UPDATE 2: TLJ: Breakdown of EW’s Coverage, New Photos, Hamill and the Falcon, and Rey Versus Kylo Ren (Day 1)

The Last Jedi is almost here! We are just a little over three weeks away, and while that is still an eternity to many of us, Entertainment Weekly‘s Anthony Breznican has come to the rescue to ease our appetites for a little bit. Here is the introduction to kick off EW’s final coverage of the film with our take on it!

 

Anthony Breznican kicks off his coverage explaining what our characters, new and old, may experience in the second chapter of the trilogy:

 

 

Two characters, on different paths. One a path to darkness: Kylo Ren, muddled in confusion after the unsettling and unexpected feelings he took on after killing his father Han Solo. The other, Rey, an orphan, realizing something that was always there inside her is awake, and her quest to find out what it all means, seeking out the last Jedi himself for answers. There is no doubt these two will cross-paths, potentially in more ways than one, and as Breznican explains it is:

“…a story of dualities, of loyalties fractured and new alliances formed. Some partnerships like the ex-Stormtrooper Finn and the Resistance mechanic Rose could inspire valor and bravery, others like the separated siblings Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa may restore hope that is dimming in each other, while the novice Force-wielder Rey and dark side acolyte Kylo Ren could end up pushing each other astray from their chosen paths, depending on who is stronger.”

 

Breznican delves into the comparison’s between The Empire Strikes Back and The Last Jedi (no, not in terms of story) but in terms of the characters’ lives being turned upside down, even spinning the audience into feelings of uncertainty and unease. Rian Johnson speaks about this, in regards to how it made everyone concerned about Luke’s future after Empire:

“There’s a history in Star Wars of the attraction between the light and the dark, whether it’s the story of Anakin basically turning from this sweet kid and seeing his seduction to the dark side, or even with Luke,” Johnson says.

 

Johnson goes on to explain the change in Luke, once able to look at Vader as evil, separate from himself, something he can choose not to be, until the immediate realization that Vader is a part of him.

“Suddenly he realizes ‘No, I come from him. I have quite a bit of him inside me.’”

 

Johnson aimed to challenge his characters in the same way. Turning their proverbial worlds upside down and seeing how those challenges shape them, and what decisions they make in reaction to those reveals and challenges.

 

Breznican goes on to ask the question everyone has been asking…will Luke and Leia reunite?

 

 

With the death of Han Solo, Breznican points out that the possibility of a reunion of the big-three is now gone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t see the space-twins together again. Perhaps Holdo taking a command position in the film opens up the opportunity for Leia to branch out beyond the command center we saw her relegated to in The Force Awakens. The cover shows her and Luke with the Falcon as a backdrop. Wouldn’t that be a dream come true to see them back aboard the ship that started it all for them?

 

While The Last Jedi is fit for classic second-act darkness , Breznican shines some hope, revealing that not all of the story lines will “break the heart. Some will fortify it.”

That leads us to Finn and Rose. Two unlikely pairings, but a pair that may make sense in the end. Finn, a former stormtrooper, mechanically deficient, thinks impulsively, matched with Rose, a pragmatic thinker, who is a mechanic/tech with the Resistance.

 

 

Rose who looks up to Finn as a hero in the Resistance may have sparked enough will in Finn to stop running, to stay and fight, and learn a few things along the way from his new friend.

 

Breznican proceed to the status of the Resistance and its leaders, which takes us to Poe and Holdo.

 

 

“A new leader rises to guide the battle against the First Order, Laura Dern’s Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, who doesn’t quite have Leia’s everyman (or everywoman) touch with the troops.

That leads her to conflict with X-wing ace Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). His history, training, and loyalty lies with Leia – but what he doesn’t realize is, so does Holdo’s. Both learned everything they know from the princess turned general.”

 

After the New Republic was left DECIMATED with the destruction of several planet at the hands of the First Order, it would appear there is a shakeup in Resistance command to a certain extent, and it sounds like Poe Dameron might be a little to loyal to bend to the commands of someone other than his mentor and leader General Organa.

 

 

There is more to come today as Breznican’s tweet shows us:

 

https://twitter.com/Breznican/status/932297474999332864

 

 

 

Here are  new photos from The Last Jedi:

 

Finn and Rose, and now confirming BB-8 joins them on their mission to Canto Bight.

 

 

Luke watching Rey from above. We speculate this might be after he turns her away and she proceeds to begin doing exercises on her own in spite of this, which may make him reconsider. But as Breznican writes:

“Luke is a broken warrior. And he sees dread in this young pupil, rather than new hope.”

 

Rey on a First Order ship of some kind, could this be Snoke’s throne room? We see Kylo Ren behind her. Perhaps being brought before Supreme Leader Snoke.

“We’ll explore the push-and-pull relationship between these two Force-wielders in another story coming soon, but for now here’s Daisy Ridley’s Jedi hopeful in a dangerous situation, with the looming presence of Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren behind her.”

 

A shot of Leia with Poe Dameron. Perhaps Poe explaining his displeasure for the new leadership in the mix.

 

 

Close up of Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo.

“She steps in to bring new vision to the Resistance but ends up clashing with Poe Dameron, who has different ideas for how the war should be waged.”

 

 

The Millennium Falcon blasting into hyperspace

 

 

 

Source: EW

 

 

 

UPDATE!

 

Luke, But Really Mark Hamill’s Reunion With the Falcon

 

Mark Hamill talks with EW about when he walked back on to the Falcon.

It didn’t take long for it to overwhelm him. “It was sort of like visiting an old house that you lived in when you were a kid,” he says. “I mean, I just welled up with emotion and I said, ‘I need to be by myself.’”

 

The Falcon almost acts as a metaphor for Star Wars itself from my perspective. A film that wasn’t supposed to be all that great, a bit clunky, rough around the edges, turned into something beloved by everyone for generations.

 

Rian Johnson appears to become a kid again, explaining the crew watching Hamill re-enter the cockpit of the Falcon for the first time in decades.

“God, I remember so vividly getting that shot of him turning on the lights in the Falcon cockpit,” Johnson says. The cockpit set is an enclosed space, so every crew member on set was huddled around the video monitors to see it unfold. “And we all kind of looked at each other, just like, ‘Oh my God.”

 

Hamill was in awe of how they were able to rebuild the Falcon, to every detail. But more importantly, it’s about reflection, and for him realizing that Star Wars never went away, and has transcended film, it has become a generational, family based force.

“All of this, happening to me again was… it’s hard to put into words,” Hamill says. “I figured when the prequels came out, plus a few years, people would forget about us. But it never really went away.”

“I feel like, you know, I need to calm things down because it’s one of those things that if you start crying, I’ll start crying,” he says. “So, stop it.”

 

 

 

UPDATE 2!

 

Kylo Ren versus Rey

 

Breznican explains the clear difference between these two characters, that while intertwined by their shared abilities, have completely different outlooks and frames of mind as we enter The Last Jedi.

Kylo has been seeking accolades, the spotlight, perhaps his whole life. Genetically inheriting a gold-mine of powers, but in the shadow of greatness, in the shadow of his parents focus on the bigger picture more than their focus on him. Snoke sensed this, and as a “predator” as Breznican calls him, knew he could lure him in based on his insecurities and pain.

 

 

Adam Driver talks about Kylo Ren’s perception of his own power, placing it in contrast to his reaction to seeing Rey realize hers so quickly.

“He has been aware of this ability in himself from such a young age, and I don’t think there’s a lot of people around him who are on the same level,” the actor says. “I think that there is something familiar there, as well as something to be feared, or something … that he can’t quite place.”

 

The novelization of The Force Awakens told us that Kylo Ren didn’t receive the satisfaction or freeing feeling that he thought he’d obtain by killing Han Solo.

“From his perspective, what he’s done is hopeful,” Driver says. “If anything he has justice. I think he’s surprised by how he would feel after Han Solo. He’s hoping for hope. He’s hoping for clarity.”

 

He is still hoping his action will not end in vain, that it will help him and have a purpose for happening.

 

Rey and Kylo Ren are clearly different in terms of how they got to where they are. But they have similarities as well. Both dealing with certain levels of abandonment, that while different in circumstance, share very similar feelings. Abandonment comes in many forms, and the reaction to that, regardless of what form, is always the same. Will Luke push Rey too far away, to align herself with someone who can relate to that?

“This is very much about Rey trying to figure out how she fits into all this, much like any of us as we’re growing up, as we’re transitioning from childhood into adulthood,” Johnson says. “You’re going meet people who you think are going help who don’t. And help is also going come from unexpected places.”

 

Rey and Ren are both vulnerable characters. While Ren wants power, and wants more, in a reaction to his past, Rey wants to find belonging, find her place. It can steer them in a collision course, where all bets are off. As Breznican puts it, it’s almost a tug-of-war, and the lines between darkness and the light may be blurred more than we’ve ever seen:

Rey and Kylo Ren are reaching toward each other in combat, but each one could also end up pulling the other to his or her side.

 

In addition to this, there will be more bits and photos from the feature posted every day this week, so while many of us plan to give thanks this week, we can add Anthony Breznican to that list of those we give thanks!

 

 

SOURCE: EW via @Breznican

 

 

You can find me on Twitter @JohnnyHoey, and you know we’ll be breaking all of this down and giving our takes on these photos and quotes on the Resistance Broadcast @RBatSWNN!

 

“For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.”

 

 

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John Hoey is the Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net and the host of The Resistance Broadcast podcast

"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

John Hoey

John Hoey is the Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net and the host of The Resistance Broadcast podcast"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

38 thoughts on “UPDATE 2: TLJ: Breakdown of EW’s Coverage, New Photos, Hamill and the Falcon, and Rey Versus Kylo Ren (Day 1)

  • November 19, 2017 at 9:22 pm
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    Not really sure where the whole Luke on the falcon thing came from. Maybe I’m alone, but Luke and Artoo in his X-wing is what I am waiting for.

    • November 20, 2017 at 1:55 am
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      Me too!

      I’m hoping that Luke just wanders onto the Falcon for a trip down memory lane. Then, when Rey flies off in the Falcon to take on Snoke all by herself, Luke has to raise his X-wing and use it to fly out of there and rescue her.

      I wonder if Artoo would stay with Rey or Luke in that situation?

      • November 20, 2017 at 2:30 am
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        I’m hoping Rey doesn’t get rescued….again.

        • November 20, 2017 at 3:52 am
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          Why not? Luke needed rescuing from Obi-Wan in the cantina and from Leia/Lando in Empire.

          I’d be surprised if she didn’t need rescuing at some point.

          • November 20, 2017 at 3:10 pm
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            (And from Han in the Death Star trench)

          • November 20, 2017 at 5:53 pm
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            And by Vader from the Emperor…and Han in the snow. Luke rarely didn’t need saving.

        • November 20, 2017 at 9:28 am
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          I”m fine with Rey being rescued, give Luke an excuse to IGNITE the GREEN 🙂

        • November 20, 2017 at 3:09 pm
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          When was she rescued the first time? She had things well in hand before Han and Finn showed up.

          Luke had to be rescued.

      • November 20, 2017 at 3:22 am
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        That scene of Luke on the Falcon reminds me of the deleted The Force Awakens’ scene with Kylo Ren boarding it. He walks aboard, senses something, then leaves.

        • November 20, 2017 at 3:54 am
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          When I heard about that Kylo/Falcon scene, I was excited by it, but when I saw the deleted scenes, it seemed a bit off. I can see why they scrapped it.

          Although, maybe with some John Williams music it might have been better, who knows.

          • November 20, 2017 at 7:25 am
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            I think it was one of the stronger deleted scenes, but scenes are deleted for a very good reason.

          • November 20, 2017 at 9:28 am
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            The makers arent always correct though — the scene of Kyle on the falcon was creepy, and impactful — and would have added more value if properly utilized in the finished film.

          • November 20, 2017 at 1:49 pm
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            I agree.

    • November 20, 2017 at 3:09 pm
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      Because seeing Luke return to something that was crucial in his past is cool?

    • November 20, 2017 at 6:35 pm
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      Kinda had the same thought – Mark shot, what, 3 scenes on the Falcon? Two of those (and I’m not going to look, so I’m guessing here) at the same time?

  • November 19, 2017 at 9:35 pm
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    My god, that Snoke hologram is scary!

      • November 20, 2017 at 12:02 am
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        You know, if Snoke is ever revealed to be like the Wizard of Oz in that his actual body is some mechanical suit or something; I will laugh aloud.

        Mainly because it will be LF trolling the fanbase.

      • November 20, 2017 at 6:00 am
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        Tin Man and the Lion we know who they are!
        Very good candidate for Dorothy we have.
        Just Scarecrow missing is.
        I wonder if Luke can do it, please.

  • November 19, 2017 at 11:52 pm
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    Most interesting. For starters, I can relate to Rian and the crew huddling around and seeing Luke Skywalker enter the Falcon again. I mean that is a nostalgic moment that I can get behind as knowing what the ship meant to Luke in the sense that it was the springboard, along with Han and Ben, for his journey. It’s priceless.

    As for the interview, I’m left really excited. The Kylo stuff in particular. Driver’s description of him is fascinating and something that I suspected,especially reading the TFA novel. But this quote from him:

    “He has been aware of this ability in himself from such a young age, and I don’t think there’s a lot of people around him who are on the same level,” the actor says. “I think that there is something familiar there, as well as something to be feared, or something … that he can’t quite place.”

    I suspect that Kylo’s abilities as having the Skywalker blood came into play. Namely, with perhaps students of Luke’s temple fearing/ despising him for that power and his relation to Luke. Favoritism.

    Combine this with his mixed feelings towards his father, Han and I can see the catalyst for him becoming allured to supreme leader Snoke. Because, one thing this article got right was that Kylo is dealing with abandonment and the idea of having two legacies on his shoulders. Vader and Luke’s.

    As for Rey, this makes sense as she is like us the audience: she wants to know what the heck is going on. And really, given what I have seen I can probably tell what may happen which is sad because I may have spoiled myself. But I will still go in optimistically.

    • November 20, 2017 at 5:55 am
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      I believe there is something missing, or wrong in the statement you are quoting (not in yours). I twisted it more than you when I read it, and I see it as ambiguous about Ben Solo dark side that is obviously related to Darth Vader.
      I am not discovering anything if I say Ben Solo was acquainted for many years with the force but not aware that he was grandson of Vader and we don´t know but that moment of discovery should had been an impact for him.
      There is where I believe the statement could be wrong informed, Ben Solo didn´t know about his own bloodline relationship with the dark.
      Even I believe Leia and Luke could have avoided telling him the truth for ever if it didn´t have come out by accident.

    • November 20, 2017 at 9:26 am
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      I almost wish we didn’t get to see Snoke in the Flesh till Ep 9. I like him better as a hologram.

    • November 20, 2017 at 4:57 pm
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      “Where is my SUPER SUIT!?!”

  • November 20, 2017 at 2:12 am
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    I wonder what happens to Leia that causes Poe and Holdo to be clashing over leadership style/direction?

    Is Leia captured? Killed? Unconscious? Has Leia run off to do some jedi training with Luke?

  • November 20, 2017 at 3:10 am
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    Pop ups every time I visit mobile site on iPhone I can only be on site for like two min before it kicks me out HELP

    • November 20, 2017 at 5:14 am
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      I second this. I actually ended up downloading a mobile ad blocker just so I can actually enjoy this site once again. Hope you guys at SWNN look into this as its incredibly annoying.

      • November 20, 2017 at 5:16 am
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        Which app did you download for the ad blocker?

        • November 20, 2017 at 5:28 am
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          I ended up downloading NeverAds from the App Store for a couple reasons: 1) it’s free and 2) I’m actually still running a version of iOS 9

          So far so good. The only “issue” is that it has me viewing SWNN in its desktop format. Other than that, no annoying “Facebook” ads… That’s a ‘mission: ACCOMPLISHED’ in my book

          • November 20, 2017 at 5:29 am
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            Thank you!

    • November 20, 2017 at 5:57 pm
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      Same for me when I use Safari. When I use mobile Chrome it doesn’t pop up. On desktop I get “noisy” ads that just start playing randomly…I get that SWNN needs to make money, but these types of ads are irritating.

  • November 20, 2017 at 3:31 am
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    “The Falcon almost acts as a metaphor for Star Wars itself…”

    The Falcon to me is an important character in the saga franchise. It wouldn’t feel like a SW movie if it didn’t appear. I think this is encapsulated by The Force Awakens’ scene where we are re-introduced to it, signifying that Star Wars is back.

    • November 20, 2017 at 5:44 am
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      SW is fetishist as Harry Potter movies.
      The Falcon, Anakin lightsaber…
      Even play with the idea of character-object, C3PO, R2D2, BB8.

      • November 20, 2017 at 3:07 pm
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        Other way around since Star Wars came first

        • November 20, 2017 at 6:09 pm
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          No doubt about it lol

  • November 20, 2017 at 3:52 pm
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    You know it never really hit me until now that… Luke is really alone now. Sure Harrison was just written out but we lost Carrie so she’s no choice but to be out. Leaving only Mark/Luke.

    That’s… really sad. I hope they don’t kill him off in 8. Would be nice for him to witness the galaxy getting a sort of balance again. Hope as it were.

    • November 21, 2017 at 6:53 pm
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      Yes. It’s sad he is truly the last Jedi. No more Han Solo or leia after this. Not even really any Chewbacca R2D2 either. Now everyone has quit or died. I hope he gets to live to episode 9 too. Luke and Vader have always been the focus of Star Wars to me so it will be a sad day when the last skywalker is gone. No… there is another

  • November 21, 2017 at 6:55 pm
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    Awesome coverage! I really think this is the Star Wars movie we have been waiting for

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