After the thrilling ending of Star Wars: Episode VIII.
This article is meant to serve as a compendium of major Episode VIII news and information, so be sure to check back regularly to follow the movie's progress throughout the rest of the year. Also check out our compilation of all the news on the next Star Wars anthology film, Han Solo.
Here's Everything You Need to Know About Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.
15. The Last Jedi
The official subtitle for Star Wars: Episode VIII is any number of meanings, but the most obvious is in reference to Luke Skywalker. He was explicitly referred to as the last Jedi by both Yoda in Return of the Jedi and by the opening crawl of The Force Awakens. It makes sense that the title could revolve around him, since he was almost entirely absent from Episode VII, and most of the franchise’s question marks have to do with what he’s been up to and why he went missing.
Of course, the title doesn’t have to be about Luke exclusively, or at all. The word Jedi is the same in both its singular and plural form, so it could be referring to any combination of Luke, Rey, and maybe even Kylo Ren. Even more out of left field, however unlikely, there’s a chance it could be Kanan Jarrus or Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels, or a brand new character. The chances that it's not referring to a character from The Force Awakens are slim to none, but with little to work with but the title, there’s still a lot of room for speculation.
14. It Starts Immediately After The Force Awakens
As seen in the production announcement footage, The Last Jedi will open immediately following the events of The Force Awakens, possibly even picking up mere seconds after Rey finds Luke, as the production teaser even shows Rey holding the Skywalker lightsaber out to him.
This is a fairly significant departure from the other Star Wars sequels, which usually take place several years after the previous movie. There is no fixed rule, though, as the gaps vary greatly, from an entire decade between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones to only a year between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, obviously leaving out the 19 years and 30 years between each of the trilogies. Even so, most Star Wars movies see a number of off screen changes occur between movies - leaving room for comics, novels, and animated shows to fill the gap - so this uninterrupted story ing between VII and VIII will be a significant change for the franchise.
13. Rian Johnson is the Writer/Director
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi is written and directed by Rian Johnson, who’s most well known for writing and directing Brick, a twist on the hardboiled noir detective genre set in a high school, and Looper, a time-bending story about an assassin who’s hired to kill an older version of himself. His past filmography has demonstrated a great grasp of themes and characters that make him an excellent choice for a Star Wars movie.
Like most Star Wars directors, Johnson says he’s a major Star Wars fan, and that one of his earliest memories is of his dad taking him to see the first Star Wars movie in theaters. Like George Lucas before him, Johnson says he drew inspiration for The Last Jedi from both World War II and Samurai movies, intimacy,” as it will likely come from a more singular vision.
12. Returning Characters
The Last Jedi is expected to see most surviving main characters from The Force Awakens return (sorry Han!), including Captain Phasma (who apparently made it off Starkiller Base). Details are sparse for some characters, but we’ll be sure to update as more information becomes apparent. The following may include minor spoilers, so skip to the next item if you want to stay spoiler free.
Finn
The Force Awakens leaves Finn in a dire state after his ill fated attempt to duel Kylo Ren. It would appear that he’s back on his feet and better than ever thanks to some time spent healing in a bacta suit.
Kylo Ren
Ren also has some healing to do after his confrontation with Rey. It appears that he’ll also get a excited for fans to see more of Ren’s humanity.
Kaydel Ko Connix
Lieutenant Connix, played by Carrie Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, may not have had much screen time in Episode VII, but Lourd suggested that Connix won’t only be back, but she'll also have an (at least somewhat) expanded role for the sequel.
Luke and Rey
Luke and Rey appear to be ed at the hip for most of The Last Jedi. “so cool,” so we have to take her word for it.
General Leia Organa
Early rumors suggest Leia’s involvement in Episode VIII will be problem of what to do with Leia may be in the hands of Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow.
11. New Characters
In addition to the returning characters, several new characters will be added to the cast, including both high profile castings and a newcomer.
Benicio Del Toro
Very little is known about who Del Toro is playing. It was morally ambiguous.
Laura Dern
Laura Dern’s involvement in The Last Jedi is also a mystery, but rumors suggest she’s an butt heads with Leia and Poe Dameron.
Kelly Marie Tran
Episode VIII will be one of the first big screen appearances for Kelly Marie Tran. Her character appears to be a part of Finn’s story, possibly involving a romantic connection. She’s an information broker who hasn’t traditionally picked sides, but she gets swept up in Finn’s mission.
10. Script Praise
Some of the earliest buzz to come out about about Episode VIII, occasions.
Gwendoline Christie also chimed in, essentially guaranteeing that because of Johnson’s script. Obviously only time will tell what all the praise is about, but they’re certainly not concerned about setting the bar high.
9. Tonal Shift
Like the second installment of the first two trilogies, it looks like The Last Jedi will also experience a tonal shift from The Force Awakens, if just comparing the titles didn’t make that evident. Like the script, the tone has been a hot topic of discussion from most actors, Oscar Isaac.
Emphasizing the evolution from The Force Awakens, Isaac also said “during one of his script praises, said:
“It’s great. It’s similar to how The Empire Strikes Back has a different tone. For that people always go “oooh, it’s dark” but I don’t know that it necessarily is. It’s just different in tone in a way that I think is great and necessary but also very clear.”
Just how much "darker" The Last Jedi goes won't be known until the marketing starts to the tone, but the consensus definitely points to a shift from The Force Awakens.
8. Fan Theories
Anyone that has seen The Force Awakens knows there’s a multitude of fan theories bouncing around the internet, namely revolving around the identity of Rey and Supreme Leader Snoke.
Rey
The predominant theories for Rey’s parentage are split between fans that think she’s a Skywalker and fans that think she’s a Kenobi. Episode IX director Colin Treverrow actually asked directly if she was a Kenobi, she said “We will see in a year … Just sit tight on that question.”
Supreme Leader Snoke
Fan theories on the identity of Supreme Leader Snoke have run rampant on the internet, despite insistence before the movie’s release that Snoke is a brand new character. Nevertheless, fans want to know where he came from and why he’s leading the First Order.
The most popular theory seemed to be that he’s Darth Plagueis, although Lucasfilm Story Group executive Pablo Hidalgo seems to have a new character from the Aftermath novels. Either way, a reveal will have to wait for Episode VIII or later.
7. A Continued Emphasis on Practical Effects
The Force Awakens made its use of practical effects a big point of emphasis during production. While the final film did have its fair share of CGI, fans were far more accepting of it than many of the CGI heavy prequels (which ironically used more physical models than the original trilogy). Supreme Leader Snoke will end up being a giant puppet, even though he was digitally animated in The Force Awakens.
Episode VIII is also shot on 35mm film. Film is much more vibrant, but also more expensive than digital photography. George Lucas was actually a champion of digital photography for a variety of reasons, and even pioneered its cinematic use with Attack of the Clones, but all of the post Disney Star Wars movies so far have been shot on film.
6. Force Spirits
Since once of the last shots of Return of the Jedi showed the Force spirits of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Anakin, fans began to speculate about the possibility of those characters getting involved in The Force Awakens. It turned out that Luke was entirely absent from the movie, other than the last few seconds, so there wasn't much opportunity, but Frank Oz even recorded audio that ended up getting cut from the final film.
Now that Luke and Rey are a big focus, though, could we see some departed Jedi? Several rumors suggest Hayden Christensen set for an appearance. Their inclusion would make a lot of story sense after the way Return of the Jedi ended, but with Yoda audio and Anakin concept art that didn’t translate into the final picture for VII, it’s important to take these rumors with a grain of salt.