Day two of D23 belonged to the Walt Disney Studios panel, and arguably the biggest highlight of that panel was “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” While the internet was privy to the brand new poster unveiled by Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams, naturally, an exclusive sizzle reel/trailer screened for panel attendees.
Before it, however, the cast teased the film, and it really does sound like this nine-part “Star Wars” saga is finally coming to a close. “It’s hard for me to understand the story is ending,” Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) lamented on stage about the conclusion of the ‘Skywalker’ saga. “But what an ending. You’ll love it.”
Carrie Fisher obviously passed away in 2016, almost one year before ‘The Last Jedi‘ hit theaters. But her character, Leia, is an essential part of the film according to the filmmakers. “The character of Leia is really in a way the heart of this story,” Abrams said. “We could not tell the end of these nine films without Leia. And we realized that we had footage from episode seven [‘The Force Awakens‘] that we realized we could use in a new way. So Carrie, as Leia, gets to be in the film.”
The sizzle reel of new footage began taking a look back at the legacy of the films that came before Episode IX. Shots and sequences from the prequels and the original trilogy were included, all building towards “Rise” guided by lines from Luke Skywalker saying, “We’ve passed on all we know. A thousand generations within you now. But this is your fight.” The reel then transitioned into new footage from ‘The Rise of Skywalker.’
The new clips began with Rey, Finn, Poe, and the rest of the Resistance heroes looking off into the distance on what appears to be a desert planet. The sizzle reel then cut to scenes of Resistance starships exiting hyperspace engaging what seems like an endless fleet of First Order Star Destroyers illuminated by strikes of lighting (this is going to be one hell of a throw down). A shot of Rey throwing her lightsaber like a boomerang, slicing several trees in half was particularly arresting, and the action eventually climaxed in an epic showdown between Rey and Kylo Ren, featured on the new poster.
The two engaged in combat atop the remnants of a ruined ship (or the destroyed Death Star?) as waves crash into the wreckage. Palpatine’s presence was certainly felt as the cackling of his maniacal laugh eventually led to his first line of dialogue heard so far, “Your journey nears its end.” Finally, the killer, much-discussed shot was presented: a darkly cloaked and hooded Rey standing in the center of the frame igniting a red lightsaber. Only the heroine ignited not one, but two lightsabers, reminiscent of the saber first introduced by the Sith character Darth Maul. The shot concluded, with Rey, wearing a similar Maul-like cloak, unfolding what appeared to be a collapsable double-ended lightsaber. And then it all cut to cut to black.
The room erupted with a roar of applause, and many fans were left pondering the fate of Rey. Has she been seduced to the dark side? Has Palpatine inhabited her body as a means for survival? Is this simply J.J. Abrams misdirection and the scene is a dream or vision? We’ll all have to wait until December 20th to find out. While the footage shown at D23 has not yet been made available to the public as of this posting, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that fans will receive this footage on Monday so keep your eyes and ears out.
All promotional photos by 2019 Getty Images courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
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