An Update on Lucasfilm’s Crew Gifts and New Rumors on Episode IX
Yesterday, we told you about some gifts to the crew of Star Wars Episode IX that surfaced shortly after Christmas. Today, we’ve got an update reevaluating some of that information from another source, and that same source has shared some interesting rumors about how the movie is coming along.
As a quick refresher, here is the thread sharing details on the two jars:
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/adlgc7/gfs_brother_worked_first_unit_on_episode_xi/
It’s recently come to our attention that there’s bit of unverified information tossed in with what’s real. While the bags, jackets, notes, and patches are all real, word is that the two jars are not. Reddit user ThrowAnother9 recently privately proved his credentials to the staff at r/StarWarsLeaks and set the record straight:
So the brother came up with those two jars and it sounds like they’re not part of the production, so we can cross them off the list for now. But everything else in that picture is the real deal. ThrowAnother9 also clarified that the title of Star Wars: Episode IX is not out in the wild as part of these gifts, as the production codename – “trIXie” – is the only thing that appears on the merch. This seems pretty believable, considering that Lucasfilm likes to make a big deal out of announcing a Star Wars title (even for Solo, which was pretty obvious).
NOTE: From here, we’re going to get into rumor territory, so hype responsibly from this point on. There aren’t any significant spoilers ahead, but there are some impressions of what the movie is like, so this is your only warning.
ThrowAnother9 also discussed multiple impressions from the set of the film, which is apparently the first time he’s ever been on a Star Wars set. He refused to spoil anything, given that jobs would be on the line if he did, but he was willing to share that two co-workers that are longtime fans of the franchise and Legends material – one of whom enjoyed The Last Jedi, and one who decidedly did not – were both immensely satisfied with the footage that was coming together. As in, “tears of joy” satisfied. That’s some high praise. He also noted that this praise didn’t mean that fans would like absolutely everything in the film, but it certainly seems like Lucasfilm is happy with the film.
Outside of internal reactions, ThrowAnother9 explained that the scale of the film is incredibly large, even by Star Wars standards, and fans will be surprised. Filming is currently focused on the third act of the film, which only makes sense with how J. J. Abrams prefers to film his movies in sequence as much as possible. A lot is being filmed in a short period of time, which makes the technical accomplishments on the film all the more impressive. There’s also an abundance of behind-the-scenes content being produced simultaneously during the production, so it’s possible that we could see documentaries as extensive as Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey and The Director and the Jedi hit the Blu-Ray. One last thing he stated is that the Millennium Falcon is back, but that goes without saying.
As of right now, we do not have the verification that the mods of r/StarWarsLeaks received, so we cannot clearly judge if ThrowAnother9’s comments are representative of the film itself. But for now, it seems safe to presume that the gift images floating around are real, and the two jars aren’t from the production of Star Wars: Episode IX.
Star Wars: Episode IX will be released on December 20, 2019.
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.
