It finally happened. At an Episode IX panel during the first main day of Star Wars Celebration 2019, Lucasfilm revealed the title, The Rise of Skywalker, and the first trailer for the final movie in the Skywalker saga that began in 1977. The big reveal kicks off a weekend of major announcements around upcoming Star Wars shows, video games, and more.
Star Wars: Episode IX is set to put a capstone on the entire film series before Disney moves onto new movies from Rian Johnson and the guys behind Game of Thrones. The cast includes returning favorites like Mark Hamill (even though Luke died in The Last Jedi), the late Carrie Fisher (Leia’s role will reportedly be made up of unused footage from previous films), and Billy Dee Williams (Lando’s back, baby!). We’ll also see popular new characters like Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron, and BB-8, plus some old familiar droids.
“This movie, it’s about this new generation,” director J.J. Abrams said at the panel on Friday, adding that aside from concluding the entire saga, Episode IX needs to stand on its own as an enjoyable story.
Additionally, Naomi Ackie is joining the cast, along with Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and Keri Russell (The Americans). The mysterious Knights of Ren are also expected to play an important role, but it’s unclear what that will be or which actors will play those parts.
Abrams also confirmed that Episode IX will take place some time after the end of The Last Jedi. “Some time has gone by,” he said, adding that the core characters will “go on an adventure together.”
Leading up to Star Wars Celebration, the entire cast and crew has done an impressive job of keeping the movie a secret. Some leaks and spoilers have spilled out, including an alleged movie poster and some other minor details, but for the most part, fans have no idea how Abrams plans to conclude the sequel trilogy and the entire franchise.
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Star Wars: Episode IX flies into theaters on December 20, 2019.
