a comeback in The Rise of Skywalker?
Could Luke come back as a Force-Ghost?
Mark Hamill (Luke) certainly seems to think so. In a tweet posted on March 14, 2018 he included an action figure of his role as Luke in The Last Jedi captioned “Senior Citizen Jedi Pension-Plan Future Force-Ghost Luke” – implying he thinks Luke will be returning as a Force ghost in Episode 9. And it’s not the first time he’s teased his fans about returning for the final movie of the new trilogy.
Luke How Far I've Come:
A) Generic Lemon-Haired Ken Doll Luke
B) Black-Haired Semi-Conscious Adult-Diaper Luke
C) Pumped-Up Roid-Rage With Balcony You Could Do Shakespeare From Luke
D) Senior Citizen Jedi Pension-Plan Future Force-Ghost Luke#CollectEmAll pic.twitter.com/5q820fjTv5— Mark HoHoHoHamill (@HamillHimself) March 14, 2018
In 2016, Hamill teased his character’s death in The Last Jedi – but he also stated he’d be back for Episode 9 – another hint that he’ll be returning as Luke’s Force ghost.
Haven't seen my chin since May '15, so #FarewellFacialFur & #ByeByeBeard (at least til #EpisodeIX) @popculturequest pic.twitter.com/gaScz1okk6
— Mark HoHoHoHamill (@HamillHimself) August 30, 2016
Since the release of The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson has since commented on the speculation: “I don’t know where the next movie is going to go. J.J. (Abrams) and Chris Terrio are writing it right now. But it seemed like the potential of Luke crossing into a new realm, that offers exciting possibilities for the role he plays in the coming chapter. No one’s ever really gone. Again, I’m not writing the script, so I don’t know. But as a fan, I would hope [he returns].”
Will we learn anything more about Rey’s parents?
Quite possibly. Rian Johnson, the director of The Last Jedi, has said the question of Rey’s parentage remains open after Kylo Ren told her in TLJ that they were “nobodies”.
Asked to explain Kylo Ren’s revelation to Rey in The Last Jedi, Johnson told HuffPost: “The easy thing would be, ‘Yes, your parents are so and so and here’s your place in the world. There you go.’ The hardest thing she could hear would be: ‘No, you’re not going to get the answer. This is not going to define you. You’re going to have to find your own place in this world. Kylo is going to use that even as leverage to try and make you feel insecure, and you’re going to have to stand on your own two feet.'”
However, Johnson said that the question of her parentage could be explored further in episode 9: “Anything’s still open,” he said, “and I’m not writing the next film. [J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio] are doing it.”
He also suggested that Kylo Ren’s revelation to Rey might not have been entirely true: “With all of these movies, Obi-Wan’s whole speech about a certain point of view always applies, so I think that you have to always think about the context of how information is given. But for me, dramatically, that’s why that reveal at that moment made sense.”
What do we know about the plot?
Nothing concrete – but we do know that Daisy Ridley cried when she found out about Rey’s fate in a former draft of the script. In Collider‘s Jedi Council podcast, SNL actor Bobby Moynihan – a friend of the film’s original director Colin Trevorrow – recounts the time when he saw Trevorrow telling Ridley what happened to her.
“I introduced him to Daisy Ridley at the SNL after-party,” he explains. “I saw a moment where she said, ‘What happens to me?’ And he said, ‘Do you want to do this now?’ And she said, ‘Yeah,’ and they went off into a corner of the bar and he whispered it into her ear and she started crying.”
Discussing more about Rey’s role in the film in an EW cover story, Ridley says: “Rey is driving her own thing. She’s not doing what other people are telling her to do.”
Going on to discuss her Jedi training, Ridley continued: “I have skills that have developed, but ‘confident’ isn’t a word I’d use to describe it. She’s definitely more in control of everything and can do new fun stuff, but she’s vulnerable and a little insecure about at all.”
Star Wars creators have now confirmed that Leia will be training Rey in the Force during the film.
A press junket for The Rise Of Skywalker revealed: “General Leia Organa continues to lead the heroic Resistance, building back a fighting force after having suffered costly setbacks. Leia is also training Rey in the ways of the Force, for the galaxy still has need of a Jedi.”
Despite Rey training in the force, it seems that Kylo Ren remains as entrenched in the dark side as ever – and he’s certainly not going to change.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Adam Driver, was asked whether a change of heart could be possible.
“What does he have to be redeemed for?” he said.
“[Kylo Ren] has a different identity, a different definition of what redemption is. He’s already been redeemed in his story.
“I don’t think there is a thought of redemption. He doesn’t have an outside lens of the events, you know — you know what I mean? That’s more of an outsider’s view of his world.”
We can also expect The Rise of Skywalker to bring plenty of surprises.
Speaking about the plot in an Awesome Con conference call, John Boyega (Finn) said the movie will be “all out war”. He said: “Regardless of where the story goes – and I haven’t read it, by the way – is going to be all-out war, so I know that I’m going to have to do all I can and train for that.”
Another huge hint comes from John Boyega, who revealed that “the film takes place roughly one year after the events of The Last Jedi”.
Now, fans are taking this as proof that a time-jump could occur – after Boyega previously teased a change in his character.
“I can’t wait to start shooting the next and final leg of the franchise. The first step is growing out my hair, so you can wait for the trailer to see why,” said Boyega.
This months Empire magazine… did i miss something?
“John Boyega confirmed the film takes place roughly one year after the events of The Last Jedi” ???? pic.twitter.com/erormUbT5q— Riri (@Riri19911) December 21, 2018
In October 2018, fans noticed that a description of the movie’s concept artwork could point towards a Death Star-style superweapon. The powerful device could play a part in bringing the final film to an explosive and dramatic finale.
The leak reads: “Specifically, a description of Kylo Ren inside his throne room, assumed to be the headquarters of the First Order, viewing a hologram [from] a device held in his hand.
“Kylo appears to be examining three large superweapons that are in a cylindrical shape with an enormous engine on each side of each superweapon of this ship/weapon, destroying terrain on a planet. The engine burner is coloured red and the blast from the bottom of these three massive weapons is coloured blue, impacting a surface causing astronomical destruction. Parts of the weapon seem to be under construction and not finished.”
Fans picked up on the fact that this could be referring to the World Devastators featured in the Star Wars extended universe.
In March 2019, Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) revealed that Episode 9 will be the end of the Skywalker saga.
Speaking to Today, the actor said: “It is the end of the entire Skywalker saga.
“Nine stories. This is the culmination of the entire thing. What J.J. has done, and the entire Lucasfilm team, is incredibly fulfilling.”
He continued: “It’s also special for us because you get to learn a lot more things about these characters.”
Meanwhile, Ridley has rubbished rumours that Rey and Kylo are set for romance in the next instalment of the saga.
Speaking to Steele Wars, she said: “I do know about Reylo…I don’t know how I feel about it, because everyone’s talking about the toxic thing of a relationship when it’s essentially emotional.
“It’s a tricky road. I do feel like, deep down, Kylo thinks what he’s doing is right and he doesn’t think he’s wrong, but he has also killed so many people. So I can’t really get behind it, no, in a personal way.”
In May 2019, Adam Driver spoke to Vanity Fair about a “maybe-bond” between his character, Kylo Ren, and Rey (Daisy Ridley).
He discusses the potential ‘ReyLo’ situation: whether Kylo Ren will end up being in a relationship with Rey, possibly as part of a redemption angle.
“And then he had been forging this maybe-bond with Rey,” Driver said in the interview, “and it kind of ends with the question in the air: is he going to pursue that relationship, or when the door of her ship goes up, does that also close that camaraderie that they were maybe forming?”
Driver doesn’t give too much away but he doesn’t shut the idea down either….
In September 2019 The Rise of Skywalker co-writer Chris Terrio told Empire that the film builds on Ren and Rey’s “complicated” relationship.
“We’ve tried to pick up that complicated relationship that really has been present ever since the interrogation in Episode VII. When Ren takes off his mask, there’s a nakedness about him with Rey that he doesn’t express to anyone else. Rian developed that in fascinating ways and we’ve been able to develop it even further,” he said.
Elsewhere in the Vanity Fair piece, Driver addresses Ren’s emotionally fragile state, citing his parents Han and Leia’s rebellion efforts as part of the reason for his vulnerability. Ren, he argues, essentially grew up under the pressure of living up to unrealistic expectations.
“How do you form friendships out of that? How do you understand the weight of that?” he said. “And if there’s no one around you guiding you, or articulating things the right way … it can easily go awry. By the emotional logic that governs the Star Wars universe—and also our own—Kylo Ren is going to have to confront the past, and his fears, whatever they are, or be destroyed by them.”
Daisy Ridley has said that the film will feature “one of the most epic fights” in Star Wars history.
“The interesting thing about this film is that we concentrate more on the fact that [the lightsabers] are light,” she told Wired.
“Because the [old] lightsabers were so heavy, as Eunice [Huthart] said, who is our new stunt coordinator, that it was more like broadsword fighting, which isn’t technically what it’s supposed to be because lightsabers are supposed to be light, by nature.
“So they actually made the lightsabers lighter for us. We, in this film, have, perhaps one of the most epic fights in Star Wars.”
Co-writer Chris Terrio has said The Rise of Skywalker will answer two major questions about Rey and the Force.
Terrio explained to Empire: “We kept coming back to ‘Who is Rey?’, and how can we give the most satisfying answer to that not only factually – because obviously people are interested in whether there’s more to be learned of Rey’s story – but more importantly who is she as a character?
“How will she find the courage and will and inner strength and power to carry on what she’s inherited?”
He added: “[‘How strong is the Force?’] sounds a little simple, but actually when you get down to it, that is a sort of Zen Koan that we would really meditate on – not literally in yoga poses or anything, but like we would discuss, ‘What is the Force and how strong is the Force?'”
On October 18, J.J. Abrams told Entertainment Weekly that The Rise of Skywalker will “answer as many questions as possible.”
“Endings are the thing that scare me the most,” Abram’s admitted, before explaining what fans could expect from the final movie in the latest Star Wars trilogy. “This is about bringing this thing to a close in a way that is emotional and meaningful and also satisfying in terms of actually answering [as many] questions as possible.
“So if years from now, someone’s watching these movies, all nine of them, they’re watching a story that is as cohesive as possible.”
He added: “While there were many things that were planned for and discussed — George Lucas himself said when he created this he saw it as three, three-act plays — that doesn’t mean there isn’t discovery, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that come up that make you realise, ‘Oh, here’s an opportunity.’
“It also doesn’t mean that there’s a list of payoffs that we have to do because of setups. But we also were very much aware this is the end of the trilogy and it needs to satisfy. We went into this thing knowing it has to be an ending. We’re not screwing around.”
Daisy Ridley has also opened up about ‘Dark Rey’, who was shown in the trailer, admitting it was “fun” to play the best and worst versions of her character.
“It’s fun to play someone’s best version, and then the worst,” the stars told Adoro Cinema and other press (via ComicBook.com). “It’s an amazing thing to do as an actress, but we can’t do it often… I felt very good. That’s the most I can say, unfortunately.”
She added of filming one particularly emotional scene: “There was a scene that touched me a lot. It was our last day shooting in Jordan and the natural light was fading.
“And it was so exciting. It was just a short scene, we filmed very fast, but the crew was shaken in a way I had not seen before. And I thought, ‘My God, if this is people’s immediate reaction when the scene isn’t even ready, imagine what it will be like to see it in the movies, with the John Williams soundtrack and all that.’”
Director JJ Abrams has also teased the possibility that we could have a reference or even some sort of appearance from fan favourite character Ahsoka Tano.
Tano was Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan and appeared in TV shows The Clone Wars and Rebels, though has never appeared on the big screen.
When an interviewer revealed their favourite Star Wars character was Tano, Abrams told Japanese outlet Sora News: “Hmmm, Ahsoka, huh? Well then you’ll probably want to watch closely during The Rise of Skywalker.”
What happened to the Death Star?
As we know, The Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star in Return of the Jedi, but the wreckage is set to feature in The Rise Of Skywalker, and the Disney Parks blog has revealed where it will be found.
After a watery landscape was shown in the trailer for The Rise of Skywalker, Disney has revealed that the Death Star wreckage now reside on an ocean moon named Kef Bir.
Will fans like the ending?
Maybe. Daisy Ridley has promised it won’t be as controversial as Game Of Thrones’ big finale. Of course, details about the trilogy’s ending are being kept firmly under wraps right now so she could turn out to be very wrong, but hopefully there won’t be any petition for a re-write this time.
Anthony Daniels, the famous voice of C-3PO, has discussed the ending as part of a feature with EW, simply saying: “It’s a very good ending, and a good ending feels right.”
Will we see Han Solo’s dice again?
Yes, probably. In the below official Star Wars video from explaining the secrets of The Last Jedi, it’s revealed that Rian Johnson originally included Han’s gold dice as a reference to The Force Awakens. In a TFA scene that was deleted after Johnson wrote The Last Jedi, Han hangs up the gold dice on the Millennium Falcon when he gets it back. In TLJ, the astral-projected version of Luke gives the gold dice to Leia – and, because that TFA scene was deleted, this now looks like a reference to the dice’s mise-en-scene presence in the original trilogy.
Star Wars story group member Matt Martin teases that the dice will be back in The Rise of Skywalker by saying “wink wink” – catch the moment in the video below, which also explains how the dice are intended to help us mourn Han Solo.
Will John Williams score Episode 9?
Yes, but this is likely to be his last score for the Star Wars sequel.
For a long time it wasn’t clear whether, at the age of 85, Williams would continue in his role of scoring all of the Star Wars saga (to date he has scored Episodes I-VIII, but not the Anthology films). News of his involvement was confirmed in an interview with Variety in January 2018.
“I would very much like to complete that,” he said. “I don’t think you can retire from writing. I feel very lucky, and the work that I do doesn’t depend on much. If your vision’s still good, and your hands – I have no arthritis in my hands and I play the piano very easily – I don’t think there’s any reason to deprive oneself of the fun of working. Music is so rewarding.”
Williams indicated in interview with US radio station KUSC earlier this month that this would be his final Star Wars film. “We know JJ Abrams is preparing one [Star Wars movie] now that I will hopefully do next year for him,” he said. “I look forward it. It will round out a series of nine, that will be quite enough for me.”
Who else is on the crew?
In February 2018, the art director of Blade Runner 2049, Paul Inglis, reportedly joined the crew of Star Wars: Episode 9, suggesting the next Star Wars film’s look will be as strong as the Oscar-nominated design of the huge sci-fi film. His past experience also includes Skyfall, Game of Thrones, and Prometheus. In his role as art director he helps bring the production designer’s vision to life, builds sets and helps curate the look of the film.
When did shooting begin?
In December 2016, Deadline reported that filming won’t begin for ‘about a year’ – which would be late 2017. According to a leaked casting call notice, shooting was set to begin in July 2017. In September 2017, following the departure of Colin Trevorrow – which changed the film’s production timeline – it was confirmed that the film would begin shooting in June 2018. And in February 2018, JJ Abrams verified the summer 2018 filming date in a message to Japan’s D23 Expo.
How will Episode 9 be filmed?
It’s going to be filmed on 65mm format – a first for the series. The Force Awakens was shot on 35mm, and so was The Last Jedi. 65mm film will mean Abrams will be able to work with large frames at higher quality – making the experience similar to IMAX.
What are the latest rumours?
The Millennium Falcon won’t make it through the film
On the latest episode of his podcast, Kevin Smith theorised that Han Solo’s beloved ship won’t make it through The Rise of Skywalker. “They killed Han Solo in The Force Awakens.” he said. “They killed Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. Sadly, Carrie has passed, so they have to deal with the Princess Leia of it all. But what do you think is the next big loss? I think it’s the Falcon. That would really rip all of our hearts out…
“They’ll never kill Chewie,” he continued, “because you could be Chewie for 400 years. It’s a guy in a suit. They can’t kill any of the droids, that could be anybody and stuff. But they’ve got to kill something that makes us go ‘No! I f*cking love that from my childhood!’”
There are rumours circulating amongst fans that (an as yet unconfirmed) leak of a storyboard from the upcoming movie may reveal Rey’s death at the end of The Rise of Skywalker.
As reported in We Got This Covered, there are “unverifiable reports” (reported in The Express and via Mike Zeroh initially) that a series of storyboards have been leaked, reportedly showing the climax of J.J. Abrams trilogy-ender. The storyboards allegedly show Kylo Ren cradling Rey, in a scene echoing Luke’s final scene with Vader in Return of the Jedi. Red is reportedly crying as he cradles Rey and puts his hand on her forehead while destruction rages all around.
You can watch a video in which Mike Zeroh explains the theory more here: