Resolving the mystery of Rey’s family will play a “huge part” in Star Wars: Episode VIII, director Rian Johnson confirmed this week.
Speaking to USA Today on January 9, Johnson spoke about the deepening of familial themes in the next major Star Wars film and emphasized how those themes drive the story saying “her setup” was something the director “really wanted to dig into with this.” This news comes just after Johnson said that Episode VIII will pick up right after the events of The Force Awakens and explain how and why Luke Skywalker went into exile on the planet Ahch-To. “Luke Skywalker is the emotional entry point,” he said.
So far, so good. Essentially, Rian Johnson is telling Star Wars fans exactly what they want to hear. The biggest cliffhanger in all of Star Wars — and one that ended on an actual cliff — will be resolved and explained in the next regular episodic installment of the saga.
And unlike The Force Awakens, Luke Skywalker will actually be in the movie a lot more, implying there’s a connection between Luke and the whole question of Rey’s family. If Rian Johnson can be trusted, it will make sense, finally. The director also said he already had a title picked out for Episode VIII saying, “It was in the very first draft I wrote.”
Star Wars: Episode VIII opens on December 15.
