Skip to main content

The Rise of Skywalker is the next Star Wars movie, watch the first teaser here

The annual Star Wars Celebration fan event kicked off in Chicago over the weekend, with Friday’s highly anticipated panel for Star Wars: Episode IX revealing the first trailer for the film and its official title.

Every generation has a legend. Watch the brand-new teaser for Star Wars: #EpisodeIX. pic.twitter.com/fWMS13ekdZ

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 12, 2019

Along with delivering the first footage from the film, the title was revealed to be Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.

Recommended Videos

The highly trailer concludes with the sound of a cackle that should be familiar to Star Wars fans — the voice of Emperor Palpatine, the villain whose presence spanned nearly every film prior to Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Presumed dead at the end of Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Palpatine will apparently return in The Rise of Skywalker, as confirmed by a surprise appearance by actor Ian McDiarmid on the event’s stage after the trailer debuted.

The extent of Palpatine’s involvement in The Rise of Skywalker remains unknown, of course, but the revelation of his return caused no small amount of buzz in Star Wars fandom.

More Star Wars News

The Rise of Skywalker panel was hosted by late-night talk-show host Stephen Colbert — a well-documented fan of the sci-fi saga — and was attended by Star Wars cast and creative teams past and present. As usual with Star Wars events, details beyond what was revealed in the footage were hard to come by, despite near-constant needling from Colbert.

One thing that was confirmed early on, however, is that The Rise of Skywalker does not pick up immediately after the events of Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, and unfolds an unspecified period of time after the climactic events of the prior film. The panel also hosted a variety of first looks at some of the characters appearing in the film, including new addition Jannah, portrayed by Naomi Ackie.

Among the guests in attendance at the panel who helped to introduce the trailer were director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, as well as original franchise veterans Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian). Modern trilogy stars Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe), and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca) were also present, along with Rise of Skywalker newcomer Ackie.

Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker will hit theaters December 20.

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
The 7 best Star Wars droids, ranked
BB-8 rolls across the desert in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Droids may be second-class citizens in the Star Wars universe, but they're also some of the most important characters in the entire franchise. There's hardly a hero in the lore of Star Wars who isn't accompanied by a droid best friend. That trend continues even in recent video games like Star Wars Outlaws and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The irony is that many droids are treated like slaves, and there's yet to be a droid uprising where they fight for equal rights as sentient beings. L3-37 tried to change that in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and it really didn't work out for her.
Nevertheless, droids are vital to the galaxy's way of life, and it just wouldn't be Star Wars without them. For now, we're paying homage to the 7 best Star Wars droids and pulling from all of the ancillary media, movies, and TV shows to put this list together. Only our pick for No. 7 on this list originated in a comic book.

7. Triple-Zero

Read more
Daisy Ridley’s solo Star Wars film has recruited the Bourne Ultimatum screenwriter
Daisy Ridley as Rey in The Rise of Skywalker.

Star Wars: New Jedi Order was first announced almost two years ago, and now, The Hollywood Reporter has reported that the project has a new screenwriter. George Nolfi, who is best known for writing the screenplays for The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean's 12, has been tapped to write the project, which is expected to be a film focused on Daisy Ridley's Rey from the sequel trilogy.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a documentary director, is set to make her narrative debut on the project, which is set 15 years after the events of the sequel trilogy and focuses on Rey as she trains a new cohort of young Jedi. Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson were the project's initial writers, but that was before Obaid-Chinoy came on board. When Ridley was confirmed to be returning for the film, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight was brought in to take a pass at the script.

Read more
10 best sci-fi movies of all time, ranked
Dave walking on the ship in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Science fiction has delivered some of the greatest works in cinema, proving time and time again that it's a genre that's a playground for the imagination. Sci-fi asks viewers to confront their biggest fears and dream their boldest dreams, especially when they aren't thinking about the most profound "what ifs" of existence. Whether it's through breathtaking journeys through space or unsettling walks through dystopian futures, sci-fi movies bring audiences face-to-face with the unknown.
From 2001: A Space Odyssey to Alien, the best sci-fi movies ever helped shape the genre and are widely recognized as some of the greatest films of all time. These are classics for a reason, as they reshaped sci-fi and continue to influence modern filmmaking. Expect every movie to be a ticket to the extraordinary and an invitation to a truly unforgettable viewing experience.
10. The Thing (1982)

Set in a remote research station in Antarctica, The Thing revolves around a team of American researchers who discover a horrific alien lifeform capable of perfectly imitating its host. Their outpost soon becomes a stage for a deadly game of survival as the group, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), must determine who among them can be trusted—or if anyone can be at all. One by one, they succumb to the thing, making many of their final moments full of paranoia and dread.

Read more