Much as they did last year with Rogue One, Disney has released a behind-the-scenes reel for Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi at its annual D23 expo. It’s the kind of reel where you’re going to have to imagine the possibilities, because-just as they have all along-the reel gives nothing away plotwise….except to warn us again that Rian Johnson’s story is going to turn everything we know about Star Wars on its head. If it were pretty much anyone but Rian Johnson writing this, that constant message would have me a little worried. It’s a very cool look at a film we still know next to nothing about with a touching finish from the late Carrie Fisher. No news yet on Han Solo, other than that Ron Howard has taken over and things are apparently still proceeding toward the planned May 2018 release.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is written and directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper) and continues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, welcoming back cast members Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, the late Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Domhnall Gleeson as Hux, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma, and Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke. New cast members will include Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award nominee Laura Dern, and newcomer Kelly Marie Tran as Rose.
The sequel is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman and executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Jason McGatlin, and Tom Karnowski. Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in regular and IMAX theaters on December 15, 2017.
oh wow….totally awesome. Can’t wait to see it all come together later this year!!!
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I really think Rian Johnson has done something special. I think no one is right and we’re all going to be gobsmacked by this.
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Definitely agree with you on that…
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Nice! The”different/new” line is clearly the talking point for this film, but they’re using it so much that I’ve decided to believe them.
I don’t read anything negative into the lack of Han Solo goodness. If they talk about Han Solo at this point, they have to make some kind of reference to the apparent turmoil, even if it’s only in passing, so I’m assuming they’re reserving the hype until such time as they have something awesome that’s ready to be shown.
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They really must have something coming because you’re right, the “everything you know is wrong” thing is all anyone says and coming from Mark Hamill as vehemently as it has makes me think its all wrapped up in Luke and what he found out about the Jedi; maybe he DOES go dark side
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I don’t think he goes dark side. The thing that struck me most about TFA was how it went so far out of its way to hammer home that there was more to the Force than Jedi and Sith. It would have been very easy to have made the Knights of Ren Sith adherents instead. It would have been very easy to have made Maz Kanata a Jedi who survived the purge. That would have been expected, and frankly, attractive from Disney’s perspective. Package Maz as the “next Yoda,” and be done with it. I think Luke might be an erratic figure in this movie, a man on the edge, trapped between light and dark in a way that we’ve never seen in a SW movie. I don’t think he’s going to be nice to Rey when he trains her. Look at some of the shots of her face in the trailer. Look at Luke at the end of TFA, at the image you so recently adopted. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, because he had to be surprised to see Rey, but he doesn’t look entirely well. I think he might be kind of crazy.
If this film takes a chance like the one I’m talking about with such a cherished character, it will mean they’re not just recombining elements any more, but finding new ways to express the fundamental themes, and maybe the episodes can go on after Episode nine after all.
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