After leaving fans stunned with the The Last Jedi, Lucasfilms and JJ Abrams are at it again, this time tying the whole trilogy saga together. The film is set to document Luke Skywalker’s rise to becoming a Jedi and the events that led to his quest. With the same cast returning for The Rise of Skywalker, fans can expect the star studded cast to tell another epic story from the galaxy far, far away. After many directors taking and then declining the job, JJ Abrams, who directed The Force Awakens and who once worked with Quentin Tarantino (who just completed filming Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) on a potential Star Trek project, is coming back to direct the film coming December 20, 2019. The original teaser for the movie came out two weeks ago, and has already been viewed 111 million times in the first 24 hours. Filming for the project originally began August 1, 2018 at Pinewood Studios in London. There was also a period of filming done in Jordan, presumably for those wide open desert shots that are highlighted in the trailer.
One of the most talked about teasers in the trailer was the very familiar crackling of laughter at the very end. Is Emperor Palpatine coming back to the big screen after being thrown to his death by none other than Darth Vader? Fans all over the internet are saying absolutely. The actor who plays Palpatine, Ian McDiarmid, mentioned that he was “In the area” the day the trailer was being compiled, and he thought he should just drop in for a laugh.” JJ Abrams, the director of the film, was also kind enough to leave a little revealer about the movie. “This movie, it’s about this new generation, and what they’ve inherited, the light and the dark. Mark Hamill’s return to the series was met with widespread applause for his original role of Luke Skywalker, but the new cast members are also making headlines for the franchises rich story. When the title of the movie was finally released, the speculations about what it actually meant quickly began to unfold. Some fans interpret the meaning as relating to Kylo Ren or a new era of The Force. Since Luke Skywalker died in the previous film, there is also speculation that the word “rise” is synonymous with “resurrect” and that because Mark Hamill will definitely be in the next movie, many fans and fanatics believe that he will be coming back as a “Force Ghost.”
This speculation is derived from the role of Obi-Won Kenobi and how his character came back in the first Star Wars film. Emperor Palpatine would also be a character fans would love to see back on the big screen. However, Ian McDiarmid, the actor who played Palpatine in the original movies, is currently 74 years old and some fans think there may be another actor queued up to play Palpatine. McDiarmid was quoted as saying that Palpatine is “positively dead” heading into the ninth installment of the series. This raises so many questions regarding the trailer and the very distinct Palpatine maniacal laugh at the very end. So what can fans expect in the theater? For certain, the movie will highlight not only Luke, but possibly a new regime within The Force. A younger, more energetic generation perhaps that is more ambitious in their quest to control the galaxy. It’s safe to say that at this point, JJ Abrams had better meet the hype and the anxiety this movie is already causing within the audience. A wait until December will bode well for us all as long as the Dark Side of The Force is kept in check, and we are left with a talented and determined Jedi to keep the planets peaceful and not have another civil war between good and evil, the dark and the light.
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