Fast Facts:
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi release date: December 15, 2017
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Gwendoline Christie, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Benicio Del Toro, Andy Serkis, Kelly Marie Tran
- Writers: Rian Johnson
Update: May 12 - Has Snoke's real name been revealed?
It feels like I start all of these entries with a cautionary 'take this with a pinch of salt', but seriously: sodium chloride is your friend. Movieweb is reporting that the Supreme Leader's name might have slipped out on a Hasbro toy listing. Skip the paragraph below if you want to find out for yourself.
So, what's Snoke's real name? It's Victor, apparently. There's not much we can extrapolate from that, except that it's disappointing like learning Palpatine's first name is Jeremy, or something. Whatever you make of it, it's clear that we'll be finding out much more about Snoke in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Update: May 12 - What's in Kylo Ren's Force vision?
This one comes via YouTube Mike Zeroh, whose channel you should absolutely be following if you want smart, informed Star Wars: The Last Jedi speculation. He talks about Kylo Ren changing and growing as a character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and specifically about a Force vision which echoes Rey's experience in The Force Awakens.
This suggests that somehow, Snoke has got hold of Darth Vader's lightsaber, and that by touching it, Ren experiences a flashback. It all sounds very likely, given the complex, mirrored relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren. As well as being visually impressive and emotionally powerful, it could also be the way that Kylo Ren comes back as a stronger, more capable antagonist in The Last Jedi. Don't expect him to go down quite so easily this time...
Update: May 9 - Kylo Ren's badass new TIE ship revealed
As if we needed more proof of Kylo Ren’s Vader obsession, it looks like he’ll be copying grandpa’s sweet ride, too. German hobby shop Mikado inadvertently revealed a custom TIE ship that Kylo Ren will be piloting in Star Wars: The Last Jedi - and you can see it below.
The image was part of a pre-order promotion and has since been removed, but much like Yoda’s Force ghost, nothing on the internet truly disappears. The ship feels like the middle ground between Ren’s The Force Awakens shuttle and Darth Vader’s custom TIE fighter, and it matches nicely with the Vader-like cloak Ren is seen wearing in the Battlefront 2 promo material - more on that below.
Update: May 9 - why the end of The Force Awakens was changed
You might not know it, but you’ve already felt Rian Johnson’s influence on the Star Wars universe. The Last Jedi director told Entertainment Weekly that he asked JJ Abrams to change the ending of the The Force Awakens. BB-8 was originally going to accompany Rey to Ahch-To, but Johnson wanted R2-D2 to join her instead. It’s intended to echo the events of The Empire Strikes Back, in which R2 went with Luke to train on Dagobah. It’s a cool touch that recalls George Lucas’s famous line about poetry. Except this time it’s actually true.
Update: May 5 - Bizarre chase scene teased
Makingstarwars.net has picked up another strange rumour that suggests Star Wars: The Last Jedi will feature a chase scene on massively expensive space horses called 'falthier'. Apparently, John Boyega's Finn and Kelly Marie Tran's Rose have to make a daring escape on the back of one of these premium steeds. This links to previous rumours that part of the action will take place on a casino planet, as the duo try and track down Benicio Del Toro's mysterious man in black.
Update: May 2 - A terrifying showdown for Leia
Okay. This one is just a rumour, and there's a strong chance we'll have forgotten about it by next week, but it's too interesting to ignore. A spoiler dump on Reddit has been picked up by Nerdist.com. It suggests that Leia might have a showdown with Snoke at the star of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It suggests that Leia is captured by Captain Phasma early in the film - which ties in with an earlier rumour that she's attacked during Han's funeral - and it leads to a face-to-actual-face showdown with the Supreme Leader. Leia, or course, isn't having any of his fire-damaged-Lego-faced tomfoolery. You simply don't mess with her.
Update: April 28 - Kylo Ren and Rey's new costumes revealed
We now know what Rey will be wearing in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, thanks to special skins revealed as part of a Star Wars Battlefront 2 pre-order bonus. As you can see, it's very Qui-Gon Jinn. You might scoff and say "robes, innit?", but it's actually the hair that's the biggest hint. Does this hint at a narrative link to everyone's least favourite JedI? Probably not, but it's a strong look nonetheless.
There's another snippet of information we can glean from the same piece of promotional art. Kylo Ren's outfit has changed slightly - his hooded cloak has been replaced by a flowing black cloak reminiscent of Grandpa Vader. This links to prior speculation that Ren would be wearing the cape in homage to his Dark Side relative. How did it manage to survive being burned at the end of Return of the Jedi? Who knows. Maybe Vader had spares. But it's very in character for Ren, and would be a smart throwback to the earlier films.
Update: April 25 - the family secret hidden in Luke’s necklace
Okay. Brace yourself. This is an especially cool bit of info that you might want to skip if you’re planning on going into Star Wars: The Last Jedi entirely spoiler free. MakingStarWars.net is reporting that Luke’s necklace might be hiding something that put him directly in the sights of the Vader-obsessed Kylo Ren. The rumour states that it could contain the kyber crystal used to power his father’s lightsaber. It’s an awesome idea, and one that links to the theory that Luke is trying to balance the Light and Dark sides of the Force - something we discuss below. It’s also similar to what we’ve seen in Star Wars: Rogue One: Jyn’s mother also wears a necklace with a kyber crystal.
***Original article continues below***
The Star Wars: The Last Jedi news is coming thick and fast now, as we approach the final trench run ahead of release later this year. We’ve seen the Star Wars: The Last Jedi teaser trailer; we’ve got a beautiful, enticing poster; and every day, more information arrives that hints at what we could see in the final film. Below you’ll find everything we know about the follow up to The Force Awakens, so check back regularly for the latest news and information about the biggest cinematic event of the year.
Star Wars 8 director is indie sensation Rian Johnson
Rian Johnson is writing and directing. Don’t know who he is? He wrote and directed the excellent and utterly unique Brick in 2005, a brilliant, hard-bitten film noir pastiche set in a high school. He also did brutal time-travel fable Looper in 2012, so between the two he couldn’t be a better fit for what’s inevitably going to be the darker middle section of the trilogy. Also, his first short film was called Evil Demon Golf Ball From Hell!!!, which sounds like nothing if not an exasperated casual slur for a Death Star. He’s even directed three episodes of Breaking Bad.
This is a hell of a creative director with a brilliant instinct for the horrible, and by his own admission, the first stories he ever created were told through his Star Wars action figures as a kid. That’s the great thing about the sequel trilogy. We’re finally getting Star Wars made by the generation that grew up on it.
He’s generally been quite tight lipped about it all, but he did reveal that Luke Skywalker is at the heart of the Star Wars 8 story. Speaking to USA Today, Johnson explained that, “what’s going on with Luke Skywalker?” is the central question surrounding the upcoming movie. He also said that he wanted Star Wars 8 to be, “a blast and to be funny and to be a ride the way The Force Awakens and the original Star Wars movies were.” Less like a bleak reflection of Empire Strikes Back than many were expecting, then, but still exciting.
He’s also uncompromising about to delivering his vision. Johnson decided that the scar Kylo Ren got fighting Rey at the end of The Force Awakens looked goofy, so he fixed it. If you thought Kylo Ren looked different, well spotted.
Star Wars 8 release date is December 15, 2017
At the moment we’ve got a release date for the UK and US of December 15, 2017, although bizarrely, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Russia can apparently catch it a day earlier on December 14. Everybody else will have to wait another agonising day. Premieres for The Force Awakens happened four days before the US cinematic release, so you should be on full spoiler alert for Episode 8 from December 11 onwards. Seriously, turn the internet off.
It’s a shame they moved the original May 26, 2017 release date - there’s an extra seven-month wait and it means we’re missing out on the ‘May the Force’ jokes - but the prospect of another Star Wars Christmas makes up for it. Let’s hope we head to Hoth for all the festive feels.
The Star Wars 8 trailer is here!
Well, the teaser trailer is, at least. We finally got to see it at Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017, and while it's not going to break all-time internet records – or eclipse the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens which reached 17.7m YouTube views in 24 hours – the Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer hit a not-too-shabby 16.8m views in just under a day. You can watch it below, and don't miss our list of 10 questions we have after watching The Last Jedi trailer.
Star Wars 8 cast has a few surprise names
Everyone who isn’t dead is coming back, and yes, that does include Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma, who allegedly features in the teaser trailer. Let’s break down all the new characters:
We’ve got more details about Benicio Del Toro's mysterious man in black, but you might might want to skip this paragraph if you want to go into the movie spoiler-free. MakingStarWars.net reports that Del Toro's character is a grimy, suspicious mess - disgusting and dirty, with a distinctive cap that makes him look like a, 'a throwback to a different era.' He definitely looks like part of the criminal underworld, and that links to some of the plot leaks we cover below. Here's where it gets really cool, though: his ship is apparently completely at odds with the character. While he's an unkempt mess, his craft is positively luxurious, putting the Millennium Falcon to shame. The suggestion here is that he's part of a jailbreak, and that Finn and Kellie Marie Tran's character are busting him out - which explains why he's such a mess. Either that, or his character is deliberately not who he seems - a classic Star Wars twist we've seen before with Yoda and Obi-wan. It's all very speculative, but it sounds like a smart, intriguing side-story for Finn to explore while Rey's busy learning The Force.
We finally know who Kelly Marie Tran will be playing in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She’s a new hero called Rose, but she’s not an ace pilot or an steely bounty hunter - she's part of the Resistance's maintenance crew. That simplicity is part of her appeal, according to Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson - it’s the encouraging idea that anyone can step up and become a hero.
The positively regal Laura Dern is apparently playing someone “very aristocratic”. And, as anyone who’s seen any Star Wars films knows, this is code for ‘hair that looks like an exotic pastry’. Except that in Laura Dern’s case, her hair is pink. Dern revealed in an interview with Yahoo News that she won't even tell her own children who she's playing. This is partly because she want to save her children the constant, probing questions from their friends. Obviously, I'm going to speculate wildly and assume that the level of secrecy is because she's A Big Deal. Did someone say Rey's mum?
Warwick Davis is back, because it wouldn't be Star Wars without him.
Also appearing in unconfirmed roles are the astonishingly wonderful Gugu Mbatha-Raw; and, most bizarrely of all, eccentric British comedy legend Ade Edmonson appears in a super-secret role.
Elsewhere, Yoda voice actor Frank Oz was suspiciously coy when asked about about The Last Jedi. When questioned about the film in a Variety review, the legendary actor and puppeteer replied, "I’ve been asked not to talk about it." It might mean nothing, or it could hint at a fascinating flashback.
And finally, there's no positive way of spinning the loss of an icon like Carrie Fisher, but at least we know we'll get to see her as Leia Organa one final time in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Disney CEO Bob Iger has confirmed that her role in the upcoming movie is whole and untouched, and the episode remains unchanged following her death.
Star Wars 8 - Han Solo to return?
Harrison Ford has never been officially confirmed as being in the cast, but his name did briefly appear on a casting call document for the film, before swiftly disappearing after the entire internet shouted “Look! Harrison Ford’s name on an Episode 8 casting call document!”. The late Carrie Fisher let it slip during the Star Wars Celebration that there may be a funeral scene for Han, and multiple sources are reporting that an attempt will be made on Leia’s life during the funeral. This fits together with the description of the teaser trailer detailed above, but take it with a Hutt-sized pinch of salt - they could have just read the same rumours as us.
Star Wars 8 plot will continue where the last film ended
For the first time, a Star Wars sequel is going to continue right from the end of the previous film. Feels odd to consider this has never happened before, but there’s always been a gap of months or years between episodes. Not this time. We know that Daisy Ridley has been back to shoot a continuation of her climactic meeting with Luke Skywalker, and we also know that said scene will start off Luke’s full-scale return to the story. Hamill said recently that Luke will be far chattier this time - he didn’t have a single line in The Force Awakens - and the stuff he says will be worth listening to. “Rian Johnson is amazing. His dialogue will make you forget ‘May the Force be with you’.” That’s a bold claim.
We also know that Finn’s feeling better in Star Wars 8, thanks to a prolonged spell in a bacta tank, but there are internet rumours about him being paralysed. Truthfully, he’s probably not. Apparently, Finn heads off with Poe Dameron and Kelly Marie Tran’s informant character to track down the assailants who attacked Leia at Han’s funeral. It bears many similarities to a script that leaked earlier this year, which hinted at a possible traitor inside the Resistance. If handled correctly, this could be a great foil to the mystical stuff happening with Rey and Luke, as well as a smart way to broaden the scope and introduce new characters. More importantly: who doesn’t want to see Poe, Finn, and Kelly Marie Tran carrying out some cheerful intergalactic espionage? Nobody writing this feature.
As for the other matter, word is that the enigmatic Knights of Ren are going to make a far more explicit appearance this time around, engaging in open battle in an apparently ‘massive’ set-piece. We’ll get no more specific than that here, but full details can be found via this link right here, should you have no respect for the power of surprise. Expect more Snoke, too - recent rumours suggest he’ll be in the teaser trailer, and - get this - there might even be a massive, intricate puppet of him. It’s a thrill for anyone who enjoyed the chunky practical effects of original films and JJ Abrams's The Force Awakens.
Star Wars 8 name is Star Wars: The Last Jedi - but what does it mean?
We know that the next movie in the Star Wars series will be Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but the bigger question is ‘what does that mean?’ The fact that Luke is ‘the last Jedi’ is explicitly referenced in the opening crawl of The Force Awakens, but international translations of the Star Wars 8 name suggest this may no longer be the case. The title also directly relates to a line spoken by Luke the teaser trailer - he wants the Jedi order to end. If that’s the case, it’s hard to argue against the title being explicitly about him. The suggestion here is that the Jedi Order wasn’t enough to stop the Empire, so Luke is looking for a second path that incorporates elements of both the Dark and Light side of The Force - the so-called Grey Jedi we’ve talked about before.
Star Wars 8 poster hints at the themes of the film
The first Star Wars: The Last Jedi poster was revealed at Star Wars Celebration, and it’s a wonderful throwback to the older posters. Rey is striking a very similar pose to the one seen in the New Hope poster, taking the place of her new mentor. Kylo Ren’s positioning, opposite Luke, is also significant, as is the stark contrast between red and blue. Again, this hints at the conflict between the Light and Dark sides of the Force. You can expect more artwork to arrive before Star Wars: The Last Jedi is released - the final poster for The Force Awakens appeared on October 18, 2015, just two months before the theatrical release.
Star Wars 8 soundtrack will be brilliant, because John Williams
John Williams didn’t score Rogue One, but we do know he’s started recording the Star Wars: The Last Jedi score. Why was he so keen to do it? “I didn't want anybody else writing music for Daisy Ridley,” says Williams. It’s a huge relief. John Williams is Star Wars. You can almost hear everything you need to know about Rey in the theme Williams wrote for her.
Star Wars 8 theories range from brilliant to bonkers
We’ve got loads of Star Wars: The Last Jedi theories, and Disney’s site isn’t helping. The Star Wars site make explicit references to a “mysterious connection” and a “strange connection” on both Kylo Ren’s and Rey’s profile pages. What could it mean? We’ve listed the theories below, but hit the link for a more detailed breakdown.
A Bustle theory suggests Han Solo is Kylo Ren AND Rey's father. They think Han had an affair with another woman and, 9 months later, Rey was born. The problem? Han isn’t Force sensitive. Maybe Han has a thing for secret Force users? I’m unconvinced.
PopSugar suggest that Rey is a Palpatine, and that Rey and Kylo Ren will continue the theme of Palpatine/Skywalker master and apprentice.
The Radio Times reported about a theory that Luke had a child with an as-yet-unnamed woman and, fearing the repercussions of a Jedi child, gave little Ben to Han and Leia. It explains why he’s called Ben - Leia knew him as Obi-wan, and Han didn’t know him well at all - and has a nice symmetry with the end of Revenge of the Sith.
My favourite theory suggests that she’s not the daughter of Luke, but the granddaughter of bearded Jedi hobo Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan has a 30-year blank spot in his history, which is easily enough time to find his bae in the parched sands of Tatooine. We also hear Obi-Wan’s voice in Rey's flashback - both Ewan McGregor and Alec Guinness - and there’s a wonderful symmetry to Rey handing back Luke’s lightsaber, echoing the events of A New Hope.
Another, more insidious origin story suggests Rey is descended from Snoke, rather than a Jedi. It depends entirely on Snoke’s identity - and specifically, his reveal as Darth Plagueis, a Force user capable of creating new life - but it’s a cool idea. Snoke failed to create an uber-Sith in Anakin Skywalker, so he’s having a second bite of the dark side cherry with Rey.
My other favourite theory is that Kylo Ren is actually a good guy, playing the long game with the ultimate goal of defeating Snoke. Watch that scene with Han Solo again, and imagine that the only way Han can help his wayward son is by sacrificing himself. A smart, highly-unlikely twist, but a fascinating one nonetheless.
Star Wars 8 set photos? We've got literally every single one
What's that? You'd like to see every single Star Wars 8 set photo on the internet? Oh, go on then. After the jump you can find over 50 snapshots from every sneaky fan, royal visit, and friendly, over-sharing director - some spectacular, some tame, some barely recognisable.
Star Wars 8 opening crawl has already been revealed
Felt so good to drop this into the cut this morning.
A photo posted by @riancjohnson on Jan 24, 2017 at 10:06am PST
There’s was never really any doubt about this one, but it’s nice to know it definitely exists. Star Wars: The Last Jedi definitely has an opening crawl, because we’ve seen it. Well, a tiny bit of it, anyway. The next time we see it for real will be when we’re sat in the cinema on December 15 and OH GOD SOMEBODY HOLD ME.
Star Wars 8 spoilers CAN be avoided
Even though it’s all a bit speculative at the moment, there’s loads to talk about. We’ve had glimpses of aliens and costumes, and we also know where it’s being shot. There are also the inevitable Freudian slips, which give us tantalising glimpses of what it all might mean. If you’re really determined to spoil something, some of the script may have leaked, and you can read Luke’s dialogue here, along with some speculation about what it might all mean.
In the meantime, if you want to go years without any Star Wars talk at all, consider Star Wars blocker - a handy app that scorches any reference to upcoming films, like the Death Star destroying Alderaan. Listen carefully and you’ll feel a great disturbance in the internet; as if millions of Star Wars spoilers cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. It might also be worth muting Mark Hamill, if you can bring yourself to do something so disrespectful to a living legend: he hinted in a tweet that he’ll be back for Episode 9, but you never can tell with Hamill. He’s an enigma in Jedi pyjamas.
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