UPDATE 3! Entertainment Weekly: New Photos and Plot Details for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

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As if to make up for yesterday’s disappointing news about D23Entertainment Weekly is more than making up for it by showing off new photos of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens! Furthermore, there’s also a slew of new details about the movie’s story!

 

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Entertainment Weekly also has a few more cool stories in store today, so stay tuned as we update this article with them!

 

UPDATE 1!

 

But the photos aren’t all. EW shed more light about J. J. Abrams and the making of the movie itself. Originally, Abrams turned down the opportunity to direct the film, but later changed his mind after a chat with Kathleen Kennedy herself:

 

Undeterred, Kennedy persuaded him to helm Star Wars: The Force Awakens by asking a simple question, one with the potential to upend our core beliefs about the galaxy far, far away. “In the context of talking about story and laying out what we were thinking, I said one thing to him,” Kennedy recalls. “‘Who is Luke Skywalker?’”

Abrams, who’s 49 now but was only 11 when the original Star Wars debuted in 1977, decided he needed to know the answer, even if he had to devise it himself. “He said, ‘Oh my God, I just got the chills. I’m in,’” Kennedy says. “I mean, it really was almost that quickly.”

Abrams says his wife also helped him get over his hesitation. “You rarely get a chance to be involved in something that you would typically be an audience for. Katie, my wife, said, ‘If you want to do this and you don’t, you’re going to regret this.’ It was really about being willing to take that leap, and jump into the possibilities of what these characters are doing, and where they are.”

There were a lot of possibilities on the table when Abrams signed on, but no finalized story. Lawrence Kasdan, who had written The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, was developing a young Han Solo standalone movie, which was just recently confirmed but began development years ago. He joined with Michael Arndt, who’d won an Oscar for the script to Little Miss Sunshine, and Simon Kinberg, who wrote Mr. & Mrs. Smith and X-Men: First Class, to break down trilogy possibilities with Kennedy.

“[They] had just been hypothesizing and throwing out a bunch of what-ifs, but there was no story in place,” Abrams says. “It was, without doubt, a formidable assignment. There were so many options and so many paths that could be taken. Even when we were in debate — and sometimes it was frustrating and heated — it was always thrilling, because it seemed almost everywhere you looked there was something potentially extraordinary, which felt very much like the DNA of Star Wars itself.”

With Abrams on board, this story team began asking questions. They knew they had Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher already committed — so that gave them Luke, Princess Leia, and Han Solo to play with. “My guess is that any question that anyone would be having was among the endless questions we were asking at the very beginning,” Abrams says.

 

Furthermore, EW is also running with some brand-new information about the story of The Force Awakens. I’ll paraphrase the most important points into a bulleted list.

 

SPOILERS BEGIN HERE!

 

  • The Imperial Remnant has morphed into the First Order, while the Resistance is described as a splinter group (of what, it’s not clear; there’s no word if it’s splintered off from the New Republic or if it’s splintered off from another organization).
  • Princess Leia has acquired Luke’s old lightsaber – which, in turn, belonged to Anakin. So it was somehow found after falling into the depths of Cloud City.
  • The driving question that influenced Abrams (and will presumably be hugely apparent within the context of the story itself) is “Who is Luke Skywalker?” (And no, that’s not a lazy Atlas Shrugged reference.) This is a question that will be raised in The Force Awakens and will continue to be brought up in the other two films in the Sequel Trilogy.
  • On the note of the story of the Sequel Trilogy, the general arc has been decided upon, but the story of the film is still evolving.
  • The Original Trilogy characters have all been “changed” by the events of the Galactic Civil War – that is to say, they’re not quite the same people that they were when we last saw them partying on Endor at the end of Return Of The Jedi. Kennedy notes that the story arc for the new movies will compliment the message of the films in the Original Trilogy – and not completely reject it, as some have feared.
  • Abrams will not be directing Star Wars Episode IX.
  • George Lucas’s words and vision are still important for Lucasfilm after his retirement. When asked about this, Kennedy said “George spoke often about that tension in everybody between what’s good and bad. He always felt that it was easier to be bad than good. I’m not sure all people would agree, but I think that that’s always an interesting conflict to explore. So that’s a big part of the themes inside of Episode VII.”
  • Kasdan turned down work on the Prequel Trilogy since it only covered the backstory of Star Wars, but he jumped at the call to work on stories set after Return Of The Jedi. Kasdan noted that when writing for the characters, he found that they weren’t necessarily wiser so much as they were more experienced.
  • One of the most important bits of information come from the following quote: “The amount of screentime the Skywalker twins may get is still unclear, although Luke’s fate is obviously a key factor. Ford’s Han Solo, however, will be one of the leads, piloting the Millennium Falcon alongside his old pal Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew.) Among the newcomers, desert scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) and runaway stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) will be running for their lives, with the rolling droid BB-8 trying to keep up. Eventually all five of them end up aboard that familiar starship.”

 

Still to come from Entertainment Weekly is a piece about Kylo Ren’s backstory and more after that, so stay tuned for when we cover those!

 

UPDATE 2!

 

EW made an article regarding the backstory of Kylo Ren. I’ll go for a bulleted list again, but the short of it is that those who thought we knew a good amount of information about him are in for a surprise…

 

  • The First Order – which Kylo Ren is allied with – is an Imperial Remnant. The wording in the articles suggests that there are other Imperial Remnants besides the First Order.
  • As many have come to understand, Kylo is obsessed with Darth Vader and wishes to carry out his legacy.
  • Kylo’s mask actually has a backstory to it, although Abrams admitted that Lucasfilm designed it in such a way to pay homage to Darth Vader.
  • As those who have seen the crossblade lightsaber up close can attest to, the weapon is cobbled together by Kylo and is not a relic weapon.
  • EW hypothesizes that Kylo is the anti-Luke – he’s an individual that starts from nothing and becomes legendary. However, whereas Luke chose the Force’s Light Side, Kylo allied himself with the Dark Side in his ambition.
  • Abrams has said that Kylo Ren is not as fully-formed as a bad guy as, say, Darth Vader is. He very much sees himself as a hero in his twisted mind.
  • “Kylo Ren” is not his real name. It is a title, much like “Darth Vader”. He isn’t a Sith, either. He’s a member of an organization known as “The Knights Of Ren”, who bestowed the title upon him when he was initiated into their numbers. (Throwing this out there as a bit of speculation – Snoke is probably part of the Knights Of Ren as well, who I imagine are all Force-sensitive.)
  • EW teases that we might know who one – or both – of his parents are before the movie comes out.
  • Kasdan noted that he felt that Kylo Ren was the most original character he’d ever written for a Star Wars movie. He is a villain driven by his emotions, which Kasdan says Adam Driver really fleshes out on the screen.

 

And Entertainment Weekly, true to form for today, has teased yet another article before the day ends. Stay tuned!

 

 

 

UPDATE 3!

 

J.J. Abrams explains how they came up with the names in the movie.

 

On Finn and Rey:

Is there a piece of information that’s being held back there about their names — perhaps because their last names are ones we may already know?

Abrams isn’t ready to reveal their full identities, but did confirm that this theory was getting warm. “I will only say about that that it is completely intentional that their last names aren’t public record,” he says.

 

On Poe Dameron:

 

Dameron comes from J.J. assistant Morgan Dameron. (We told you about that some time ago HERE)

“Dameron came out because it was, obviously, a name that I know, and it just musically felt right,” Abrams says. “There was no sort of deep reasoning behind it, and I also knew it would make Morgan blush if we named a character that. So she had this giant smile on her face.”

“We went through a bunch of different names, and Poe ultimately felt like the right name. Someone reminded me recently that my daughter had had a polar bear named Poe [or Po’ — short for “polar”], and that might’ve been why it felt right. There was a kind of sweetness to, and a charm to that name.”

 

On BB-8:

Abrams chose the droid’s name because it looked round and bouncy. “I named him BB-8 because it was almost onomatopoeia,” the director says. “It was sort of how he looked to me, with the 8, obviously, and then the 2 B’s.”

A lot of names were second-guessed into oblivion, but this is one they never changed, from very early on. “It’s funny how sometimes, the bad ideas, you try them out and kick the tires a little bit, and it just kind of falls apart and you can go somewhere else, you’ve just got to know it’s temporary. And that one, he never had another name. But Bryan Burk, whom I adore, is not the father of that name.”

 

On General Hux:

“Larry and I would walk all over the place when we were breaking the story, and we would record our conversations,” Abrams says. “We were walking through a cemetery that’s near the Bad Robot offices, and we would often, as we were talking about characters, sort of just be glancing at names to see if any of them stuck. I don’t believe that Hux came from there, but it may have.”

 

On Captain Phasma:

During preproduction, Abrams was reminded of Phantasm, a 1979 horror film that featured a gaunt, terrifying figure known as The Tall Man and a flying, silver sphere that bores into its victims’ bodies like a bullet crossed with a drill-tip.

“Phasma I named because of the amazing chrome design that came from Michael Kaplan’s wardrobe team. It reminded me of the ball in Phantasm, and I just thought, Phasma sounds really cool,”

 

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Abrams also revealed more details on the picture with Rey cutting BB-8 free from the net of a fellow scavenger in the dunes of Jakku:

 

BB-8 was snagged by a surly little sand-dweller known as Teedo, who is riding atop what looks like a rhinoceros fused with metal boxes.

That beast of burden is known as a luggabeast, a never-before-seen creature from the universe.

 

Teedo is played by actor Kiran Shah, who played an Ewok in Return of the Jedi, doubled for Christopher Reeve in the 1978 Superman film (when they needed to create forced perspective shots) and also helped make Frodo seem small beside Ian McKellen’s Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings movies.

 

 

For the full interview make sure to visit EntertainmentWeekly.

 

 

And if this was not enough EW teased yet another exclusive article tomorrow simply teased as “Thursday is Han Solo day.”

 

+ posts

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

Grant Davis (Pomojema)

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

409 thoughts on “UPDATE 3! Entertainment Weekly: New Photos and Plot Details for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

  • August 12, 2015 at 5:32 pm
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    The hype is real!

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:36 pm
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      which makes me wonder what are they going to be talking about at D23? No trailers/clips…

      ….. and apparently no new pictures, because we got about 10 of em today.

      My greatest fear: all we hear about is theme park tie ins, merchandising, and watching Disney pat themselves on the back.

      • August 12, 2015 at 8:14 pm
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        It sounds to me like that’s exactly what D23 will consist of, sadly.

        But hey, only four months to go until Opening Day! ;^)

      • August 12, 2015 at 8:45 pm
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        Do not forget that yada yada about practical effects!

        • August 13, 2015 at 12:16 am
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          Maybe an official movie poster

    • August 13, 2015 at 12:36 am
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      Gleeson delivers a new face again, he is such an incredible actor. Look at that picture, how evil the way he looks…

      Every item, piece of info is so SW.

      Plus, the idea of more different imperial remnants is simply awesome.

    • August 13, 2015 at 6:52 pm
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      i feel like we seen all this before…

  • August 12, 2015 at 5:37 pm
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    Sweet,Kylo is a badass.

    • August 12, 2015 at 6:53 pm
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      And not only him. Everything.
      Gooood

      • August 12, 2015 at 8:02 pm
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        what does this leave for D23?

        The poster, the soundtrack, I guess…

        … and more opportunity blab on about REAL sets and REAL props.

        • August 12, 2015 at 8:54 pm
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          does it matter at this point? we’re so close now, approaching the home stretch, and this EW piece gave us plenty to chew on.

          • August 13, 2015 at 6:52 am
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            Rogue One could have some stuff announced, perhaps a teaser like the one from celebration. Or maybe some casting information.

    • August 13, 2015 at 5:56 pm
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      Cool! i like all the pics. kylo and phasma is gonna be a really awesome character. i like how the new E-11 blasters have scopes on it. now the stormtropers can hit something lol

  • August 12, 2015 at 5:37 pm
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    Who is the guy in the black coat?

    • August 12, 2015 at 5:46 pm
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      General Hux.

      • August 12, 2015 at 6:22 pm
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        Gleeson looks alot different then

        • August 12, 2015 at 8:03 pm
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          Knights of…. Ren???….. right.

          First we had Phasma (sounds like phallic)

          Next we had Snoke (oh a snake, he must be bad, ha ha!)

          Now this.

          I’m sure the movie is good, but somebody give these people better names.

          • August 12, 2015 at 8:15 pm
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            Boba…Fett? You mean like those little Japanese soy spheres…and a word that sound like “feet”?

            And what the hell is a Jabba? What a stupid name.

          • August 13, 2015 at 1:48 am
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            Boba are made from tapioca, not soy *diva emoji*

          • August 13, 2015 at 5:54 am
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            Yes. A lot of the OT names sound ridiculous out of context (“Lando Calrissian LOL) but in the context of the movie, they work. Without that context, they just sound like silly gibberish.

          • August 13, 2015 at 7:58 am
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            ‘Ren’ is Chinese. It means ‘Man.’ (人)

          • August 12, 2015 at 8:15 pm
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            Bib Fortuna and Salacious Crumb are also pretty bad names that worked.

          • August 12, 2015 at 8:20 pm
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            Phasma sounds like phallic? Dude, get the pen1s off your mind..

          • August 12, 2015 at 9:38 pm
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            PHASMA is latin and means GHOST… Nothing to do with your phallic phantasies 😉 Excellent name for a SW character too imho.

          • August 13, 2015 at 4:58 am
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            The Phasma Menace lol

          • August 12, 2015 at 9:57 pm
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            The names are just fine. They’ve always been like that. Good lord, man. Get your head out of your butt.

          • August 12, 2015 at 10:46 pm
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            Agreed. I mean Phasma, Snoke and Ren are in the same spirit as the other names. Ree-Yees, Yak Face, Squid Head, Hammerhead, Palpatine… some of the old names are really not very subtle, and yet they worked just fine 🙂

          • August 13, 2015 at 7:25 am
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            Could have been worse, could have been the knights of Ni. 😉

          • August 13, 2015 at 1:21 pm
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            Holy hand grenades, the Knights who say Ni! have found us… Is nothing sacred?!?

          • August 14, 2015 at 4:59 am
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            Now, go away or I will taunt you a second time!

          • August 14, 2015 at 12:25 pm
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            fetchez la vache!

          • August 13, 2015 at 9:07 am
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            The Sith were killed. Rule of Two. Palps and Vader are dead. So that’s it. Doesn’t mean there aren’t dark-sided people to come, though. They may just have a totally different tradition.

          • August 13, 2015 at 3:31 pm
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            Doesn’t stop someone else from using the title Darth and finding an apprentice or two. Some foolhardy force sensitive individual could come across a sith relic or land on Moriban, and the rest would be history. From the looks of things it seems that Kylo is trying to bring back the sith and I wouldn’t be surprised if he referred to himself as a Darth by the time the trilogy is over.

          • August 13, 2015 at 5:34 pm
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            I didnt like a lot of the names when they first came out. But after watching the teasers, seeing the pictures, watching the behind the scenes…they are all warm to me now. I like them. As someone said above, Star Wars has always had silly names that just seem to fit in the CONTEXT of the movies themselves.

            Captain Phasma? Hell yeah!

  • August 12, 2015 at 5:40 pm
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    Knights of Ren! I guess EW is posting little article snippets, the first is a walkthrough of Kylo Ren’s character.
    Also, at first I thought that was an AT-ST head on the head of that animal, but it is probably too small, whatcha think?
    Go to their site and check it out, could not link the article

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:46 pm
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      Maybe an AT-PT?

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:43 pm
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      Kinda looks like a cobbled together/crafted muzzle, over it being from a specific walker – just considering it seems to have eye slats and an area that indicates where the mouth probably is. But that’s my guess…

      • August 13, 2015 at 5:01 am
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        Reminds me of Battlecat from 80s He-man cartoon!

        • August 13, 2015 at 1:37 pm
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          She-Ra is the Princess of Power!

    • August 12, 2015 at 5:46 pm
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      I’m working on an update talking about that, actually! Thanks!

      • August 12, 2015 at 5:49 pm
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        No problem

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:52 pm
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      So, Who is Luke Skywalker hooked JJ into VII but we’re supposed to believe that he then decided not to use Luke until an end cameo?

      I don’t think so

      • August 13, 2015 at 3:30 am
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        Mark Hamill spent as little as 2 weeks, and as long as 2 months on the set… He wasn’t at Abu Dhabi, or Puzzlewood, or the ‘battle on Takodana’ (Maz Kanata’s castle) shoot… He probably wasn’t even at Greenham Common (because an appearance there wouldn’t make much sense). Pip Andersen never even met him (even though he worked on set with Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, and John Boyega)…

        Do you need to see Luke to explore/answer the question about who he is?

        The whole “Luke has been missing” rumour has been going around a long time, and repeated by sources who provided information which has since been confirmed. The filming schedule, and Mark Hamill’s absence from much of it, supports the idea of limited screentime.

        Why is it so hard for people to comprehend?

        • August 13, 2015 at 4:36 pm
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          kinda curious how many weeks Alec Guinnes shot on A New Hope ? 2 – 3 weeks max ( maybe a week in Tunisia and a week or 2 on the soundstages) yet it feels like Obi Wan is in the movie more then he actually is.
          what if Hamill is in the final scenes and in shorts scenes where they cut back to Luke guarding that Temple and going insane ? those could have been shot in a few days only with Hamill yet in edit make it feel as he appears throughout the film.( Ala Saruman in Lord Of the rings, im sure Christopher Lee only shot about a week on the whole trilogy)

          • August 14, 2015 at 1:01 am
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            Scenes like that, with Luke alone on wherever he is, would likely be the first to get cut from the film…

          • August 14, 2015 at 5:33 am
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            I think Luke’s introduction to the film has to include one of the central characters of the movie, which with only the trailers to show for, it would have to tie in with Rey, Finn, Poe, Han, Chewie, BB-8..that whole gang and whatever they are doing

      • August 13, 2015 at 6:26 pm
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        What if Luke is in the final scenes but the final scenes are not what we are made to believe?
        At first it was said that Luke is evil, then it was said that he was “crazy” because he guarded an ancient tomb of a Sith Lord. Then it was said that he would just be in the final scene taking the lightsaber from Rey.

        What if it is a combination of those things?

        Rey decrypts the puzzle of the lightsaber and travels to the planet where Luke is hiding. There she enters the temple, sees Luke sitting on some throne, brooding, crazy beard and all. He takes the lightsaber from her and tells her that he has been guarding this tomb. He will train her if she agrees to stay with him and help guard the tomb. Rey then sends Chewbacca away to begin her training. Back in the temple Snoke appears and Rey realizes that Luke is not guarding the tomb but that the Sith Lord has awakened. Luke then takes Rey to Snoke in order to bring her to the Dark Side, all the while struggling with the Dark and the Light Side inside himself.

  • August 12, 2015 at 5:49 pm
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    tingles!

  • August 12, 2015 at 5:51 pm
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    I’m practically foaming at the mouth here. Can’t wait for the updates!

  • August 12, 2015 at 5:52 pm
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    I am now officially used to Kylo’s look and his lightsaber’s design. Hope his role has depth and isn’t a Vader clone. Hux…looks so young! Maybe he’s in it for the next five eps

    • August 12, 2015 at 6:27 pm
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      They were actually quite right to get us adapted to it as early as possible. And it of course makes sense that he did as he pleased (resulting in an atypical saber) if he built it from scratch as an aspiring, but not exactly professional sith fan.

      • August 12, 2015 at 7:38 pm
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        I like seeing practical effects in movies….. I just like hearing them nonstop at recent star wars conventions.

        D23? Please make note of this…

        • August 13, 2015 at 1:34 am
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          You mean don’t like hearing? Or was it rhetorical ….because you did say take note.

  • August 12, 2015 at 5:54 pm
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    Wonderful pics, almost better then a new trailer! ; )

  • August 12, 2015 at 5:55 pm
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    a few are not new, saw em at celebration anaheim

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:08 pm
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      I know that, but there’s more to the article than the pictures.

    • August 13, 2015 at 6:53 am
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      They’re new to those that weren’t there.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:00 pm
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    Oops edit,silly me.no it doesn’t.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:08 pm
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    Judging from these photos, Episode VII looks absolutely majestic. Love the photos with the Stormtroopers and/or Kylo Ren. TFA has the look of a classic Star Wars movie, strongly believe it will also have the feel of one . 18/12 onwards and upwards.

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:44 pm
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      It does have a more grounded gritty look. Love the lived in world feel!

    • August 13, 2015 at 5:37 am
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      Agreed. I have the same excitement I had when I saw Star Wars in 1977. I absolutely cannot wait to see this film.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:13 pm
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    Major revelations!

    “Kylo Ren” is not his real name. He is called “Ren” because he belongs to an organization called the “Knights of Ren”!

    The Han Solo film was in development years before JJ Abrams joined TFA!

    The First Order are a military junta, and the Resistance is a splinter group!

    The film revolves around the mystery of who Luke Skywalker really is!

    I’m losing my mind!

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:58 pm
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      I know right?!

    • August 13, 2015 at 1:37 am
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      In a good way right?

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:20 pm
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    Glad to hear that the mystery of who Luke’s become was the focal point of the story development. Even if we don’t see much of Luke in E7, it sounds like we’ll see and learn more of him in future episodes. And why does Leia acquire the saber that belonged to Anakin & Luke? Big clue that Luke is in hiding/exile.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:21 pm
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    I wonder if the Knights of Ren are a splinter group of the Knights of Ni…

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:55 pm
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      “Icky icky icky icky kapang zoop boing!” was just too long.

      So they gave up and cut it down to Ren after meeting a particularly Dark Side chihuahua.

      • August 12, 2015 at 8:31 pm
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        Oh rapture! time to sing Happy Happy Joy Joy song.

        • August 13, 2015 at 1:38 am
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          In the voice of Jar Jar.

    • August 13, 2015 at 7:58 am
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      I wonder if there is a Knights of Stimpy faction.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:25 pm
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    Love the look of Captain Phasma!

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:27 pm
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    I wonder if the Knights of ren has any correlation to what the Knights of the Templar or Knights of the round table have with their monarchies. For instance, Knights of ren was a group established by the emperor himself.

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:52 pm
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      I thought about this too. I mean the crossguard saber begs to be compared to Medieval weaponry.
      but I also wonder if the Knights of Ren are Fallen Jedi.

      • August 13, 2015 at 2:11 am
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        Interesting, perhaps Luke established it?

        • August 13, 2015 at 4:57 am
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          perhaps the ‘Knights of Ren’ is an ancient order that precedes the formal Jedi order…thus its archaic look.

      • August 13, 2015 at 6:27 am
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        I’ve been thinking since the original trailer that the period subsequent to ROTJ is akin to the dark ages in European history post fall of Rome and the many battles for monarchical power and pagan vs Christianity. Seems like an interesting concept even though we don’t know a lot about that time.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:28 pm
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    But the creature in the 8th pic is real or CG?

    • August 12, 2015 at 6:34 pm
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      Even when CGI isn’t mentioned a single time in two articles, the trolls will pretend it’s all that’s discussed.

      • August 12, 2015 at 7:45 pm
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        the prequel haters are relentless scum of this earth who pretend like their childhoods are worth more than a pot of gold.

        All joking aside, I like the look of this film. Hopefully the practical effects won’t be shoved into everyone’s faces just so JJ &Co can say: “aren’t practical effects great? Don’t you SEE all these practical effects? Wash my feet now, OT fanboys.”

        • August 12, 2015 at 7:58 pm
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          Whatever makes you feel better dude. You don’t have to be a psychologist to read between the lines here. Classic IC.

        • August 13, 2015 at 6:38 am
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          CG did not ruin the prequels.

          The overreliance of CG plus the terrible acting, huge plot holes and overtly used pop culture referencing is what ruined the PT. And to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of ROTJ either but it’s light years better than TPM. TPM has some charm and DM was a bad ass character but he was wasted so we could have Dooky. AOTC and ROTS I don’t even want to talk about.

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:10 pm
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      You are CG yourself 18:28 PM. Not a real person as nobody cares about the comment.

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:25 pm
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      It’s real but I recall seeing a picture of guys dressed in “green-screen” full body suits operating the legs…maybe with poles? I don’t remember where I saw that….awww damn it… I fell for it.

      • August 12, 2015 at 7:48 pm
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        It will be a mix of things. And that’s why it will look great. Cgi isn’t bad when it’s used smartly and in combination with physical creations in can look amazing. This movie will break new ground the Christopher Nolan was experimenting with in Interstellar.

        • August 12, 2015 at 8:00 pm
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          This movie may coin the term hybrid effects. how do you make CGI look better? You build stuff .

          • August 12, 2015 at 9:43 pm
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            Exactly. The wisdom inherent in this simple post is all.

          • August 12, 2015 at 11:46 pm
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            They seemed to fully understand the limits of CGI when they made the first Jurassic Park. CGI is leaps and bounds better now than it was back then, but its usage sure isn’t.

          • August 13, 2015 at 2:49 am
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            I think this is right on. And it cuts through all the argument on this topic of late. What they are doing is far from being outmoded effects. It’s building on the best of what’s been done and trying to splice it where you will wonder how they did that and the answer won’t just be “with cgi”.

        • August 12, 2015 at 8:58 pm
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          totally agreed

        • August 13, 2015 at 1:39 am
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          Exactly. The whole CGI vs Practical Effects battle is ridiculous. They will use the best tools to achieve the best results. Using blanket CGI like the prequels did drain some of the heart and soul from the films. Everything was too clean and pristine looking, too sharp and artificial. Even modern CGI can fall into those pitfalls if not done right (or done on the cheap). Likewise using nothing but practical effects does limit you in what you can do and will reduce the ambition of any given shot or scene if sticking rigidly with only what practical can do. Look at the awesome swooping Falcon shot from the first trailer… Mixing the best of both gives you the best result. Actors aren’t dying of boredom stuck on a green screen stage, but instead feel like they’re really part of the world to some degree.

          Some say: “they’re actors, they should just act better” which completely misses the point of how most actors work. Giving them big real sets makes their actions more natural by default, rather than them having to overthink “oh this step is here and that alien is over there and then I need to duck at the right time etc”. It simply makes it more natural, and anything which does that will make it look and feel better on screen.

          Extra or essential things can be done later with CGI where needed and awesome action scenes like the inevitable land/space aerial battle which is inevitable can look all the better for modern day CGI. I can’t imagine they will do it on the cheap, and I imagine every single person involved will be invested in making every frame sparkle. I trust JJ and co to do it with taste, and with a keen eye, and I CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH (caps intended!)

          • August 13, 2015 at 2:56 am
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            I just don’t like people neglecting the many models, miniatures and on location shoots the prequels has, as if they never existed

          • August 13, 2015 at 3:34 am
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            “By the third prequel, almost all of the environments and everything were all done on the computer.”

            -George Lucas
            Wired Magazine

          • August 13, 2015 at 5:34 am
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            He’s just talking about the space battle stuff in that quote. The film used a gigantic amount of sets and miniatures, for instance–the Mustafar miniature specifically is by far the largest one built for any of the Star Wars movies.

          • August 13, 2015 at 6:05 am
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            Uh, no it wasn’t. And using miniatures and then compositing with actors against a green screen with said miniatures, to me, yielded a very poor and very fake looking result. See Geonosis arena scene.

          • August 13, 2015 at 7:55 pm
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            I remember reading that. There wasn’t any context for it, but all environments” and “everything” seem to include a lot.

          • August 13, 2015 at 3:37 am
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            Even thought I don’t like the movie, I like the aesthetic of The Phantom Menace more than any prequel because of this and perhaps because it was shot on film.

          • August 13, 2015 at 3:36 am
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            Finally someone with common sense!

          • August 13, 2015 at 4:44 am
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            I did enjoy “a great many things” from PT movies. In Menace, mainly the brightness of its conceptual tone. It introduced a more varied color pallete. Then everything just kind of goes black and white as it nears the OT events.

          • August 13, 2015 at 7:59 am
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            ^actually, I read that the millenium falcon scene in the trailer was all CGI, so take that practical lovers.

          • August 13, 2015 at 8:43 am
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            You are really missing the point.

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:57 pm
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      It’s real. go visit it on your next space travel

    • August 12, 2015 at 11:42 pm
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      I’m guessing a combination of practical and CG. We saw this scene being filmed in the BTS video released at SDCC. It looked like the armored creature, Daisy Ridley, and BB8 were all there. The small alien riding the armored creature was not. There was also a puppeteer dressed in a fluorescent green body suit that appeared to be operating BB8.

      This picture looks great, however they did it (which is all I really care about)!

      • August 13, 2015 at 12:16 am
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        Or, the rider is also non-CG and is played by actor Kiran Shaw. It really would help if I read the updates before posting. :/

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:28 pm
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    Damn.

    So BB8 is possibly a scavenged droid that Rey fixes up?

    • August 12, 2015 at 6:40 pm
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      It looks like she captured it or caught it with the net.

      • August 13, 2015 at 1:43 am
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        Or possibly mirrors R2-D2 somewhat, in that he is trying to get help or find someone and gets caught by a scavenger. Then Rey finds him, shows an interes and discover BB-8’s true purpose their on the planet, perhaps initiating her coming into contact with Finn and/or Poe.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:29 pm
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    Great Googly Moogly!!!

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:29 pm
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    I want to know who the Knights of Ren are. More rumors to come now about Kylo’s actual last name.

    • August 13, 2015 at 4:45 am
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      Books, Comics etc.$$$$$

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:34 pm
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    Amazing !!!!

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:35 pm
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    I am starting to believe!!!

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:36 pm
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      Me too (D2)

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:37 pm
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    It’s really cool to see C-3PO and R2-D2 together. They were often the face of the movie when the original Star Wars came out.
    C-3PO was always this narrator of what was going on.

    • August 13, 2015 at 8:12 am
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      I agree that it is nice to see them together. I just hope they have enough screen time together and not just one scene as in the photo shown. One thing I was disappointed with in the PT was the absence of interactions between R2 & C-3PO.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:39 pm
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    Love all the photos. Kylo’s look is amazing. The mask, saber, stance. I hope he has great depth and a great voice. Has he stolen the technology from the original Vader mask & is James Earl Jones back? That would scare Luke if he heard Vader again!! Love the Stormtroopers chasing Rey & Finn, in fact, I love ALL the photos. This does indeed look like a Star Wars film. I hope it has a great story, justified action & a few popcorn moments. I have not seen ANYTHING that has me worried AT ALL. I think this film will be AMAZING!!!

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:07 pm
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      I dunno, Kylo’s mask still looks a little platypus to me. But I love the textures of the outfit and I don’t hate the saber.

      • August 12, 2015 at 9:44 pm
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        That’s the most obscure complaint I’ve seen on this site yet. Maybe someone will complain about how the death star looks like my dad’s dented bowling ball

        • August 13, 2015 at 1:11 am
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          Maybe it does, at that. But I can’t know that, not knowing your Dad’s dented bowling ball, while you probably do know what a platypus looks like. You don’t see the resemblance?

          • August 13, 2015 at 2:14 am
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            Lmaooo I see the resemblance, the mouth guard is long and like a beek

          • August 13, 2015 at 2:14 am
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            Lmaooo I see the resemblance, the mouth guard is long and like a beek.

          • August 13, 2015 at 5:17 am
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            Revenge of Plo Koon!!

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:42 pm
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    =D

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:32 pm
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      m/

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:44 pm
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    More and more in these pics, you can see the influence of WWII Nazi Germany on the First Order costumes. It was a subtle influence on the OT but seems very much front and center in this film.

    • August 13, 2015 at 12:22 am
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      I’m not sure where you get the subtlty of the influence of ww2 germany on the OT, it seemed very obvious to me, especially te officer uniforms of the empire…

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:44 pm
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    In the climactic scene of TFA, Kylo Katarn hits Luke Skywalker over the head with a banjo.

    SPOILERS

    • August 12, 2015 at 6:49 pm
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      Bob from that 70’s Show would like that.

      • August 12, 2015 at 8:19 pm
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        “Bob from that 70s show would like that”

        best and funniest response I have read anywhere all week hahahahaha

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:37 pm
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      Nooooooooo

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:52 pm
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    I see MSW is silent about this. I Wonder why? LOL!!

    • August 12, 2015 at 6:57 pm
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      Maybe Jason is just getting ready for the day as he lives on the West Coast and is in the process of typing something up on today’s news?

      Man, why do many people want to see MSW fail!? smh

      • August 12, 2015 at 7:17 pm
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        Why are there so many apologists that ignore that he *edits* his earlier work to make it appear he’s getting things right? SMH too.

        I’ve seen the posts/edits and someone in the Cantina actually posted a screenshot comparison of his edits.

        All in good fun this speculation is…but come on! If you’re wrong just say it. You got fooled/misinterpreted, something.

        He’s a liar…so yeah…I want to see him fail. Just like that Supershadow guy in the late 90’s early 00’s.

        • August 12, 2015 at 7:33 pm
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          Wow supershadow.. that throws me back almost twenty years.. I remember reading all that stuff, then getting a raging boner when the first TPM trailer came out (I watched it in 240p probably) and was hyped into the theaters, only to see my hopes destroyed.

          • August 13, 2015 at 11:05 pm
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            I remember Supershadow’s Episode 7 “insider-leaked-to-him” version: Jacen and Jaina are in Coruscant chasing after some villain and then they approaches Coruscant Zoo and then they both fight some beasts or stuff like that…

        • August 12, 2015 at 7:35 pm
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          So the man isn’t allowed to speculate based on theories he’s formed from what he’s heard (which in fact he does make it clear in differentiating between rumor and speculation and fact).

          He and his staff have gotten more things right than they have gotten wrong. By the way, you do know that MSW has a large following, right (especially on Twitter)? Again, I ask, why do many people want to see MSW fail?

          • August 12, 2015 at 7:50 pm
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            Clearly you did not read my reply…or was is “tl;dr”. Here are the points I made:
            > Speculation is fun.
            > Say when you’re wrong.
            > Editing earlier “speculations” to make it look like you were right when you are wrong is *lying*.

            Because he lies I want to see it fail. I’ve seen the edits. I’ve seen the comparison screen shots of his edited articles. If you paid attention you’d have seen them too.

            The reason I posted my first message was because this EW article puts just about everything MSW has speculated (edited over time) on it’s head.

          • August 12, 2015 at 8:04 pm
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            Update!! MSW has made a post. But with NO mention of ANY of the story elements discussed by EW. Now why would that be?

          • August 12, 2015 at 8:46 pm
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            You got a link where there is a comparison of screenshots that demonstrate that articles have been edited? I don’t check the Cantina often since I”m very busy with other things (I can’t really get myself very involved in a message board so I’m not going to comb through all the threads there) but I’d appreciated it if you can just take me straight to the source.

          • August 12, 2015 at 9:51 pm
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            So, you’ll blindly believe because your “too busy”? Most of us have busy lives. I’m married, got three kids, full time job, and I happen to be on leave today. I’m no different than perhaps 70-80% of everyone else here…nice try, I saw what you did there.

            I did not save the link and I don’t recall which message it was in at the cantina however it showed that MSW, when location names were revealed, went back to an earlier article about call sheets and inserted location names to cover up the previous vague location *types. Giving the impression that he had everything to begin with.

            And now it appears MSW can’t decided if Snoke is a snake type character or a zombie type character.

          • August 12, 2015 at 10:33 pm
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            So you don’t have proof then, huh?

            So you’re just going to throw out accusations without showing something to back it up, huh?

            Like I stated earlier, MSW has a large following and many things that they have stated as rumors have been confirmed such as Anakin’s/Vader’s lightsaber, the Falcon on Jakku, Rey living out of a downed AT-AT, Poe being taken prisoner by the 1st Order; do you want me to keep going?

            You have a right to your own opinions about them of course but in my opinion, you shouldn’t be in denial when the facts are right there starring at your face.

          • August 12, 2015 at 11:25 pm
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            lightsaber out of the sky
            kylo rens back story
            andy serkis
            etc…etc
            facts in face….right….

            alot of followers doesn’t make you right Jr. Trump has a lot of followers too…guess he’s right.

            Opinions are like a**holes. Everyone’s got one.

            Good day!

          • August 12, 2015 at 11:57 pm
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            I guess I win this argument then 🙂

            Have a good day as well

          • August 13, 2015 at 1:28 am
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            right…lol

          • August 13, 2015 at 8:59 am
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            >He and his staff have gotten more things right than they have gotten wrong.
            >By the way, you do know that MSW has a large following, right (especially on Twitter)?
            >Gets recognized at Disneyland

            Shut up Jason

      • August 12, 2015 at 7:39 pm
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        I don’t know. But I dom’t knock anyone out there trying. m/

        • August 12, 2015 at 9:49 pm
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          Trying is one thing… but just making stuff up out of thin air & reporting it is obnoxious. It’s like those dudes who made fake TFA teasers… I knew they were fake but so many people were like “WHOA!” & then I got yelled at for saying those trailers looked fake & stupid… which as I predicted they would be in comparison to the real teasers.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:52 pm
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    I want a Knight of Ren Vs a Dark Lord of the Sith fight.
    Please.

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:58 pm
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      It’d be badass. I’m glad they’re doing something that’s not the Jedi Order and the Sith Order. They’re not the only ways someone in the Star Wars universe can embrace the Force.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:55 pm
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    In that last bullet point, almost certain they’re referring to bb8 and not Luke

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:10 pm
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      Agreed. To me it seems EXTREMELY obvious they’re referring to BB-8 on the Falcon, not Luke.

  • August 12, 2015 at 6:56 pm
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    3PO and R2 gave me chills. They better insult each other!

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:00 pm
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    Be gentle with me J.J.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:00 pm
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    That’s a nice shot of Miss Chrometrooper, she’s really growing on me.

    I’m not sure if that thing Rey’s about to tie BB8 is a beast-of-burden in armor or a droid.

    But the texturing on Kylo’s cape is awesome, sort of undead-chic.

    Overall things are looking pretty nice.

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:02 pm
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      She looks awesome!

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:07 pm
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      At first, I thought that was a droid too, but it definitely appears to be a creature wearing metal scraps here.

      • August 12, 2015 at 7:22 pm
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        On the article on EW, it says Phasma’s name has a backstory,

    • August 13, 2015 at 2:50 am
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      I’m growing right now…

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:04 pm
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    Wooooo!!! Yeeaaaa

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:04 pm
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    PROPER STAR WARS BABY WOOHOO!

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:06 pm
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    Does the following quote confirm Rey and Kylo as our twins? “The amount of screentime the Skywalker twins may get is still unclear,” RAD!!!!

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:10 pm
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      By skywalker twins they mean luke and leia…

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:10 pm
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      it’s Luke and Leia

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:11 pm
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      NO the Skywalker twins are Leia and Luke

      • August 12, 2015 at 7:33 pm
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        Thanks for clearing that up. I yi yi!

        • August 13, 2015 at 5:04 am
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          perhaps there are more Skywalker children running around doing their own thing.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:06 pm
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    Really anything that’s not direct quotes or otherwise directly attributed can also be taken for the author’s speculation. That’s what I’ve often seen in magazine pieces over the years.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:07 pm
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    No new footage at D23 🙁
    ……then this! what a rollercoaster of a day 🙂

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:08 pm
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    the 5th person is LOBOT

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:12 pm
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    The 5 on the Falcon are: Han, Chewie, Rey, Finn, BB-8.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:21 pm
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    How am I possibly supposed to stay on top of all these rumors?

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:21 pm
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      That’s what she said!

    • August 13, 2015 at 8:28 am
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      I just want to stay on top of Daisey.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:25 pm
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    The five ending up in the Falcon refers to Han, Chewie, Rey, Finn and BB8. Leia and Luke aren’t on the Falcon….

    • August 12, 2015 at 7:31 pm
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      “The film revolves around the mystery of who Luke Skywalker really is!”

      Um, he’s Luke Skywalker…this was never a mystery.

      Unless JJ’s playing the darkside Luke card that some here have speculated.

      Which could be intriguing, although risky, considering how the fanbase perceives Luke as the quintessential protagonist.

      • August 13, 2015 at 5:28 am
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        I agree that making Luke evil would be a foolish move, as it negates the entire point of ROTJ – not to mention, the Saga as a whole.

        But I don’t think that’s what JJ is saying.
        There’s more to who a person is than “Good or Bad”.
        We know that Luke is good, but what does Good entail? What exactly is a boundary between good and evil?
        Think about it, I’m betting there’s gonna be a lot of ethical tension in this film, specifically between Luke and Leia. You got Leia who has the Republic best interest in mind, which means she WILL be making some compromises to get a good foothold, compromise is a key tool in politics and nation-building.

        The Jedi, on the other hand, have The Force’s best interest in mind, so the Jedi, living in the moment, seeing evil when and where it appears, are Guaranteed to disagree with the long-game “give an inch here, take an inch there” tactics of any functioning government.

        Sort of like the political tensions in the PT, but rather than Palpatine vs Mace Windu, its Luke vs Leia, e,i. actually interesting because it’s Luke and Leia instead of two a##holes.

        So Luke is gonna have quite a bit of difficult, consequencial decisions to make, people are going to die based on his decisions no matter what way you cut it.

        So the question is, What IS IT to be Good?

        That’s how I interpret it.

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:41 pm
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      This was how I read it, too. Luke might end up on it, but I think they’re referring to the five we’ve obviously seen on board.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:33 pm
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    I don’t see how the article calls into question the rumor that the opening shot is of a lightsaber floating in space. The wording is consistent with Leia acquiring the saber during the course of the movie.

    Also, there isn’t anything in the articles to suggest that Han doesn’t die, or that Luke appears more in the movie: the 5 seem clearly to me to be Han, Chewie, Finn, Rey, and BB-8.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:33 pm
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    Reading in between the lines is that the following seems very highly likely
    1. Han Solo plays a major role in episode VII as his character will be killed off in the end.
    2. Kylo Ren is the son of Solo

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:36 pm
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    Now I was convinced at the end of the Kylo Ren story that he was the son of Leia and Han, being Force sensitive thanks to his mom. But then I wondered : why would the son of Leia and Han be obsessed with Darth Vader?

    And man… “who IS Luke Skywalker” as the key selling point to Abrams has got me all excited all over again.

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:12 pm
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      Cause Vader is his grandfather that he never met…

      • August 12, 2015 at 8:34 pm
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        Of course he is! Genious.

        • August 15, 2015 at 2:30 pm
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          There you go again with that “genious” crap… learn to spell…

    • August 13, 2015 at 6:07 am
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      If Kylo Ren is the son of Han and Leia, then Darth Vader is Kylo’s grandfather. It makes perfect sense to me that Kylo could be obsessed with his grandfather’s past.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:37 pm
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    Kasdan might borrow some story element from the rough draft of the first movie by Lucss in 1974.
    Vader was the antagonist , but there are Sith Knights, which could become Knights of Ren.

    • August 13, 2015 at 1:09 am
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      The first several times the Sith are mentioned in the RD they are called “The Knights of Sith.” This later changed to “of the Sith” in the same draft, but I also wonder if they drew inspiration from the RD.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:37 pm
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    To me, the centrality of the question of who Luke Skywalker is suggests, not that the ST will call into question his literal identity (i.e., that he’s the son of Anakin and brother of Leia), but something more to do with his character and alliances. Maybe they will flirt with an idea that GL flirted with during the making of ROTJ: of Luke going to the dark side.

    Or maybe the very distinction between the dark side and the light will be called into question. GL after all said his vision of the ST would be that it centers around moral ambiguity…

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:11 pm
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      Luke is a Jedi master. Luke is also a human being who isn’t an angel with wings. Remember he was force choking aliens in ROTJ. He was clad in all black with are two dark side traits/practices/appearances.

      • August 12, 2015 at 8:17 pm
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        Yes … but they hadn`t figured out a “common look” for the Jedi yet when they produced ROTJ – Although Vaders outfit looked in some ways very the same as Obi Wan`s one.

      • August 13, 2015 at 5:41 am
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        He’s also a Jedi…like his father befor him. 🙂

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:24 pm
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      Well … Luke is basically the last Jedi – But to bring “balance to the force” it would at least need one Sith lord.

      I mean: Okay … the Jedi are supposed to be the “good guys” and the Sith are supposed to be the “bad guys” – But also the so honorable Samurai (who are models for the Jedi) were arrogant elitist … and so were the Jedi … always with a smile … but still arrogant.

      It would be cool if the plot point of those sequels would lead to a kind of Babylon-5-Vorlon-Shadow thing were the galaxy finds out that actually both factions (Jedi and Sith) are not good for the universe at all.

    • August 13, 2015 at 4:33 pm
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      I hope there aren’t more questions of whether or not Luke will join the Dark Side. We’ve been down that road. Recall the story on Gary Kurtz and the original ending of ROTJ:

      “The discussed ending of the film that Kurtz favored presented the rebel forces in tatters, Leia grappling with her new duties as queen and Luke walking off alone “like Clint Eastwood in the spaghetti westerns,” as Kurtz put it.”

      It would be interesting to see a old, grizzled and war weary Luke grapple with his family legacy.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:39 pm
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    I am virtually speechless…there is so much about this that is pure awesomeness…Kylo Ren as a title…himself a member of the “Knights of Ren” and obsessed with Darth Vader…that we may know his parents…that he is the anti-Luke…the fact that Abrams took the job because he was interested in fleshing out old Luke…and nobody is talking about the trooper with the pauldron…I always liked that characteristic on a commander’s armor. I’m glad the First Order is keeping it. And holy crap…the First Order only a remnant?! Is it possible we will see warring imperial factions in this trilogy? I am giddy like a school girl.

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:07 pm
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      “The anti-Luke” sounds like “The Anti-Christ” in this context. lol

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:19 pm
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      It makes absolute sense. At the beginning of the saga, you have the Republic and the Jedi Knights maintaining a fragile peace throughout the galaxy. Once Palpatine and the Sith decide to implement their Great Plan, we get secession, war, and eventually the transformation of the Republic into an Empire.

      The oppression of this new Empire then causes the rise of the Rebel Alliance and despite huge numerical and technological advantages, the Rebels cut the head off the snake by destroying the two most powerful leaders, Vader and the Emperor.

      Now, in this trilogy, the galaxy looks to be in total anarchy with multiple factions stemming from both sides involved in the Galactic Civil War.

      Talk about an epic and ongoing saga.

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:30 pm
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      Hey, JJ said he wanted to do the fans proud. I’m proud as hell.

      • August 12, 2015 at 10:02 pm
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        Me too. Damn, I’m excited.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:41 pm
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    So Kylo Ren = not his real name.

    His real name is probably “Solo” if you know what I mean…

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:06 pm
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      I was sort of thinking that, but I don’t know if I really believe it. We’ll see.

      It probably is Solo.

      • August 12, 2015 at 10:03 pm
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        What have we here. Two Sherlocks?

    • August 13, 2015 at 5:32 am
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      How about Kylo “Ren” Katarn??

      yeah, I’m still on that

    • August 13, 2015 at 5:45 am
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      First name might by Kylo? As he is a knight of the Ren not Knight of the Kylo Ren?
      So Kylo Ren, Skywalker,..what’s Lobots last name?

      • August 13, 2015 at 3:51 pm
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        Possibly a case of ‘Ren’ being equivalent to ‘Darth’ and Kylo being an individual given name, like ‘Vader’?

        So his real name could be anything. Because KyLO SoLO sounds a bit forced.

        Unless he’d taken on his mother’s family name 😉

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:49 pm
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    i don’t think han dies in one of the new movies.
    if one of our OT heroes dies it will be luke and we’ll see him as a spirit from that moment on – like ben kenobi – and he will train the next “new hope” jedi.
    i do hope i got it right 🙂

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:57 pm
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    Translation: they sold JJ planet earth to do it.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:58 pm
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    I just loosed my bowls…

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:59 pm
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    Knight of Ren is not Sith. They may be a cult group who is willing to help to resurrect the Sith, which may explain Rian Johnson try to cast Benicio Deltoro.

  • August 12, 2015 at 7:59 pm
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    Sad to see JJ won’t be returning for episode 9, as it seems he really nailed it in 7… these pics are badass. Anyone know where to find high rez versions of the images?

    Knights of ren, who is Luke? etc, etc, chill-fest 🙂

    Anyone else think it’s weird Johnston is basically writing 8 by himself? I have faith, but I’m hoping JJ & Kasdan are involved at least a little bit for continuity’s sake.

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:12 pm
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      I thought I read somewhere that JJ clued him into the trilogy arc and collaborated on the initial story.. ??

      • August 12, 2015 at 8:27 pm
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        Yes, I recall that as well. Though I think it might be a very general outline for the sequence of big events. Perhaps Kasdan will be involved in the writing of 8 but that wording seemed very deliberate.

        Don’t get me wrong… I love Johnston’s work, I love his last 2 films, but it might be nice to have someone like Kasdan to bounce ideas off of while writing new material.

    • August 13, 2015 at 1:03 am
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      Sorry but I have to disagree!

      Abrams always writes a hell of a first chapter – But rarely delivers.

      The beginning of MI3 was great … but it didn`t deliver … LOST was great … at the beginning.

    • August 13, 2015 at 5:48 am
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      Sounds like they wrote the outline of VII VII and IX.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:02 pm
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    Compare the Kylo Ren pic from the cover and the one that has him on Jakku with the troops. It appears he has a jacket on in the Jakku photo.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:08 pm
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    That best look at Gleeson’s character yet sure gives the impression Hux has Kenobi blood.
    Didn’t the Clone Wars hint at Ben having a private relationship with Duchess Satine, if so it wouldn’t be out of realm of possibility that their lovechild would rise to prominence.

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:58 pm
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      I follow you to a point, but what throws me is that Satine died in the show. I would think a child would come to light in her last words to Obi-Wan if this were the case. But the child would have been born before the Clone Wars, making him/her 50-60 years old. So IMO the Satine theory is out, but who knows – he was on Tatooine for some time and may or may not have been alone the whole time. However, a child of Obi-Wan would be at least 30-40 years old even if this is the case. Hux as a child of Kenobi? – Not Plausible…A grandchild? – Possible…Completely Unrelated? – Probable and Preferrable.

    • August 13, 2015 at 10:05 pm
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      And there was that statement by Gleeson that if he said who he’s playing, he could give always the entire movie, which implies that he is more than just some Imperialite.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:10 pm
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    I’m just so interested in what the deal with Rey’s staff is, and what significance it has. She’s had it in every single shot of her I’ve seen in some fashion.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:14 pm
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    Vader/Anakin didn`t bring balance to the force – In my opinion balance means “there are no Jedi and no Sith anymore”.

    Well … Luke is still alive (Leia is no Jedi)…

    • August 13, 2015 at 4:03 am
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      Technically, he did balance it to 2 Sith and 2 Jedi until Obi Wan un-balanced it again with Luke.

      Don’t put this all on Anakin, man.

      • August 13, 2015 at 4:05 am
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        That isn’t how balance works with the Force

        • August 13, 2015 at 2:18 pm
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          exactly. its amazing how people think “balance to the force” is some kind of mathematical balance.

      • August 13, 2015 at 2:36 pm
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        Could be. But the Force is not really like a scale. The Force does not discriminate between Light or Dark. The Force wants to be in peace, no distortions, it doesnt want to get messed with.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:18 pm
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    Everything I read… sounds awesome. This hyped me so much I actually had to stop and remind myself this could be a disaster.

    Every fiber of my being wants to argue to the contrary but having this much hype is never healthy!

    Now excuse me while I try to contain it and not look a fool!

    • August 13, 2015 at 2:00 am
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      Stay confident. From al we’ve seen and all we know they’re making an excellent stab at continuing on the Star Wars we know and love. and while I don’t want to come over all PT hater (I’d say more a PT denier now though haha), they really do seem to be focusing on the right elements that makes SW what it is, and discarding the crap. A modern Star Wars film made with the right sensibilities gives me a lot of hope. I do feel like I can safely say, unless something has gone majorly tits up, we will be getting he best Star Wars film since Jedi, EASILY. And with Kasdan involved, a great cast, the right mentality of actually filming it in the real world vs green screen, and with a director like JJ involved who can inject some excitement and character into things… I have hope this will at the very least be a very enjoyable, satisfying entry into the Star Wars series.

      Have faith.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:21 pm
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    Who’s Luke Skywalker?

    The murderer of the idol whom Kylo Ren is obsessed with.

    If “Ren” is a cult of Vader, Luke is most wanted: either to be killed or to become the master of the knights. Both scenarios could explain his exile.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:21 pm
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    Anyone consider that Kylo Ren could be another vader offspring? If he had just been born at the end of Jedi then he’d be 30 right?

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:16 pm
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      Somehow I don’t think he had it in him anymore after Revenge of the Sith. With all those parts of him missing or severely burned …

      • August 12, 2015 at 10:08 pm
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        Vaders pecker probably got grilled on Mustafar.

        • August 13, 2015 at 3:38 am
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          A Leatherey burnt piece of bacon!

        • August 13, 2015 at 12:09 pm
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          Nah.. Doubt it..He would have had a squeaky voice 😉

          • August 13, 2015 at 3:44 pm
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            Not if he’s getting all the hormones he needs. Maybe it’s not all completely gone, and maybe he gets shots. He seems to be treated medically on a regular basis anyway, so I assume they would make sure his hormones are ok. After all, procrative functions are not the only things they regulate.

    • August 12, 2015 at 10:00 pm
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      Nah, I doubt it. If anything he’s either a Solo or a Skywalker.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:25 pm
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    Does Rey capture BB8 at the start of the movie and finds he has a hidden lightsaber (like R2 in ROTJ) and so the story begins…

    Also would R2 have been by Lukes side? Afterall he went everywhere with him in the original trilogy. That would suggest Luke is back with the gang and R2 is reunited with C3P0 for the ‘final battle’

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:27 pm
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    The Threepio and Artoo one is amazing!

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:13 pm
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      I will never get tired of seeing R2 and 3PO together. It just screams classic Star Wars to me.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:33 pm
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    I really dont think kylo ren is gonna be a skywalker/ solo, it seems to obvious a thing to do for me, and if they are gonna reveal his parents before the movie comes out like the story article suggests, then we would no straight away he was luke or leia’s offspring and that would kill the suspense:

    i think more likely rey is a solo and so too is poe dameron, the skywalkers are known for being excellent pilots, and all the hype about poe’s piloting ability for me points to him being the more likely person to be a skywalker/ solo- I wouldnt be suprised if he turned to the dark side, hes black x-wing might point to this too

    on another note, if ren is somehow related, they could possibly reveal his mother and we would be none the wiser as to who he is related to, but then it could turn out to be lukes son, and that luke had a relationhip with this woman before he went into exile

    • August 12, 2015 at 8:36 pm
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      Poe looks a bit older than 30, doesn’t he?

      • August 12, 2015 at 8:52 pm
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        I dunno i could accept it if they said hes character was 30

    • August 12, 2015 at 10:29 pm
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      The article saying we MIGHT seems to be taken as gospel for some people. I doubt they know much more than we do, if anything.
      I hope Kylo’s his own character, instead of being thrown into a legacy role.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:35 pm
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    Kylo = sKYwalker + soLO

    REN = Return of the jedi, Empire strikes back, a New hope.

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:25 pm
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      I think you’re grasping a bit here…

    • August 12, 2015 at 10:10 pm
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      That’s an incredible discovery.

    • August 12, 2015 at 10:10 pm
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      Don’t know about the “Ren” part but I’ve always thought “Kylo” seemed like some kind of combination of Skywalker and Solo. It does seem to make sense.

      • August 12, 2015 at 10:20 pm
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        Yeah. It would be weird for both to be true. Kylo could be true in universe, but Ren would only be the case for us. And if Ren were an acronym it would probably mean that Kylo were only an in-joke out of universe, and not relevant to the character directly.

    • August 13, 2015 at 4:17 am
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      Kylo Ren = neRo lyK

      Nero-like. At least that’s what I saw when the name first came out…

      A inward-looking emperor that dealt with bouts of madness, setting fire to Rome to remake it in his own glorious image.

      Flametroopers, anyone?

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:45 pm
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    Guy’s Could Captain Phasma be a robot? Just looking at the hand’s between C3P0 and Phasma they share similar features like blunt fingers. I don’t see that in the stormtroopers.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:50 pm
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    Does this mean there will be other “rens” the same way there were other “darths”? Anyway this is all awesome news! Sounds like the mask is indeed either a relic or at least sith inspired. I was disappointed that the saber isn’t a relic but it does look pretty cobbled together so that also makes sense. I wonder if it’s unique to him or if all knights of ren have those blades. Great news all around.
    This makes me think even more that ren is a son or student of skywalker, and after Luke’s failure to restart the Jedi Knights, kylo founded his own order of Knights based in sith lore rather than the Jedi.

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:03 pm
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      Never understood the logic of no more, no less. Only one [sith] master and apprentice. Really? In the entire galaxy!

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:24 pm
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      I don’t think the mask is a relic or sith-inspired, especially since the lightsaber is neither. I’m glad this movie seems to be going back to the saga’s roots: Good guys vs bad guys instead of Jedi vs Sith.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:52 pm
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    Is that a microscope behind R2?

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:57 pm
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    Thanks @pomojema!!!

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:59 pm
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    Prequels really could’ve used Kasdan.

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:21 pm
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      It wouldn’t have mattered with Lucas in charge.

      • August 13, 2015 at 2:36 am
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        Isn’t that the same dynamic that brought us TESB? A Kasdan screenplay based on a Lucas story? Sounds good to me, I think it would have improved the PT, but don’t let me deter you from irrationally demonizing Lucas.

  • August 12, 2015 at 8:59 pm
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    We are the Knights who say Ren! We demand… a shrubbery!

  • August 12, 2015 at 9:15 pm
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    There was some talk in earlier rumours of Leia being sort of an obsessed hard ass..maybe the Resistance is a splinter of the New Republic…Leia’s personal crusade to eliminate the remains of the old Empire and avenge alderaan, perhaps? She probably carries a lot of guilt over that, especially with her being the daughter of one of its chief architects.

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:20 pm
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      I doubt it after all these years. The destruction of Alderaan was out of her control anyway. Tarkin was going to blow it up regardless of what she did or said. In any case, she didn’t seem to carry guilt in ESB and ROTJ.

      • August 12, 2015 at 11:13 pm
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        It is interesting to note that the recent (and canon) Princess Leia comic miniseries was all about her guilt over the destruction of Alderaan and trying to save and unite the survivors.

  • August 12, 2015 at 9:31 pm
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    Is the Knights of ren the mysterious “Seven” ??

    • August 12, 2015 at 10:12 pm
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      My thought exactly.

  • August 12, 2015 at 9:41 pm
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    I’m really excited and the pics are awesome. I’m still on the fence, though, story-wise. I like the sound of Kylo Ren having depth (in fact, exactly what I was hoping for) but the “Knights of Ren”…it sounds like something out of an early Lucas draft. So I guess I’ll get used to that, too. But right now it sounds silly. I also think it is weird if they (the Knights of Ren) are not Sith when they very much (through Kylo) have a … sithy presence.

    But I am excited, and I can’t hide it. I know it’s just a movie, and some of the images remind me of that, but some of it also looks suitably “larger than life”, the Star Wars-way. Ooooo I want more! MOAR

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:51 pm
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      Exactly what I was thinking

      • August 12, 2015 at 10:00 pm
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        No nothing is silly. Everything is awesome to the max. No thinking… just awesome. No think. Awesome No think. Awesome.

        That’s it.

    • August 12, 2015 at 9:58 pm
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      Nah, I think it’s fine. The Jedi and the Sith aren’t the ONLY ways of embracing the Force.

  • August 12, 2015 at 9:58 pm
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    If Kylo Ren is going to wear a Darth Vader mask during sometime in the sequel trilogy, I will literally die from joy.

    • August 13, 2015 at 12:55 am
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      How about dead pool strutting his stuff whistling whilst wearing darth vaders burnt and melted mask in a cameo? xP

  • August 12, 2015 at 10:09 pm
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    Now that’s what I call NEWS!

  • August 12, 2015 at 10:15 pm
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    Luke Skywalker is our Savior.

  • August 12, 2015 at 10:16 pm
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    now with all of this info i wonder what and who snoke really is, it seams like he will most likely be a sith hidden like palpatine. but now with all this, what if supreme leader may refer to the knights of ren instead of the first order, i wonder is the first order is actually controlled by sith or whatever they ill be called, or if they are separate things now with the sith tying to leach its way back , dont necessarily believe any of it just thinking

  • August 12, 2015 at 10:20 pm
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    (Pure Speculation)

    Kylo Ren is the son and failed Padawan of Luke Skywalker. Luke has exiled himself and stopped teaching because he failed at training his own son. When he broke off his relationship with his father, Kylo joined or created the Kinights of Ren, and became obsessed with his grandfather.

    The Resistance formed in response to corruption of the new government that formed in wake of the Empire’s collapse. Luke & Leia are at odds because she feels that Luke is better qualified to train Jedi than herself, and believes they are needed in order for the resistance to succeed. While Luke feels that Leia’s desire for that power is a threat to everyone.

    BTW, Han split from Leia & Rey (his daughter) because they found out about Finn.

    Poe is Leia’s Padawan.

    • August 12, 2015 at 10:53 pm
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      I thought you were serious until I got to the last two bits.

      • August 13, 2015 at 1:42 am
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        And I thought he was gonna say Poe was Leia and Lando’s son.

  • August 12, 2015 at 10:25 pm
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    “The Knights of Ren will succeed where the Sith have failed. This I have forseen…” – Supreme Leader Snoke, The Force Awakens

    • August 12, 2015 at 10:49 pm
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      Salmi Oompa Loompa?

    • August 12, 2015 at 10:59 pm
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      supreme leader snoke, is the Knights Ren???

  • August 12, 2015 at 10:38 pm
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    Knights of Ren = Sith Inquisitors ?

    • August 13, 2015 at 12:46 am
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      Knights of Ren = Stimpy inquisitors

      • August 13, 2015 at 12:59 am
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        Knights of Ren = Medieval space wizard knights

    • August 13, 2015 at 10:42 am
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      Knights of ren = knights of revan? Totally unlikely but with that mask I would literally die of joy

  • August 12, 2015 at 10:39 pm
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    This thing is weird. To me its like they sat down and said we have to separate ourselves from what came before. So they sat there and said:

    We can’t have Imperials and Rebels lets have First Order and Resistance.

    We can’t have Darth Vader or the Sith so lets have this villain not be a sith but a member of a new faction, the Knights of Ren.

    We can’t show Tatooine yet again so lets create this new desert planet, Jakku.

    We can’t have our hero be a boy from a desert planet so lets make sure to make the hero female and give her a co-lead.

    And so on…

    • August 12, 2015 at 10:51 pm
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      And another super-weapon… and a small, wise alien that can use the Force..

    • August 12, 2015 at 11:24 pm
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      “It’s like poetry, it rhymes.” – George Lucas

    • August 13, 2015 at 8:26 am
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      I don’t see any of these as problems, but as essentials to telling a Star Wars story.

      Of course there are going to be warring factions. Might as well be the First Order and the Resistance. The Empire re-forming into several smaller empires after RotJ just makes sense. It also sets up some intriguing potential stories, like empire vs. empire action.

      Of course there will be users of the Dark Side of the Force. Might was well explore a new order like the Knights of Ren.

      The desert landscape is an important motif in Star Wars. There’s a reason Tatooine appears in nearly all of the films. And Hoth is just a snowy substitute in ESB.

      Star Wars is built around the Hero’s Journey narrative. The central protagonist will always begin his or her journey in rough, seemingly hopeless conditions. There are only so many possible iterations for the lead in this type of story. This time, we’ll see a female in that role.

  • August 12, 2015 at 10:47 pm
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    MMmmm That SEXY imperial coat!

  • August 12, 2015 at 10:54 pm
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    So… Snoke Ren maybe?

    • August 12, 2015 at 11:44 pm
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      Brilliant

  • August 12, 2015 at 11:03 pm
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    I think the Knights of Ren will not be like the Sith. They will use BOTH sides of the force. Hence, the moral ambiguity that has been talked about in the past in regards to the Sequel Trilogy.

  • August 12, 2015 at 11:07 pm
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    This is amazing stuff!!! I am so much more excited now! Kylo Ren a title bestowed by the “The Knights of Ren”! Not a Sith! He HAS to be Han and Leia’s son if he is obsessed with fulfilling Vader’s legacy and is NOT a Sith!

    Not to mention the Resistance being a splinter group as some of us have speculated.

  • August 12, 2015 at 11:30 pm
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    So, EW will be release more Episode VII articles tomorrow (Han Solo day). Stoked.

    • August 13, 2015 at 12:27 am
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      Snoked

  • August 12, 2015 at 11:31 pm
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    Wrenboys dress in masks and straw suits to celebrate Wren Day (wikipedia) on the day after Christmas day. It probably goes back to the Celtic festival of Samhain (Hallow’een) and Druidic rituals.

  • August 12, 2015 at 11:33 pm
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    In honor of The Knights of Ren I am henceforth known as… Nadir Wren.

  • August 12, 2015 at 11:39 pm
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    I wonder how many Knights of Ren members we’ll see in the ST. Maybe it’ll be something like a small Sith Order.

  • August 12, 2015 at 11:41 pm
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    The Knights of ren (knights of REveN) the rumoured remastering of kotor for new consoles, the reven style mask, the early comment after the EU was dispanded about they may use some stuff from it!

    There has been an awakening

    • August 12, 2015 at 11:49 pm
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      Let it go. The movies are not going to use Revan, a villain from a video game, as a basis or as inspiration for a new villain. Nor are they going to use this video game villain as an impactful character. This notion is hilarious.

      • August 12, 2015 at 11:57 pm
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        A video game villain who was nearly made canon through The Clone Wars until Lucas decided Sith can’t be Force Ghosts and so the scene was cut. There is no reason he can’t be made canon, though I agree that he likely won’t be the origin of Kylo’s mask and the KOR, at least not on film.

      • August 13, 2015 at 12:05 am
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        Nothing to let go! Just coming to some conclusion that I wanted to share from my observations, no need to be rude!

        Bane was made cannon in the clone wars!

        Also never said he was reven, was implying that they were a cult of reven

        • August 13, 2015 at 3:20 pm
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          Cult of a man that lived over 4000 years ago. Never mind that Kylo is obsessed with Vader actually. This is a stretch out of a desire to see KOTOR canonized. I’m not saying they won’t but those games need to be remade and restructured for it to fit the new canon.

  • August 12, 2015 at 11:49 pm
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    First thing I thought when I heard Phasma was Phantasm… and chrome…. I dismissed this thought as me reading just way too much into it… SO COOL TO HEAR that! LOL I’m giddy now 🙂 Giggity giggity!

    • August 13, 2015 at 12:00 am
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      HAHAHA….. I’d actually be embarrassed to watch it again… hilarious

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:04 am
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    Cool stuff. But I’m just waiting on Han Solo day.

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:07 am
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    Han Solo tomorrow!!

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:23 am
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    “The movie explains the origins of the mask and where it’s from, but the design was meant to be a nod to the Vader mask” — Abrams

    So the origin of the mask will be revealed in the actual film and not just in background material for an “EU” story. Very interesting. It must have important significance or they wouldn’t waste time on it in the film.

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:32 am
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    The more I see of Kylo Ren the more generic he looks IMO.

    And the info about him being emotional and believing himself a hero doesn’t exactly jive with the shots of him burning villages.

    Anyway, Kira and Kylo are the Solo twins as we’ve long suspected.

    So good to see 3P0 and R2 together. For a while it was looking like R2 was stuck in a cave with Luke.

    • August 13, 2015 at 1:11 am
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      Kira was a production name

    • August 13, 2015 at 1:18 am
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      The name is Rey.

    • August 13, 2015 at 1:35 am
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      I personally think Rey and Kylo are cousins. And I doubt they would make them twins even if they are siblings; that is too close to Legends.

      • August 13, 2015 at 4:10 am
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        Having twins runs in the family(well technically it’s a gene that makes the woman hyperovulate)

        • August 18, 2015 at 1:59 am
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          My point stands that it is too close to Legends. It has nothing to do with the likelihood of a twin having twins.

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:42 am
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    The Ren stuff makes sense. According to film canon, there could only be two of them and both of those dark side loving idiots died on the same day… so there are no living Sith Lords left to teach Kylo anything.

    Poor Solo kid; full of emo-ambition and with nobody capable of blasting him with Sith lightning for failing to do his chores. Whats a wannabe Sith to do?

    Left to his own devices; obsessed with Vader’s legacy, he crudely makes his own weapon and our villain is born.

    Now, we have the Knights of Ren. More or less, they are religious fanatics who are running around pretending to have the moral high ground. Sounds legit. I can only hope that the soon to be named Darth Ren, utters the word “INFIDELS” onscreen. I’ll cackle like Palpatine in the theater if that occurs.

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:44 am
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    Fiest name of Finn , Calrissian?

    • August 13, 2015 at 12:55 am
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      That would make very little sense. Leonis would be interesting though and connects him to force sensitive black Imperials

    • August 13, 2015 at 1:09 am
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      Finn Windu.

      Finndu for short. Yeah.

    • August 13, 2015 at 1:25 am
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      Finn Solo. Its why Leia and Han don’t speak anymore. ha

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:52 am
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    Kind of getting a Nazgul vibe from the “Knights of Ren”. I love it.

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:54 am
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    Everything so far regarding TFA (especially these new picts) are really theraputic in helping be forget the PT …. If the acting is at least on par or hopefully better than the OT, Im probably going to be sobbing like a schoolgirl with a skinned knee throughout the entire movie!

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:56 am
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    Knights of Ren – Sounds to me like a remnant of an Empire’s Royal Guard. Possibility?

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:58 am
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    You know… i am honestly going crazy right now. This really looks fantastic!. This looks like how any star wars fan would want it to look and i am so happy about this because …they are doing everything right…everything and i feel so good about being a star wars fan again… the trailers and pictures and info already made up for the prequels … just that kylo ren picture alone is better than all 3 prequels… i am so exited i am finding it rather difficult to sleep well at night because i keep thinking about star wars 7 and it makes me go freaking nuts

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:58 am
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    The stuff about the First Order “Junta”, the Resistance being a splinter group, and Leia in possession of Luke’s lightsaber seems like a bit of speculation by EW as they specifically say Abrams wasn’t “ready to divulge the political layout of the galaxy.” They say it is “what we know so far.” We clearly see Leia receiving the saber in the trailer, so I doubt she already has it as they imply, unless she had it and lost it – which could still fit with the speculation out there.

  • August 13, 2015 at 1:03 am
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    In the Rough Draft of “The Star Wars” the Sith are referred to several times as “The Knights of Sith” (not “of THE Sith”), though it does change to “the Sith” in later references in the same draft. Wonder if that had any influence on The Knights of Ren?

  • August 13, 2015 at 1:10 am
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    “I don’t believe that Hux came from there, but it may have.”

    How very enlightening.

  • August 13, 2015 at 1:13 am
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    Original Sith origin from the Second Draft of Star Wars. Wonder if this could become part of the KOR origin – maybe a pupil of Luke (Snoke?) fell to the Dark Side like this and created his own Force order that that is supposed to be better than Jedi or Sith:

    “During one of his lessons a young PADAWAN-JEDI, a boy named Darklighter, came to know the evil half of the force, and fell victim to the spell of the dreaded Bogan. He ran away from his instructor and taught the evil ways of the Bogan Force to a clan of Sith pirates, who then spread untold misery throughout the systems. They became the personal bodyguards of the Emperor. The Jedi were hunted down by these deadly Sith knights.”

  • August 13, 2015 at 1:24 am
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    Kylo Ren is a Revan rip-off, nuff said. He won’t last long, they will pull up a better antagonist in the next episodes.
    However, Hux looks awesome, so does Poe Dameron.

  • August 13, 2015 at 1:39 am
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    “According to Irish mythology, Samhain (like Beltane) was a time when the doorways to the Otherworld opened, allowing the spirits and the dead to come into our world; but while Beltane was a summer festival for the living, Samhain was essentially ‘a festival for the dead’.”
    Maybe the Knights Of Ren are all about worshipping or resurrecting dead Sith Lords like Vader.

  • August 13, 2015 at 1:41 am
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    please dear god dont let Finn have Calrissian as a last name

    • August 13, 2015 at 2:04 am
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      I was thinking the same thing. Someone mentioned the black character on rebels… I’m trying to think of others. There’s that security guard guy from TPM.

      I’m hoping he’s not the son of some character though, I like the idea of him being a run of the mill storm trooper who has a revelation about his role in the galaxy.

    • August 13, 2015 at 6:42 am
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      I LOVE the look of this film. And I like most of what I’ve read about the story. But if Han and Chewie, Luke’s lightsaber, the Millennium Falcon, and Calrissian’s kid all end up in the same village as Han and Leia’s kid, that’s going to be a pretty big coincidence pill to swallow.

  • August 13, 2015 at 1:51 am
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    I like what I’m reading here: The Knights of Ren sounds like a really cool replacement for the Sith, and what seems to be further exploration of Luke’s character and actual indication that Makingstarwars.net got it wrong and Luke does indeed play a bigger part given that he will be on the falcon with Han, Ray, Finn and Chewbacca.

    I have written before here that I have suspected they are keeping Lucas’ general idea for the sequel trilogy which will be about Luke “passing on what he has learned” and this hints at that being the case. Also, I like that there are more then one Imperial faction out there of which The First Order is only one. Oh the possibilities for war and action that brings!

    All along I have been saying I haven’t heard anything to be excited about with this movie. But now… Oh, yeah!! This is good stuff.

    • August 13, 2015 at 7:28 pm
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      Did you read the same thing as me? If anything it proves that Jason is probably right about Luke screen time. Sounds like the LEGEND of Skywalker hangs over the movie the whole time meaning he is not present.

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:03 am
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    I like that Kylo Ren is a title rather than a name and that he’s not a Sith. I actually love the fact that he’s not a Sith. The Knights of Ren sounds cool and brings to mind a cult of Dark Jedi or something.

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:12 am
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    There’s been a lot of debate here and on the cantina about whether the 5 people on the Falcon include Luke or not (I don’t think it does; the article clearly includes BB8 as one of the five), but doesn’t that remark – about how Han and Chewie meet up with Rey, Finn and BB8 and all are on the Falcon – sort of hint at or even imply that we won’t be seeing Luke, Leia and Han together on screen? It’s noticeable that Lucasfilm are not talking at all about re-uniting the three most iconic characters. From a marketing point of view, that would be the image they’d have most wanted to put out there if they could. All of which makes me think that today’s revelations tend to support the suggestions that Luke is only going to be in this for one scene and that Han will be killed at the end. Would be pissed off if both of those are the case TBH.

    • August 13, 2015 at 2:54 am
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      Regarding the Big Three not reuniting, I feel that way too to an extent, but it could end up being more interesting for the story if Han and Luke don’t see each other again. It is more devastating emotionally for Luke that his isolation (for whatever reason) kept him away when his best friend arguably needed him the most. It could be a big driving factor for Luke in the future episodes. It also makes that final shot in ROTJ all the more poignant and important to the saga, rather than one small moment before we see them all together again. I think it is better this way if done right.

    • August 13, 2015 at 3:52 am
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      anyone who understands basic English can see that they’re talking about BB-8

    • August 13, 2015 at 4:20 pm
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      yeah but this is only the first movie. im fine if we get luke at the end and then he plays a more prominent role in the next 2. this movie is only he beginning…..

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:17 am
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    Knights of Ren

    Whatever this organisation is, i hope it has many lightsaber wielding members. I also hope it has a rival organisation, also with many members. And at some point in this sequel trilogy, they fight each other. Jedi Vs Sith wars anyone?

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:18 am
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    I remember yoda2 ( a proved reliable source) once said kylo ren másk is a relic and is one of the many he uses throughot the film

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:33 am
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    If you look up revan on wookipedia, it seems to totally fit and make sense that kylo is based on this guy

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:48 am
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    Am I the only one who thinks the lightsaber looks ridiculous?

    • August 13, 2015 at 3:31 am
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      You are not the only one.

      I tried getting used to the lightsaber or laser sword but I still can’t stand it.

      • August 13, 2015 at 5:13 am
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        It doesn’t matter at this point. Its more of a symbol. If people don’t dig it , it won’t make it to the other films.

    • August 13, 2015 at 7:31 am
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      WW haven’t even seen the cross guard saber in action. How can you say you don’t like it?? I think it’s bad ass myself and can’t wait to scover it’s purpose!

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:50 am
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    Full trailer will drop September 3 no doubt

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:51 am
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    “Teedo”

    I like that… he looks like a Teedo

    • August 13, 2015 at 3:51 am
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      Teedo Zantana. As they say on Jakku, arriba!

    • August 13, 2015 at 7:00 am
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      Teedo Jaxon, the older, less-talented brother of Mychal.

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:51 am
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    could Snoke’s real name be Ren or be Darth Ren and he has a group of knights called the Knights of Ren who fight for him and use the dark side, but aren’t really true sith lords

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:55 am
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    Kira Rey, from the knights of Rey? Knights of Ren and Rey like jedi knights and sith?

  • August 13, 2015 at 3:03 am
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    I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of fake synopses suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I believe something wonderful has happened.

  • August 13, 2015 at 3:25 am
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    Finn Calrissian

    • August 13, 2015 at 4:31 pm
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      that would be cool!

  • August 13, 2015 at 3:28 am
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    I think saying that the question “who is Luke Skywalker?” will play a major role in the sequel trilogy means that they’re trying to make Luke the central character of the saga again instead of Anakin/Darth Vader. With a title like The Force Awakens I know we’ll learn more about the Force and with that we may learn more about Luke’s destiny and role with the Force and why he will be such an important character in the sequel trilogy and saga again.

  • August 13, 2015 at 3:49 am
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    Isn’t having the title as a last name make it hard for the audience to follow?

    Sounds like a family surname they all share.

  • August 13, 2015 at 4:17 am
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    I love how Phasma’s gun lights up on the side like the red lights on the Emperor’s elevator.

    And did anyone else notice the cover says ‘JJ Abrams reveals secrets of the dark side’? – this is in addition to the intel they mention.

  • August 13, 2015 at 4:30 am
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    We all know TFA story is another ANH with twist.
    So it becomes more clear that Episode8 Story by Rian Johnson is make or break for entire ST.
    And this EW article suggest that Episode8 will heavily
    deal with Luke Skywalker who is not the same person we last saw inReturn of Jedi. This is interesting.
    This is lined with what Sony hack mail said that Episode8 was about the story of Luke and Leia.

    • August 13, 2015 at 4:59 am
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      More like a Yoda.

  • August 13, 2015 at 5:34 am
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    Knights…very medieval . Cool idea though

  • August 13, 2015 at 5:48 am
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    The pic of Kylo Ren in the snow,lightsabre ignited,is truly amazing.
    he has ICON written all over him!!!
    Sounds like an intense character and I cannot wait to see Driver’s performance.

  • August 13, 2015 at 5:51 am
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    So in the hero’s journey, what happens to the hero after the journey is over? Joseph Campbell tells us that the hero is free to live, as he accepts the things as they are, and accepts that things will renew and repeat themselves. In this case, the Force awakens both the light and dark side, and Luke must accept that.

    Luke’s father brought balance to the force, as the Sith and Jedi are destroyed. Luke is a Jedi, of sorts. Not exactly the same Jedi we saw in the prequels, as he definitely has Sith attributes as well. He may not be power mad, but at the end of RotJ he isn’t completely unattached from the world either and definitely has emotions. Luke may have rejected the full embrace of the dark side, but it has left its mark on him. Luke is the death of the old and the birth of something new. He is the gift of the hero’s journey. He is bringer of the knowledge to navigate both sides of the Force.

    Or he should have been, but something has happened. So he accepts that things are as they are, and he leaves the universe to fend for itself. He disassociates himself and the gift is gone from the universe.

    He’s Bilbo who has left Middle Earth when he realizes that home isn’t home anymore. But Bilbo hopefully lived in peace until his end of days with those who could understand what he has been through. I doubt Luke will be as lucky. He hasn’t fulfilled the hero’s journey after all, and must return to set right what he let go wrong.

    Or I could be completely wrong.

    • August 13, 2015 at 1:44 pm
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      Jedi are supposed to be emotionless?

      Yes I’d say you have it wrong.

      • August 13, 2015 at 4:36 pm
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        Well the Jedi aren’t exactly Spock when it comes being emotionless, but they aren’t exactly overflowing with them either.

        We pretty much know love and anger are forbidden by the Jedi. Anger leads to the dark side. And those Jedi who fall in love are forced out of the order.

        And they don’t exactly exude happiness either. There are moments, but they don’t exactly seem to be filled with the joy of the light side of the Force.

        I suppose they get scared, but their training helps squash that. So that leaves sadness and excitement as the remaining basic emotions. We’ve definitely seen them be sad. And I suppose somewhere in the Clone Wars we saw excitement, at least of out Snips.

        No they aren’t emotionless, but they pretty much keep them all inside and bundled up.

        The Sith on the other hand, don’t seem to have that issue.

        The Sith do let their emotions rule them, but the Jedi do everything they can to keep them at bay.

        Neither is healthy and balance is needed.

        But the big wheel spins around and around, and what once was will be again. So we may not have Jedi and Sith, but we’ll have something comparable this go around. Even if it is more muddied than before.

  • August 13, 2015 at 8:33 am
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    Kylo Ren is the son of Luke and Leia!

    SPOILERS

    • August 13, 2015 at 9:45 pm
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      Eww that would be disgusting incest.

  • August 13, 2015 at 9:15 am
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    A few small details I noticed, maybe it hasn’t been mentioned yet:

    There’s what looks like a microscope behind Artoo and See Threepio; if that is indeed Chewie standing behind Threepio he must be bending forward as he is not visible above Threepio’s shoulder. Perhaps, to add new elements to the saga, we will have an orgy?

    The power droid under Poe’s *awesome* X-Wing Fighter has longer legs than ye usual power droid. That’s quite an advancement over the last thirty years.

    Pictures from Jakku still look 100% like Tatooine.

    Love how the beast of burden has been “enhanced” by adding salvaged/scrounged goods; the head is the most obvious example, but ther’s a lot of nifty details here, including the manacles that presumably held the beast. Great example of “new, but still Star Wars”.

    126 days to go!

  • August 13, 2015 at 11:05 am
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    It’s gonna have a redemption arc for Kylo Ren. Calling it now.

    • August 13, 2015 at 12:40 pm
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      I agree, he will be the first character we see turn to the light side and actually do some good, I know Vanderbilt did but he died straight after

      • August 13, 2015 at 3:12 pm
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        So did Vader. He DID kill The Emperor.

    • August 13, 2015 at 9:56 pm
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      Redemption would imply that he is in the wrong to begin with. And since the film makers have stated that this entire trilogy is based not upon good vs. evil, but grey areas, the actual story arc should be quite different.

  • August 13, 2015 at 11:36 am
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    so now in the ST the sith are extinct. I want more old republic soth stuff in the new canon then

  • August 13, 2015 at 11:36 am
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    I dont know that Kylo is a Solo or a Skywalker. Article says he’s like Luke in that he’s come from “humble beginnings.” After the destruction of the 2nd Death Star, I dont think Luke, Han or Lea lived under humble conditions; so how could Kylo be from humble beginnigs?

    Then again, if EW does reveal who his parents are later this year, nobody would care if they weren’t Han & Lea or Luke & whatever spouse he may or may not have. The way EW phrased it suggests we know his parents already.

    Sorry my English not so good.

    Also, it does seem weird to hide Finn’s last name. There can only be 4 options that would make sense, 2 of which seem absurd.

    1. Finn Panaka
    Son of Captain Panaka from Episode I. Definitely the least likely of all, and would be completely ridiculuous – stupid even. Obviously, not gonna happen. It goes without saying.

    2. Finn Windu
    Son of Mace Windu. Which would make no sense whatsover and would also be stupid. So we don’t have to worry about that either. 100% Guaranteed we won’t.

    3. Finn Solo
    This one seems semi-likely. As many of us know, Han was once married to a black woman according to the comics. Could be why Lea and Han are separated. But Finn seems to be in his early 20’s, and its been 30 maybe 32 years since ROTJ. And Han was married before Episode IV, I assume, so if he did have a child with his ex-wife, his son would most likely be 35 at the start of Force Awakens, wouldnt he? Also, you’d think the son of a black woman and a white man would appear a little more mixed race or mulatto, but Finn seems 100% black. So while this would be an interesting choice, it’s problematic for the above reasons. So doubt it will happen. Plus, that would make Finn and Rey brother and sister, or half brother and sister, assuming Rey is infact Lea and Han’s daughter (what if she’s not?). That doesn’t seem likely either. So I think we can discedit this lastname speculation with at least 77% accuracy.

    4. Finn Calrissian
    The most obvious choice (and perhaps the most likely) would be for him to be Lando’s son. But as so many of us have stated, that’s just too easy and too big of a coinciedence. Although I have to admit it does have a nice ring to it, it even rhymes. I don’t like the idea too much. I would prefer Finn to be a real First Order stormtrooper, not a Resistance fighter disguising as one, who crashes on Jakku (hopefully Jakku will be revealed to be Tatooine – cause c’mon, that place looks exactly like Tatooine. Why do we need to have 2 planets that look exactly the same. Maybe Tatooine is governed by a new government and it has since been renamed Jakku – as happens with nations from time to time) and then meets Rey, etc etc.

    Those 4 possibilities are the ones that are possible if we simply base these guesses on the color of his skin, and on pre-exisiting canon characters from the films, There are other possibilities of course. What if he’s a relative of a Fett or a Kenobi etc etc both those seem so farfetched and there’s been nothing to point us in that direction, so I dont think that’ll be the case.

    The 5th possibility is that he will have a new lastname, a la Skywalker/Darklighter/Starkiller/Bridger. Maybe he’s like Finn Nightflyer or Finn Crashlander or something like that. At first it would seem that there’d be no reason to hide his last name from the public if this were true; but maybe the last name gives a clue about his character and/or personlaity – and thats why they dont want to give it away. But this seems kinda stretching it. Probably isnt the case.

    …There is even a 6th possibilty. He is a Skywalker…. but if he is, the same disqualifications apply that the Solo lastname has….

    GODDAMN IT WHO THE HELL ARE YOU FINN?!

    • August 13, 2015 at 11:47 am
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      PLEASE GOD NOOOOO. NONE OF THOSE SOUND LIKE A GOOD IDEA

    • August 13, 2015 at 9:51 pm
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      I think you’ll be quite surprised to learn who he is. Really unique direction they’re going in.

      • August 14, 2015 at 12:30 pm
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        Finn Shaft, the only man you can turn to…

  • August 13, 2015 at 12:45 pm
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    I am really glad that Kylo and the “Knights” are not Sith. My biggest fear was that the new trilogy is just a re-tread of known characters and themes. This news puts a lot of those concerns to rest.

    Personally I’m hoping for a group of “gray” force sensitives. (Revanite-ish ala TOR)

  • August 13, 2015 at 1:41 pm
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    Finn Palpatine. He’s on the Dark side.

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:36 pm
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    I hope we see on D23 a new trailer 🙁

  • August 13, 2015 at 2:36 pm
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    Finn is the son of Ezra black friend in rebels!

  • August 13, 2015 at 3:23 pm
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    Has anyone considered that Rey’s last name could be Kenobi? Not a child of Obi-Wan but a relative. It would add further poetry if she is to inherit the lightsaber her old relative gave Luke but this Kenobi wants nothing to do with it.

    The same could be true of Finn or anyone else. It should be obvious that you can have the same name surname as someone without being a child of.

    Personally, I would prefer they all be unrelated. It’s a big galaxy.

  • August 13, 2015 at 3:25 pm
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    I wonder if the ultimate goal of the Knights of Ren is to have their bodies possessed by the Force ghosts of the greatest Sith, hence Kylo’s obsession with Vader, perhaps the others are already possessed and this is why Luke went into hiding, fearful about the consequences of confronting these knights without the proper state of being and therefore he was on a quest to gather the mental tools and training to confront them.Perhaps he was the catalyst that permitted their rise to power. Furthermore the movies could be delving into the reasons the Empire didn’t fall but became a junta of Moff’s where each controlled a sector, poor intel and leadership decision making on the Rebel Alliance’s lack of discerning if the Empire had back up plans.

  • August 13, 2015 at 3:53 pm
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    Finn Leonis

  • August 13, 2015 at 4:08 pm
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    It would be more interesting that Knihts of Ren have no connection with Sith.
    But Kyro is Vader obsessed, which implying Knihts of Ren have some relation with Sith.
    My bet is they have a way of resurrecting Sith which method is not unlike the way of Night Sisters in Clone Wars.
    In Episode8 they will resurrect Sith which is
    Benicio character.

  • August 13, 2015 at 4:53 pm
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    I like the “Ren” part. Especially, after learning this news about the “Knights of Ren”. That’s really cool.

    But Still can’t get use to “Kylo”. I feel the same way about Kylo as Annie (Anaikin). Not really scary sounding or tough sounding. Actually the opposite

  • August 13, 2015 at 5:29 pm
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    Personally, I hope the Knights of Ren are Sith affiliated, or at least attempting to be. I’m definitely open to the idea of them being their own new dark side faction, but in my mind the Sith are the ultimate opposing force to the jedi and I really love how that’s been set up through the EU and also a little in the PT.

    I think it would definitely be cool if the Sith were kind of taking on new form via the “Knights of Ren”. It would definitely make for an interesting story. Very excited either way

  • August 13, 2015 at 5:38 pm
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    Im ok with Kylo’s back story. In fact it frees us of the bonds that tie a Sith down. The rule of 2, the complete lack of moral ambiguity. Freeing us to have a more rounded and free wheeling bad guy.

    My BIGGEST concern though: dont build a back story and develop this guy and kill him off in the same movie.

  • August 13, 2015 at 8:45 pm
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    I know our beloved staff here at SW7 news is probably already working on updating this article, but if you want to check it out for yourselves, ew has the Han Solo article up on their site and with a promise of more to come on the Young Han Solo later today. 🙂 I have to say, it gives me hope that Kasdan did in fact write the story for the upcoming film. Still don’t know if it’s a good move and it will be weird seeing another actor, but at least the story might be good.

  • August 13, 2015 at 9:55 pm
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    Anybody mentioned the soundtrack to the Korean trailer could that be a snippet of John Williams’s new beats ?

  • August 13, 2015 at 10:31 pm
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    Finn Huckleberry?

    • August 13, 2015 at 11:33 pm
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      Finn Tastic

  • August 13, 2015 at 11:21 pm
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    I like the idea of there maybe being several different groups of factions which once belonged to the Empire. @Disney: Would love to see one which is still using all the good old Stormtrooper armour, Star Destroyers, AT ATs etc. etc.

    I also like the idea of a group of dark jedi knights which are different from the Sith. Maybe there will also be a group of Jedi which is more moderate and operates outside of the known Jedi Order.

  • August 14, 2015 at 10:14 am
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    huh. just noticed that Rey is standing on a fallen ATAT leg

  • August 14, 2015 at 1:45 pm
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    Is this magazine available in UK?

    I NEED ONE 🙂

  • August 14, 2015 at 5:39 pm
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    KYLO REN:
    On joining the “Knights Of The Ren” organization,
    he, obviously, takes the last name “Ren”
    But the first name …?

    The first syllable of his Mom’s last name:
    SKYwalker.
    The last syllable of his Dad’s last name:
    soLO.
    Put them together: SKYLO.

    But what about the “S”?
    I’ll bet it has something to do with the “S” being
    physically obfuscated upon someone reading it
    somewhere: like the O-Y-A for “V’ger” in
    “Star Trek: The Montion Picture”, or somesuch thing.

    You read it here first ….

    • August 15, 2015 at 11:39 pm
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      Stands for SH@TE.

  • August 15, 2015 at 7:11 am
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    Listening to the interview with the article author on RebelForce Radio it is pretty clear that he made a number of assumptions, as I suspected. He says that the saber being in the possession of Leia is an assumption based on the teaser. The Resistance being a splinter group is also an assumption based on the name itself. Basically, if he doesn’t directly quote someone or say that the info came from them, it is likely speculation.

  • August 27, 2015 at 1:04 am
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    Soooo I’m guessing Han and Leia for sure have a child. It’s either Kylo or Rey or both. Or: Han and Leia have a child (Rey or Kylo), and Luke has a child (Rey or Kylo).

    Although, with Finn holding Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber…maybe Leia got together with Lando? Wouldn’t THAT be a plot twist??

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