Vanity Fair Presents The Ultimate Sneak Peek at The Last Jedi with New Characters and Locations Revealed!
The excitement continues after yesterday’s cover reveal, as Vanity Fair brings us exclusive interviews with the cast, a first look at Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro in costume (as well as their character names), the aristocratic hodge podge of aliens and humans at the Canto Bight Casino and more!
Vanity Fair’s David Kamp sat down with the cast as they shared insight to filming The Last Jedi from their own unique points of view. There is so much juicy Star Wars goodness in the original article that I strongly recommend you check it out (here). But, as a quick guide to what we have learned from VF’s article, let’s take a look at each of the interviews and hit the highlights…
First, take a look at this really cool behind the scenes video from Annie Leibovitz’s photo shoot on the set of The Last Jedi…
(quoted text from Vanity Fair):
Mark Hamill
Hamill describes the difficulty of tackling a film of this scale in his mid-sixties and the strict dietary regimen that was involved to maintain his “youthful” shape. He also discussed his initial misgivings about J.J. Abrams’ decision to bring Luke in the way he did, acquiescing in the end that the director made the right decision for his movie.
“Now, remember, one of the plots in the earlier films was the telepathic communication between my sister and me,” Hamill said. “So I thought, Carrie will sense that Han is in danger and try to contact me. And she won’t succeed, and, in frustration, she’ll go herself. Then we’re in the situation where all three of us are together, which is one of my favorite things in the original film, when we were on the Death Star. It’s just got a fun dynamic to it. So I thought it would have been more effective, and I still feel this way, though it’s just my opinion, that Leia would make it as far as she can, and, right when she is apprehended, maybe even facing death—Ba-boom! I come in and blow the guy away and the two of us go to where Han is facing off with his son, but we’re too late. The reason that’s important is that we witness his death, which carries enormous personal resonance into the next picture. As it is, Chewie’s there, and how much can you get out of [passable Chewbacca wail] ‘Nyaaarghhh!’ and two people who have known Han for, what, 20 minutes?”
Still, Hamill recognizes that the popular response to The Force Awakens—its stirring ending in particular—was overwhelmingly positive, his misgivings be damned. “As I said to J.J.,” he recalled, “I’ve never been more happy to be wrong.”
Rian Johnson
Johnson discusses the writing and filming process as well as his relationship to Carrie Fisher, whom he considered a close friend. He also talks about his initial surprise about the leeway given to him by Lucasfilm to make the film he wanted to make. We also discover that Luke and Rey are not alone on the island…
Luke, it transpires, has been living in this village among an indigenous race of caretaker creatures whom Johnson is loath to describe in any more detail, except to say that they are “not Ewoks.”
He went on with some vague information about the nature of Luke and Rey’s relationship…
That Luke is so changed a person presented Johnson with rich narrative opportunities. The Last Jedi is to a large extent about the relationship between Luke and Rey, but Johnson cautions against any “one-to-one correlation” between, say, Yoda’s tutelage of young Luke in The Empire Strikes Back and old Luke’s tutelage of Rey. “There’s a training element to it,” he said, “but it’s not exactly what you would expect.” This being the spoiler-averse world of Lucasfilm, the production company behind the Star Wars movies, that’s about as specific as the director is willing to get. (No, he won’t tell you if Luke is related to Rey, or, for that matter, what species the super-villain Supreme Leader Snoke happens to be, or which character the title The Last Jedi refers to.)
On the Lucasfilm Story Group and their involvement…
The story group, which numbers 11 people, maintains the narrative continuity and integrity of all the Star Wars properties that exist across various platforms: animation, video games, novels, comic books, and, most important, movies. “The whole team reads each draft of the screenplay as it evolves,” Hart explained to me, “and we try, as much as we can, to smooth out anything that isn’t connecting.”
What the story group does not do, Hart said, is impose plot-point mandates on the filmmakers. Johnson told me he was surprised at how much leeway he was given to cook up the action of Episode VIII from scratch. “The pre-set was Episode VII, and that was kind of it,” he said. If anything, Johnson wanted more give-and-take with the Lucasfilm team, so he moved up to San Francisco for about six weeks during his writing process, taking an office two doors down from Hart’s and meeting with the full group twice a week.
Johnson also revealed some information about the new additions to the cast. Poe is mentor to a Resistance gunner named Paige (Veronica Ngo), who is the on-screen sister to the newcomer with the most screen time of the bunch – Kelly Marie Tran’s “Rose” – who goes off on an adventure in the movie with John Boyega’s “Finn”.
We also learned the name of Laura Dern’s character – a Resistance officer named Vice Admiral Holdo – as well as a first look at her costume…
While Del Toro’s character goes unnamed in the film, the filmmakers have taken to calling him “DJ”. Check out his look in the movie…
On Carrie Fisher…
For his part, Johnson quickly formed a deep bond with Fisher as a fellow writer, spending long hours with her at the eccentric compound she shared with her mother, Debbie Reynolds, in the Coldwater Canyon section of Beverly Hills. “After I had a draft, I would sit down with her when I was working on re-writing,” he said. “Sitting with her on her bed, in her insane bedroom with all this crazy modern art around us, TCM on the TV, a constant stream of Coca-Cola, and Gary the dog slobbering at her feet.”
Fisher completed her part in Episode VIII late last summer, when principal photography on the film wrapped. “She was having a blast,” said Kennedy. “The minute she finished, she grabbed me and said, ‘I’d better be at the forefront of IX!’ Because Harrison was front and center on VII, and Mark is front and center on VIII. She thought IX would be her movie. And it would have been.”
“Out of everyone, Carrie was the one I really became friends with and expected to have in my life for years and years,” said Johnson. “I last saw her in November, at the birthday party that she threw at her house. In a way, it was the perfect final, encapsulating image of Carrie—receiving all her friends in the bedroom, with Debbie holding court in the living room.”
Lucasfilm also reaffirms that they have no intention of bringing Fisher back to life as a digital character in Episode IX (which is scheduled to start shooting in January)…
Fisher’s death doesn’t change anything about The Last Jedi except make it more poignant: the film farewell of both the actress and the character. But it does change Episode IX, for which, as Fisher hoped, a central role for Leia had been planned. Kennedy, Trevorrow, and the Lucasfilm team have been compelled to swing from grieving into pragmatic mode, working out how to reconceive the next film in the saga, which is scheduled to start shooting in January.
One option that is not on the table is to reanimate Fisher’s Leia via C.G.I., as was briefly done in Rogue One, last year’s stand-alone, non-trilogy Star Wars film, created when she was alive. More extensively in that film, Grand Moff Tarkin, a character played by the late Peter Cushing in the first Star Wars movie, was brought back to life using C.G.I. jiggery-pokery and motion-capture technology that involved the use of an actor who physically resembles Cushing. Plus, Lucasfilm had the Cushing family’s consent. However, said Kennedy, “we don’t have any intention of beginning a trend of re-creating actors who are gone.”
Daisy Ridley and John Boyega
Ridley and Boyega also discuss the impact that Carrie Fisher had on them as actors, as well as on a personal level…
“Carrie lived her life the way she wanted to, never apologizing for anything, which is something I’m still learning,” Ridley said. “ ‘Embarrassed’ is the wrong word, but there were times through it all when I felt like I was … shrinking. And she told me never to shrink away from it—that it should be enjoyed.” – Ridley
Boyega recalled that when there was a backlash against his appearance in the first Force Awakens teaser trailer, released in November 2014—the sight of a black man in stormtrooper armor drew ire from racists and doctrinaire Star Wars traditionalists—Fisher counseled him not to take it to heart. “I remember—and forgive me, I’m going to drop the f-bomb, but that’s just Carrie—she said, ‘Ah, boohoo, who f****n’ cares? You just do you,’ ” he said. “Words like that give you strength. I bore witness in a million ways to her sharing her wisdom with Daisy too.” – Boyega
Oscar Isaac
Isaac talks about how surreal it was to see one of his childhood heroes back in action…
“So to be there, and to watch Mark revisit Luke, particularly in these scenes we were shooting towards the end of the film, was bizarre and jaw-dropping,” he told me. “It’s like when you see an old band re-unite and go on the road, and they don’t quite hit those high notes anymore—though in this situation it’s completely the opposite. It’s the fulfillment of where your imagination would take you when you imagine where Luke would go, or what he’s become.”
Here are even more photos from Vanity Fair…
Again, for the full article check out Vanity Fair’s piece (here), and stay tuned tomorrow as the magazine is promising even more tomorrow for the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars!
Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.
So this leak could actually be accurate https://www.reddit.com/r/starwarsspeculation/comments/67527c/spoiler_dump_act_i/ . If it is, then I expect kind of disappointing reaction from the audience.
Why? This sounds awesome!
It does sound good.
I like that sounds like Leia is standing up to Snoke.
Like Ripley’s Aliens II arc: “Get your hands off her you …..!!”
Gotta get that mother-bear instinct going!
Have to say, it holds a lot of weight.
Rey’s test *cough* sea monster
I like the sound of it though.
If that is the first act, it sounds really good and delivering on the promise that TLJ will continue off of TFA directly which is a nice change of pace. Also, A sea monster battle; that I’d love to see. Because, with the updated technology, I’m hoping that Rey’s training with Luke is something similiar yet unique at the same time. Because, I love ESB like every other fan, but it is an old movie.
Nothing wrong with that; Kersner should be applauded for his detailed approach and how the movie stands the test of time. But this is 2017; so take advantage of the new technology within reason. I stress this because I do like the combination of practical and CGI.
The other 2 acts are posted on there too…if the end of ACT III is on point, that may be what causes an issue. Other than that it does flow pretty good.
Anyone spotted Bothan?
That was the first thing I thought as well. But I second guessed myself when I considered that he doesn’t really have any hair. But he does look very much like a Bothan.
Yup, but it’s just a hair, it’s not like they all need to have a hair, I’m really happy from what I can see from photos, love everything
Hidalgo’s probably getting 1000000 tweets right now lol
He changed his handle to “It’s not a bothan” lol
Looks a lot like one, but it won’t necessarily be a Bothan.
No.
It’s so amazing to see Mark and Carrie on the same set, in the same scene, I’m so glad we will see them together reunited,for the last time
I dont think the picture confirms they are in the same scene.
It could just be a photoshoot.
Also it seems (atleast from the trailers) that Luke only wears his TFA costume for the beginning of the film (he seems to wear a raincoat later). So I think it is just a photoshoot.
Yea, but they are together on the set, in costumes, not just for photos
Dudeeee, those aliens are rad!
way better than TFA aliens tbh. TFA aliens look generic and if you watch the behind the scenes of TFA JJ says “the aliens need to look like the original trilogy ones”
Well the OT’s were pretty generic. A werewolf, a big flathead worm, a preying mantis, a bat with hands, a slug, a devil, a yeti, teddy bears, humans with worms on their head (which seems to be a sci-fi staple – Asari in Mass Effect, togruta, etc). Bith are pretty original, though. We still don’t know what Jawas look like though (do we?).
These are of a different social class then we’ve seen before. JJ’s related more to the original pirate/smuggler crowd, so he had his own big ugly worm, a bat-like creepy thing, little insects, a big hulking humanoid, etc.
Some of the cantina creatures from ANH (like the werewolf) were actual store-bought Halloween masks. They realized they needed more creatures to fill out the cantina scene, but Stuart Freeborn was apparently ill and couldn’t get them enough new masks in time, so they just found what they could, mask-wise, and went with it.
ILM did a lot in post-production and inserted them into the original footage as well.
ILM did a lot in post-production and inserted them into the original footage as well.
They look the same to me, these are just wearing suits and tuxedos.
1. Luke and Leia finally together again, well on the Vanity Fair photoshoot at least
2. Phasma unmasked, but so is Threepio
3. Costumes look first class
Great job Vanity Fair.
Excellent article with a decent amount of new information. I loved all the photos. Hopefully seeing Mark and Carrie together means we get a reunion scene in The Last Jedi.
Im disappointed that Lauren Derns character nor Del Toros are an alien species.
If there is no requirement for them to be human (eg returning characters or related to human characters) I dont see why they cant be aliens.
Out of the 3 new films, there have only been 2 new prominent characters that have been alien; Maz and Snoke.
Why do they need to be aliens?
There is no NEED. But there is no need for them not to be humans + it makes the film more visually interesting.
How do you know there is no need for them to not be humans? How do you know the backgrounds of both characters to determine they aren’t related to or are pre-existing human characters or where they ultimately end up in the story?
Has there ever been an SW character that needed to be human? Luke could theoretically have been a Wookie, Yoda just an ordinary human. Let’s be honest, especially hwen creating new characters noone would complain about a main character being an alien. Star Trek has done this many, many times.
Kind of hard to make Luke a Wookie when he’s the son of Anakin and brother of Leia. of course he needed to be a human.
Kind of hard to make Luke a Wookie when he’s the son of Anakin and brother of Leia. of course he needed to be a human.
Luke first appeared in ANH which was an experimental film that was sort of made for fun before is became extremely popular. That it example you made was really dumb considering what I just said.
Actually, it makes perfect sense that the main cast is human. When you go to see a movie about a galaxy full of alien worlds, you need a main protagonist who is relatable to you, the audience. A normal person whose eyes you experience the weirdness and exotic nature of the worlds through. Aliens are not relatable. That’s why in Star Wars, they are the sidekicks, the secondary characters, the bar patrons. They add color and an exotic quality to the environments. The Star Wars saga is primarily a story of humans – human failings, human relationships, human reconciliation. It’s not a story about aliens.
I didn’t meant that, I meant to have more alien sidkicks or more aliens involved. Also I was talking about your example about “Luke a Wookie when he’s the son of Anakin and brother of Leia” um what?
Trying to make sense of your unique attempts at writing. My comment was against the notion of Luke being a Wookie, (or other alien) because that would require Anakin and Leia to be Wookiees as well, or else drastically change the story of Star Wars as we know it and have none of those people be related. But Luke was always going to be the son of Anakin. So it had to play out the way it did, in addition to the reason of having Luke relatable as a human to the audience. Not to mention having a main protagonist talk in bear growls with subtitles through the movie would’ve been astoundingly absurd.
why would Luke be a wookie in the first place though?
Ask BobRoss.
Yeah right… The idea of Anakin and thus Vader’s parentage came after we were introduced to Luke. Luke is the reason why Anakin is human. If Luke had been introduced to us as Wookie then the Character of Vader would not have been connected to him or there would have been a burnt Wookie under that mask.
Audiences need their protagonists to be relatable, especially when they live in crazy alien worlds. Making Luke himself an alien would’ve made him unrelatable. Darth Vader was always going to be Luke’s father. The name itself translates to “Dark Father.” Lucas said that Star Wars is about human relationships. So there are perfectly good reasons to make the main characters human.
As I explained in my original comment. If they arent pre-existing human characters (eg Ezra) or related to human characters, then there is no need for them to be human.
Yes humans are the most abundant species in the galaxy, but its getting hard to believe now that every major conflict revolves around them.
Understandably, for the prequels Obiwan Anakin and Padme had to be human (as their offspirng were human). And that is likely the reason Rey is human as well.
But with what will likely be secondary characters (that arent part of the first order). There is no need for them to be human.
How do you know they aren’t pre-existing characters or related to pre-existing characters? Or what they will do in the future of the story that requires them to be human?
it gives the film diversity. It doesn’t make sense that everyone is human is a galaxy filled with aliens.
Not everyone is human lol. Maz, Snoke, Chewie, R2, C3PO, BB are all major parts of 8.
R2, C3Po and BB8 dont count
Why? They are nonhuman cast members that help “diversify ” the cast from all humans.
Not everyone. just the main characters
Cuz aliens are more visually interesting? Keeping most of the main characters human seems limiting.
My exact point.
We see humans constantly in cinema.
Star Wars species (Twilek. togurta etc) however are restricted to the star wars films.
Futhermore, they dont have to be extreme aliens (like Plo Koon). They can resemble humans (such as Luminaras species; with just screen skin +face markings). Its not an extreme look but is visually interesting to watch.
They don’t *need* to be necessarily. It’s just that, well, this is a space fantasy that features non-human beings. It just seems like there should be more non-human characters in prominent roles, like the way Yoda was in Empire.
I am sorry but that is a silly argument.
And so it’s been for all the Star Wars films. Very few major alien characters. OT had Jabba and Yoda, PT had Yoda and Jar Jar and a hand full of even smaller supporting characters. You can’t connect to non-human characters as well as to humans, so the most important characters tend to be human.
And so it’s been for all the Star Wars films. Very few major alien characters. OT had Jabba and Yoda, PT had Yoda and Jar Jar and a hand full of even smaller supporting characters. You can’t connect to non-human characters as well as to humans, so the most important characters tend to be human.
You can connect with humanoid aliens (such as Twileks) as they are for the most part have human anatomy.
Guardians of the galaxy has shown people are able to connect with alien species.
As long as they have recognizable eyes and a mouth you can identify with them easily. Just look a smiley face. You can emotionally identify with 😉 or :O for example. Ahsoka Tano is a good example how easy it is to connect with an alien as long as their face and body is somewhat humanoid.
you dont need to connect to characters.
Connecting with characters is the primary means of enjoying a movie and its story. If the audience has no reason to care about the people in the story, then there is no drama, no tension, and nothing for the audience to emotionally invest itself in.
Crixxxx has a point. Plus, I think most of us can agree it was one of the problems with the Prequels (not connecting with characters).
Crixxxx has a point. Plus, I think most of us can agree it was one of the problems with the Prequels (not connecting with characters).
In a Marvel film maybe not but for SW characters must be compelling.
That has always been a big problem I have had with SWs, a lack of alien main characters. For granted, prosthetics can be hard to do work in, but at the same time; it is a galaxy far far away. If anything, I’m hoping we get an anthology film that had an alien lead. Maybe, from an established species, like a Torghutta?
It’s not just that. It’s the question of whether movie goers can relate to a character if it is not human. It’s a risk, and one that Hollywood tends to shy away from taking. Even though the Box Office has clearly spoken with films like Guardians of the Galaxy where we had a talking tree that only says his name and a raccoon that blows the shit out of people.
In Star Wars, the last on screen alien side kick we had that was new was Jar Jar Binks, which was not received well.
Rogue One dared to give us K-2SO, and Kay was a favorite in that film.
So perhaps by the third saga film or a spin off we’ll get what you’re looking for.
Agreed on your assessment, man. Yeah, it seems like the tide is changing with that stuff as Guardians proved that. If anything, I could see a Torghutta or near human species doing something. For instance, I always wanted a Chiss, as I always thought they were a cool species.
That said, I also acknowledge that a species like the Kel-Dor(Plo Koon’s species) while I love them, a lot of audiences could be thrown off. Heck, a fan screenplay I wrote for a SWs movie involved a couple, with the male being an alien.
So, overall I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw this coming soon down the line. Even if it was an Ahsoka Tano movie or some kind.
Upon repeated viewings of TFA, in that scene in which Han faces off against the two gangster teams who have boarded his hauler, I wondered if JJ Abrams ever considered making one of the teams non-human, or at least added non-humans to either team. Like, why were both gangster groups all human? That scene would have been a perfect opportunity to have non-humans squaring off against Han and Chewie.
Absolutely love this picture. It’s like a bizarre, rare, classic renaissance painting from a lost galaxy. This is a real great kind of sci-fi photo here. Those aliens are insane, from a nightmare book or something. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4b0106d4e1f0b2b8a8287ee86d2211b317dbc806db1719e6a6aafcde7dc28f46.jpg
Scooby Doobie Doo, back row, 5th from left.
lol
And that kind of woman in Jabba style remembers me in something i have seen before in a movie (probably The thing? Basket case?) , Hope some clever mind finds something
AnyJohn Carpenter movie ever 😛
The Jabba woman is awesome! These pics are all great.
That’s a Bothan!!!!!
That ‘Bothan’ needs to lay off the scoobie snacks.
No wonder so many of them died trying to steal the plans for the second Death Star. Too busy carb loading.
I thought bothans were short. Looks like a giant Kobold to me.
My thoughts exactly. I actually thought it was a painting to begin with.
Awesome photoshoot! So.. benicio del toro is ducain??
Notice how Kylo Ren is scantly talked about. His story looms large over the film I bet
I was thinking they might have more on the villains tomorrow…but we’ll see.
Agreed. I have a feeling that Kylo’s story is going to play a big role in this as I do remember Driver saying the scars of his defeat are more internal which is awesome. If this forces him to be more focused and driven, much like Vader, I welcome it.
a lot to unpack here, but my initial reaction is extremely positive. looks really cool.
Agreed. The production design is spectacular and I love the costume work, especially on Admiral Holdo. But to be fair, I do love Laura Dern as an actor. 🙂 So yeah, I look forward to seeing a lot of this in action.
Looking good, and that one of Mark and Carrie is very touching and tugs at the heart. Have to say though that I still believe Hamill was right about the ending of TFA, having the three together in the final act for just a few scenes would of been magical and achievable.
The Casino people remind me a bit of Ralph McQuarrie’s concepts for residents of Cloud City: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f6c22c55cec59cbf766f53977fe544c3d558a3870a31ee21a2db688ef6b9feaa.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/88b4a143f338a7d0ba2d4ce81e448b74230c25bd49cef949db5facab073cee3d.jpg
Love it!
I will check my Art of Empire Strikes back book at home 😉
That’s an extremely interesting direction they are going with these aliens. They look almost look like some creatures taken from a John Carpenter body horror movie (especially the fat blob creature fit the female face). I love how every director seems to have their own ideas and preferences in terms of the alien creatures which creates a wonderful diversity of designs. I just wished they mixed these designs with already known aliens to make the whole universe more connected an cohesive
I love that they are adding new species to the canon, but I also feel they should lightly sprinkle a few traditional species (ege twileks) into the films.
I feel like they should lean on the well known alien species and sprinkle in new ones! It would give more hype to the new alien species and not make each movie feel like it’s in its own universe so to speak
I agree that there should at least be mixing to make it all feel like one singular universe.
The prequels had mostly new species (togruta, kaminonas etc) but there was the small addition of OT speices (like twileks) which made it feel connected.
There Ithorians, Biths and Gran in the prequels.
I meant mixing in the sequel triology. That means bringing prequel species into the Sequel triology.
The Prequels sufficiently added new speicies to canon + sprinkled with OT species.
I agree
But then people would whine about “rehashing”.
I’ve seen a Twi’lek. Show me something new.
I dont mean flood the scenes with traditonal aliens. But having a couple well known species (like twileks) in the back ground will make it feel connected.
As someone mentioned in the comments. It does start to feel like each film has its own set of aliens and doesnt feel connected to a larger universe.
To me, that makes it feel bigger. It’s a huge galaxy and not every species is everywhere. except humans
If weare going strictly by films, then I would say species like Twileks are quite abundant (present on various planet in prequel and OT).
If anything it would make sense to have twileks on this new planet. Its seems to be a rich planet; and twileks tend to take the roles of escorts/ dancers in Star Wars.
Then when you get into the canonical shows and books. etc . Basically every species is abundantly spread around the galaxy. Togruta are often mentioned.
Again as ive said I embrace new species (Maz Kananta is great) but I think they shoudl starting mixing species from all areas of canon.
Sure, they are spread out, but we only ever see a small portion at one time. Maybe the entire kitchen crew at Maz’s are Twi’leks. But who cares? I just don’t see why this is an issue.
Yeah, they made a few new aliens for Rogue One. They should recycle them for these movies, and in the Solo movie.
“I’ve seen a Twi’lek. Show me something new” so having a pre existing alien in a 3 second scene is too repetitive for you?
No, but complaining about not seeing one is silly to me. People are suddenly super territorial about star wars and keeping score to make sure the parts they like are being well-fed by LFL. It’s silly to me. Twi’leks exist still. Relax.
Nobody is complaining about not seeing one buddy boy. People just want to see pre existing aliens being merged with the new one because that makes it feel new but also not forgetting its part of a large universe and not make it feel like its own movie.
Except people are complaining about, kid. Quite a bit.
No one is getting it is part of a large universe. In fact, the reason we don’t always see the old is because it is part of a large universe. You can’t have it all.
Is Benicio Del Toro’s character a crime boss?
that would be my guess.
He used to be in a boy band during the height of the empire – my guess
If they typecast him based on his role in Sicario, yeah, I could see that. DJ is either a mob boss who provides equipment/supplies to anyone, Resistance and First Order. Or, similarly, maybe he’s in charge of one of the major weapons makers in the SW galaxy. An arms merchant — I don’t think we’ve seen much about the military industrial complex (have we? in the Prequels? Or the Clone Wars series?). It’s something that has personally interested me, and I think should be explored in this trilogy, especially how it may explain how the FO got armed up so devastatingly.
In regards to Mark Hamill’s take on the ending of TFA, I think a dying Vader said it best: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a4c432c998c9c7616440f90afe7336fbb0bcd2aa747a52ba12245a59e5d88008.jpg
I like Mark Hamill, but the whole plot of the Force Awakens was to locate Luke before Kylo Ren does, who is not on that island vacationing. He’s there for a good reason, which will be explained in 8. Having Luke simply leave the island when Han/Leia is in danger is to throw the whole plot of the movie into the garbage.
not since we don’t know what he is there for.
not since we don’t know what he is there for.
That is the plot of the current version. Obviously it would have been a different storyline. I would put money on JJ Abrams coming out one day saying they made a mistake. It was a mistake.
It would require a totally different story, since the whole payoff of the movie is Rey finally locating Luke before Kylo does. Then you have to rewrite a good chunk of Episode 8 as well, since it would no longer take place on the island with the ancient Jedi texts, etc. Is all that worth throwing out for a reunion of Han Luke and Leia?
I would say having Vaders saber fly into Luke’s hands would have been a bigger pay off. The ending could have remained the same with Luke telling Rey, “you must come with me to Ahch-To, if you are to learn the ways of the force” (in his best Ob1 voice). Then we get to see the falcon, and Luke’s X-wing landing on Ahch-To, and instead of Rey handing Luke the saber, Luke hands Rey saber. Then we get the helicopter shot. Roll credits.
Another cool concept, is why not have Luke try to reach Rey through the Force and the movie plant hints at it. And when when Rey is at the edge, she gets contacted by Luke, Obi-wan style like ANH, and she fights back and Luke tells her he’ll be waiting for her.
The idea of Luke being a macguffin is a good idea and I will defend it, along with LucasFilm not wanting to upstage the new cast. But really, I felt like the search for Skywalker was partially abandoned. Because, really when you read that opening Crawl, I pictured an Indiana Jones style adventure, with Rey, Finn and Poe(criminally wasted in TFA), and Han, trying to locate Luke and evading the FO.
I think it was great the way they did it. His idea was nice in a nostalgic way, but life is not always like that. I think him being absent is more realistic. And it is also a consequence of Han’s decision to go off smuggling again.
Man…tears and feels everywhere. Carrie and Mark and Carrie and Billie…man, that brought the water works on. Beautiful set!
Simply splendid pictures.
Just dust…just subway construction dust…….that’s all…..
These images look amazing. Props to the photographer and the set design, because much like TFA this visually will be one of the most impressive SWs films to date. 🙂 Laura Dern’s character, Admiral Holdo fascinates me. For granted, I am a BIG fan of Dern. I think she is a wonderful actor and to know she is going to be in SWs and in a leadership role is cool. I’m hoping we see some cool interactions with Leia. Because, I want Leia to be given the spotlight. Not just because of Carrie’s passing, but really I feel like Leia is the perfect character for us to see the more political side of SWs in the movies.
if I had to pick one image that stood out to me, it is Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher’s picture. That image just brings so many emotions to me, knowing that Fisher is no longer with us and that the two in the movie are brother and sister. I pains me now more than ever we will never get a reunion of the original trinity.
As for the Casino picture, I love the design aesthetic. Heck, I love the concept of a casino planet. Caito Nemodia seems like a big influence from TFU 2 video game. And Rey and Kylo look great. If I had ONE gripe, it was the lack of familiar aliens.
This was a gripe I had with TFA, because really; we aren’t going to see at least one Rodian, Tw’lek or Trandoshan? Heck, the Sullutran’s got more of a presence. My hope is that we will see more classic aliens mixed with the new. But other than that, yeah; I’m really looking forward to seeing how this film turns out. And no, it won’t be ESB.
We have seen them before.
We just had a Twi’lek in Rogue One. And as many other posters keep pointing out, all the people who bitched and whined about VII being a rehash obviously pushed LFL in a direction to make new creatures.
And this is just one scene, my guess is you’ll see more familiar faces on the Resistance fleet.
It is one of the reasons why I loved RO as it gave a bunch of old and new stuff. I’m not against the alien species being new. Heck, the Maz sequence I argue is one of the highlights of that movie. But I still think it was a missed opportunity not to include at least one other species besides a Sullutran. For instance, how cool would it have been if instead of that cool assassin chick; it would have been a Rodian? A cool callback to Greedo being a jerk.
So yeah, I’m fine with new species, but blend it with some oldies. Also, RO gave us more Mon Calamari which were great. 🙂
Classic aliens will mean that TLJ is a rehash. Obviously.
In the case of seeing classic Aliens, I’d actually see it because it would fit the universe. But knowing some more hyperbolic fans, yeah that will be the case. Much like those fans will think that this movie will copy ESB. Look, I’ll admit; I’m cautiously optimistic, but LucasFilm would destroy a majority of their creditability if they did that again. I mean heck, a lot of TFA would be pissed. So overall, I am expecting some cool things from this movie.
I mean, we are getting an origin for the Jedi. We’ve never had that in the movies. And yeah, it was awesome to read about it in Legends with Tales and Dawn, but to get a canon origin; I am so stoked.
I personally, don’t have a problem with previously established alien species, but as far as Lucasfilm goes, I can see why they would want to make *ORIGINAL* aliens. The aliens are anything BUT rehashed, that’s for sure.
Agreed on that statement. Heck, I love seeing new aliens. It is a galaxy far far away after all. It would be really weird if we didn’t see any new ones. That said, I do want to see Bothans. And not because ROTJ’s famous line. But in Legends Bothans were badasses. They had a secret society devoted to intelligence and espionage. And Shadows of the Empire really played up that idea.
So, a part of me would love to see a Bothan spy appear in some form.
why did my comment get deleted?
Because you just can’t say those things about black, gay, Jewish women.
its just a prank
Del Toro’s costume is sort of reminiscent of Harrison Ford’s “Deckard” costume in “Bladerunner.” I like it. Laura Dern’s costume makes her appear to fit in more with the casino people than what I would expect a “Vice Admiral” to be wearing, but I’ll reserve any major criticism until I see the film. Everyone else looks great. Leia and Del Toro are the standouts to me.
Well she’s New Republic, so I guess it makes sense for her to be a snobby rick lady like the casino-goers.
Dern’s look sold me, because I am a big fan but also that look speaks of someone in a big position and with it comes political intrigue. I am hoping that TLJ can delve deeper into more the politics surrounding this war. I love the OT like many fans, but politically it was always bereft. Understandable and forgivable, because everything else was so good.
But if there is one thing I’ll give GL credit for is that in terms of World building the PT was excellent. Those movies, though, yuck. As such, I always dreamed of seeing a SWs movie that could do both; have amazing world building and a great storyline. Because, KOTOR to me did that. But to be fair; that game got me into SWs. I hold that game in high regard as fans of the OT. It was my gateway into the franchise.
I LOVE the photo of Luke and Leia (Mark and Carrie). I noticed that the color scheme of all the characters and of the alien characters are all muted earth tones, No vibrant colors of a Togruta, Twi’lek or Rhodian. The Resistance color scheme is brown vs. The black,white and red of the First Order. It is so opposite of the color scheme of Guardians of the Galaxy. I am fascinated with the color design palette of films because it enhances the tone of the film. I am curious of Benecio Del Toro’s character.
Del Toro’s character might be King Prana
Or King Prana was just a throwaway line
I said he MIGHT be King Prana.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2badc882c1d3d608c8940b1a4610cf128efb5c9a9e99bd99c6da59cdc87b90ea.png
“the balance”
It’s so much bigger.
“Shit…I hate it when I get my Schwartz twisted…” 🙂
Those casino photos look already way more creative and visually intriguing than TFA. I have a good feeling about this movie.
Yes, a very new look to Star Wars, even compared to the ballet in Ep3. I can’t help but think this is bigger than a casino scene, more like a gathering of world leaders.
you mean the opera?
Yeah, mon calamari opera or ballet, I forget which. But how do they sing inside those giant droplets of water?
yes
I thought it was cause it says opera house.
Ballet: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Squid_Lake
I honestly believe that is the case because Rian Johnson knows how to do visual aesthetic. I make it very clear that I am no fan of Abrams, though his films do look pretty. But I tend to notice that the really good indie directors that make it to the mainstream relatively speaking, know how to allocate resources a lot more effectively on a production level. Why? Because, they have always dealt with limited resources.
Brick is an excellent example, as that movie was made on a shoestring budget, like 400,000 dollars. But look at Looper and notice just how well designed it was. It had a unique aesthetic that wasn’t overly busy or copying. It was unique. And while SWs has a signature look to it in this franchise, RJ clearly wanted to leave his mark. And as such, this movie visually is going to be a big treat. And arguably a lot better than RO. Which the production design on that movie is amazing. 🙂
My jaw dropped when I learned that Looper’s budget was only 30 million. That movie has very high production value compared to the relatively low budget. Johnson definitely nailed the visuals.
The only question remains is how good the story will be. But considering this is finally a passion project by a single writer and not some committee bogus, I have high hopes.
I like the look of Leia, Laura Dern and Casino people. They look awesome. Everything else looks too similar to how they looked in TFA. Too plain for my taste.
Cool. I love the way this movie sounds. Much darker tone. I hope we get to know more about about kyloren and the first order tomorrow
The picture of Carrie and Billie is heartbreaking.
As far the coverage overall, I love everything I see. And for those of you whining about the film “not feeling like Star wars”, this is what you get when you complain about “rehashed” films. You get what you ask for. Luckily for me, I’m willing to allow a bit of elasticity in what is considered the “Star Wars” aesthetic.
And I’m loving the look Laura Dern character. Maybe it’s more Hunger Games than Star Wars, but I’ll take it.
So any ideas why a Vice Admiral for the Resistance is dressed like someone from the Hunger Games’ Capitol city?
maybe because shes from the new republic senate
It’s a visual shorthand for her being leia’s antithesis, which is her rumored role in the film. Leia as a politician dresses in neutral, muted colors, a pragmatist despite being literal royalty. Holdo looks like she is in excess, dressing very regally despite (most likely) not being royal. They said they were going for a prequel vibe which I definitely feel, but yes the hunger-games comparison is somewhat inescapable
I can’t help but notice that Luke looks a LOT like what his father would have looked like had he not taken a hot lava bath.
The picture of Luke and Leia embracing is very touching. On one hand, it seems that Hamill and Fisher are saying their goodbyes. On the other, it is Luke, the last and most powerful Jedi, and Leia, the politician who would save the Republic, acknowledging their kinship.
If Luke isn’t Rey’s father, he is (at the very least) her color stylist for sure.
They make you want to hate Kylo, I like it.
I love Admiral Holdo’s design and I am very excited about KMT’s character Rose. I think I’m going to love her! Also, “DJ” looks like a drug lord from a generic movie set in a futuristic LA… so I’m not convinced yet.
Casino’s in space? That must mean Benicio Del Toro is reprising his role as Frankie Fucking Four Fingers, I’m sure!
FUCKING AMAZING
Have we just seen out first cannon Bothan in the casino photo……looks a lot like the comic version
I thought so too but Pablo hidalgo shot that down. It does look very much like a bothen
Anyone else spot the reused prop from TFA in the shot of DJ Jazzy Del Toro?
Canto Bight:
Amilyn Holdo – A childhood acquaintance of Leia’s from Alderaan.
Takes leave from running the casino to aid the Resistance while her friend is in peril. She’s a woman of stature, but isn’t afraid to walk away from wealth to fight. [Might remind you of similar character from another second act]
DJ [Benicio Del Toro] – A drifter who likes to gamble. Has a very important piece of information for our friends.