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Everything we know about ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’

It's Finn vs. Phasma in this 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' behind-the-scenes clip

star wars: the last jedi review
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Update: The film is out! Read our full review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, then dive back into the backstory below for all the juicy dirt that led up to the epic. And brace yourself: Star Wars: Episode IX is due to hit theaters in December 2019.

After an incredible theatrical run, director Rian Johnson’s addition to the Star Wars canon, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, will be getting its official Blu-ray and DVD release March 27. The home video release will include a bevy of special features, including an audio commentary, the feature-length documentary The Director and the Jedi, which follows Johnson through the production of the film, and more. For fans who are starved for more Last Jedi footage, a whopping 14 deleted scenes are included on the Blu-ray and DVD release.

Finn vs. Phasma

Vizio is treating fans to an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip showing off the production breakdown for one of the Last Jedi’s biggest showdowns — former stormtrooper Finn taking on the First Order’s villainous Captain Phasma — giving a taste of what we can expect from the official home video release’s special features.

Finn vs. Phasma presented by VIZIO | Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Dogs in space

The late Carrie Fisher is sorely missed, but her memory lives on as someone very close to her will be appearing in the latest entry of the Star Wars saga. A keen-eyed fan spotted a familiar-looking face in an image from the film, CNET reported. She tweeted her thoughts on who it might be, and The Last Jedi director himself confirmed her theory. When Clair Henry asked if the “cute little creature” in the still was Fisher’s beloved French Bulldog Gary, Rian Johnson responded, “YES! Wow, good eyes.”

@rianjohnson we @FanthaTracks want to know if you can confirm this cute little creature is #spacegary in #TheLastJedi pic.twitter.com/0if7XRiqog

— Clair Henry (@irishgeekgirl) December 6, 2017

Gary, who now lives with Fisher’s assistant, has his own Instagram account that confirms his appearance once again.

A long, long … runtime

IGN reports that Johnson, speaking at a Paris press conference, let some juicy details slip regarding The Last Jedi. First, we now know that Episode VIII is slated to be the longest Star Wars film yet, clocking in at a hefty 150 minutes (including credits). Previously, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith held that title, at 140 minutes.

That’s not all. Apparently, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards will be making an on-screen cameo in The Last Jedi. Johnson declined to comment on rumors that Prince William will also appear as a stormtrooper.

Luke speaks out

After intense speculation regarding a potential dark turn for franchise hero Luke Skywalker, actor Mark Hamill shared some details about his role that seemed to clarify — possibly to the point of being a spoiler — what the film has in store for its famous Jedi.

“In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Luke has lost confidence in his ability to make good choices,” Hamill said in an interview with the Disney Rewards Insider newsletter. “It haunts him to the core. But he hasn’t gone to the dark side. This isn’t an evil version of him. But it’s still an incarnation of the character I never expected. It has pulled me out of my comfort zone. It’s a real challenge.”

Of course, Hamill’s answer is vague enough that it still leaves open the possibility of a darker turn down the road — but now fans have a bit more clarity when it comes to the version of Luke seen in the final moments of The Force Awakens.

A dark future?

Lucasfilm and Disney debuted a considerably darker preview of The Last Jedi during Game 7 of Major League Baseball’s World Series on Wednesday, November 1.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi "Awake" (:45)

Along with packing in a lot of fresh footage from the film, the television spot — titled Awake — also offered the most ominous tone of all the promotional material released up to that point.

Blink and you miss him

Given that he has appeared in every installment of the franchise so far, it was always assumed that golden protocol droid C-3PO would have a role to play in The Last Jedi, but a Japanese trailer that found its way online in October 2017 finally confirmed it.

C-3POが映るのは日本版だけ!映画『スター・ウォーズ/最後のジェダイ』日本版本予告編

The trailer doesn’t offer much in the way of fresh footage, but it does give an easily missed glimpse of C-3PO around the 1:22 mark in the video. The iconic droid will once again be portrayed by Anthony Daniels in The Last Jedi, a role he has played for all seven prior, episodic films and in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

A peek under the hood

A new exclusive video (see below) from USA Today gives us an extended look behind the scenes of Episode VIII, as well as a few new shots that may or may make it into the movie. The affable director Rian Johnson talks about his Star Wars fandom as a child and how that impacted his experience filming The Last Jedi. Cast members Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Mark Hamill (Luke), and more compliment Johnson’s direction, citing his ability to push characters in new directions (Hamill calls the process “a journey of discovery”).

We also get a few choice glimpses at new scenes, including one where Finn is undercover in a First Order base (or something similar) and a scene where Poe is fleeing from a crashing starfighter on the planet Crait. Accompanying the video is an exclusive interview with Johnson; it’s fairly illuminating, and he does hint that Poe might have a future leading the Resistance. Read the full interview on USA Today.

Luke to the dark side?

We don’t think Luke would ever go over to the dark side; after all, he was strong enough to single-handedly (get it?) rebuff Vader’s attempt to sway him at the end of Empire Strikes Back, and in Return of the Jedi he didn’t even consider joining Emperor Palpatine.

Light side or the dark? Feel the Force with our exclusive @StarWars #TheLastJedi display in select IMAX theatres! pic.twitter.com/Qs2iMJlyWM

— IMAX (@IMAX) October 10, 2017

A theater display from IMAX seems to hint at the unthinkable, however. The walk-through display (which you can see in the tweet above) features two alternate versions of the film’s poster (see below) — one with the “light side” protagonists, and one with the “dark side” antagonists.

On the left, you’ve got Finn, Rey, Leia, Poe, and more, while on the right, Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma take center stage. The interesting thing? Luke appears prominently on both posters — on the left, he looks majestic, with a flowing mane, while on the right, his hood is up, and the shading makes him look a lot more sinister. Could this be a sign? Is it a swerve? We have no idea.

First IMAX poster arrives

Earlier on October 10, we received the first official poster for The Last Jedi (see below). Now, we also have our first look at an IMAX poster, which features a slick digital art style and depicts Luke overseeing Rey’s training on Ahch-To. Check it out:

Star Wars The Last Jedi IMAX Poster Luke Rey
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Official poster unveiled

On October 10, Disney and Lucasfilm released the official cinematic poster for Episode VIII (the one you will see on the wall at your local cineplex), and it’s vintage Star Wars, featuring Luke’s grizzled, hooded face at the top with Rey and Kylo wielding their respective lightsabers and more featured characters below.

Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi poster
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We’re not here to make any grand proclamations or read too far into the poster’s design — but we’re happy to report when someone else does! Some fans on Twitter seem to think there is a hidden Darth Vader visage here somewhere; we’re not so sure. Check the tweet below and see if you agree.

Vader looms over the poster pic.twitter.com/1CqafFWOgR

— That Junkman (@ThatJunkman) October 10, 2017

New trailer, more questions

Lucasfilm and Disney debuted a new trailer for Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi during halftime of the Monday Night Football broadcast on October 9. The trailer was subsequently posted on the official Twitter account for the Star Wars franchise.

Watch the new trailer for Star Wars: #TheLastJedi and see it in theaters December 15. Get your tickets now: https://t.co/6vE5KUSv1f pic.twitter.com/wcKvn0jjPO

— Star Wars (@starwars) October 10, 2017

The trailer certainly seems to suggest a particular pair of characters as the titular “Last Jedi,” and hints that they’ll need to find common ground if they’re ever going to truly understand the powers at play in their lives. Deceased franchise actress Carrie Fisher is also featured in several scenes, as well as franchise veteran Mark Hamill. Both actors appear to play key roles in Episode VIII that determine the futures of both Rey and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

Spoiler warning

On Sunday, October 8, the official Star Wars Twitter account shared a short teaser trailer featuring Rey swinging around a blue lightsaber — presumably Luke’s — on Ahch-To, in what appears to be a training exercise (no floating droids or metal blindfolds, though). The teaser hinted at a full-length trailer set to arrive Monday, October 9, during the Monday Night Football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears.

Get ready. Trailer tomorrow. #TheLastJedi pic.twitter.com/woC9KF4GH8

— Star Wars (@starwars) October 8, 2017

What’s so interesting, you might ask? Well, Rian Johnson — yes, that Rian Johnson, the director of Episode VIII — actually advised fans not to watch the trailer if they’re looking to “come in clean” (that is, to avoid spoilers).

That’s a wrap!

Johnson commemorated the conclusion of post-production on The Last Jedi with a September 22 photo on Instagram featuring the team that worked with him on the final cut of the film.

“Going to miss sitting in dark rooms with these goobers,” wrote Johnson of his post-production team.

About 8,000 words worth of pictures

Empire Magazine has featured lots of Star Wars content leading up to its October issue, which features Rey and Luke in two different covers — one for subscribers, and one for newsstands — both of which you can view below.

This week, Empire also premiered two images from the film, which reveal details that we hadn’t seen much of yet. One shows Finn and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) conversing in Canto Bight, a space casino where the characters are sent on a high-priority mission. It’s no Blips and Chitz, but we do get a glimpse of some pretty cool alien races in the background.

The other photo shows Poe Dameron’s custom X-Wing — called Black One — in action, facing down a massive Imperial destroyer-class vessel.  Both images are below.

ScreenRant also posted some images scanned directly from the Empire story; as Empire hasn’t officially released those images online, we won’t post them here, but you can follow links from the tweet below if you’re so inclined.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Empire Images Spotlight Luke, Phasma and More – https://t.co/ZEfixq8YqY pic.twitter.com/26Vt1vv0xm

— Screen Rant (@screenrant) September 7, 2017

Don’t expect to learn Snoke’s backstory

Questions surround the First Order’s mysterious commander, Supreme Leader Snoke, but audiences probably should not get their hopes up for too many answers.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

In an interview with Empire, Johnson indicated that the secrecy surrounding Snoke is not only intentional, but likely to continue looming over the events of The Last Jedi — in much the same way The Emperor’s shadow fell over the original trilogy.

“We got the whole story of Palpatine’s rise to power in the prequels, but in the original films, he’s exactly what he needs to be, which is just ‘The Emperor,'” explained Johnson. “He’s a dark force: The scary thing behind the thing. That was entirely how I approached Snoke. I wasn’t interested in explaining where he came from or telling his history, except where it serves this story.”

Not all droids have good intentions

September 1 is the second official Force Friday, a merchandising event promoted by Disney and partnering brands and retailers. In recognition of such a momentous occasion, robotics company Sphero officially unveiled the newest addition to its Star Wars line: BB-9E, a black-and-gray, First Order-themed droid in the style of The Force Awakens’ BB-8.

These Are The Droids You're Looking For (Star Wars App-Enabled Droids By Sphero)

Sphero describes BB-9E as “a rolling menace” (sounds familiar), tasked with starship maintenance for the First Order’s astromech unit. The little droid is mostly identical to BB-8, except for its color scheme (it has a scary red eye) and a differently shaped head. According to Variety, BB-9E will appear in The Last Jedi, though we have not seen any official announcements regarding its role in the film.

BB-9E Sphero droid toy
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The toy itself is water-resistant and it is capable of interacting with Sphero’s other Star Wars droids (there is an R2-D2 model and a BB-8 model) independently. They can also watch the Star Wars movies with you and react accordingly. To see a full list of features, head to the official Sphero site. The BB-9E droid is priced at $150.

New First Order vehicles revealed

A recent episode of The Star Wars Show provides new glimpses of two new transport weapons that will be employed by the First Order in the upcoming Last Jedi film. Both draw clear inspiration from vehicles fans saw being used by Imperial forces in the original trilogy.

The first is the All Terrain Megacaliber Six (AT-M6), which is a clear redesign of the classic AT-AT model fans will remember from the cold weather battle on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. The four-legged transport features a massive forward-facing cannon and folded feet that make it look a bit like a gorilla — a look that has the AT-M6 being called the “gorilla walker” around the web.

The second new vehicle is the First Order Dreadnought, a massive ship that is apparently one of the largest vehicles in any Star Wars installment. The Star Destroyer-influenced ship will reportedly house Emperor Snoke during the upcoming film and features a huge cannon below its pizza-like main body.

A family affair?

Jonathan Olley/ILM

According to the seventh entry in Entertainment Weekly‘s Star Wars cover story, Rey (Daisy Ridley) will be learning more about her mysterious background in The Last Jedi. After Luke’s lightsaber triggered a series of flashbacks in The Force Awakens, fans began formulating theories regarding the meaning behind her visions.

And, because Rey is force-sensitive (that’s probably an understatement), speculation ran wild regarding her ancestry. Is she a Skywalker? What about a Kenobi? Well, in Episode VIII, Rey will find out — though she will also find that parentage isn’t everything. “You can always look for answers and that doesn’t mean that the rest of your life is so easy. It’s not like, oh, I know who my parents are so now everything falls into shape, especially in the Star Wars world,” said Ridley.

Given that parents and their children tend to be pretty different in the Star Wars universe — see: Skywalkers, Solos — we believe her. Either way, we’re excited to learn more about Rey in The Last Jedi.

New alien races revealed

last jedi porg
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The end of The Force Awakens gives the impression that Luke Skywalker had been alone on the ancient planet of Ach-To until Rey, Chewbacca, and R2D2 found him. That’s apparently not the case.

The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly includes details on two all-new alien races joining the Star Wars universe in The Last Jedi, The Porg and the Caretakers. Both of the species inhabit Ach-To’s Hebridean islands along with LukeThe Porg are a race of tiny puffin-like furballs that were originally revealed in July during D23. We now have some new images of them, including one of Chewbacca and a tiny Porg buddy in the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit.

Last jedi care takers
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The other species, the Caretakers, are an all-female, fish-like race of nuns who act as the, er, caretakers of the Jedi temple Luke now inhabits. According to director Rian Johnson, these nuns merely “tolerate” Luke’s presence in their beloved holy site.

While the Porg will be CGI, the Caretakers will be played by human actors.

It’s interesting to note that the Caretakers are yet another group of non-Jedi/Sith Force worshipers, a common element in the recent Star Wars films. We’ve seen other characters like Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One, as well as Maz Kanata and Lor San Tekka in The Force Awakens, represent a devotion to the Force despite a seeming lack of Force-sensitive individuals inhabiting the galaxy. With both Luke and the title of The Last Jedi threatening the end of the ancient order, it’ll be interesting to see if any other new Force factions crop up in the film.

Introducing C’ai Threnali

During 2017’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, Lucasfilm introduced a new character that will debut in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Like the X-Wing fighter pilot Ello Asty from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the new character named C’ai Threnali is a male member of the Abednego species and a pilot in the Resistance.

New Last Jedi Character Revealed - IGN Access

As reported by IGN, C’ai Threnali was introduced as a life-sized character model stationed at The Last Jedi booth amid a re-creation of a Resistance war room. The official description of the character reads as follows: “A skillful fighter pilot of Abednedo descent, C’ai Threnali flies as Poe Dameron’s wingman following the evacuation of D’Qar.”

D23 brings fresh footage

During Disney’s biennial fan event D23 expo, Lucasfilm, and Walt Disney Studios released a behind-the-scenes video for Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi that offered some fresh footage from the much-anticipated film.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Behind The Scenes

Along with some new scenes featuring Daisy Ridley’s Rey training with Jedi master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the video offers a peek at several explosive scenes with both the New Republic’s Resistance forces and what appears to be the remnants of the Galactic Empire and the rising First Order.

Several other, familiar faces also appear in the video, including John Boyega’s former stormtrooper, Finn, and Oscar Isaac as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. Veteran franchise actor Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) also appears in the video, and in a bittersweet series of scenes, deceased actress Carrie Fisher can be seen in her last performance as General Leia Organa.

New faces, new names, and a look behind the scenes

As part of Vanity Fair’s coverage of The Last Jedi, the magazine released a series of photos of the cast and creative team in May 2017, snapped by celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz. The photos were accompanied by a behind-the-scenes video that offered a peek at the cast in costume, various sets, and maybe most importantly, more than a few light sabers.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - On Set Exclusive | Vanity Fair

Among the photos released by the magazine are the first, official looks at a few new characters joining the franchise in The Last Jedi.

Among the fresh faces photographed in costume is Benicio Del Toro, who reportedly plays “a shady character of unclear allegiances … who goes unnamed in the film but is called DJ by the filmmakers.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The magazine’s report also reveals that the new character named Rose Tico, played by Kelly Marie Tran, will play one of the biggest new roles in the film. Rose is described as “a maintenance worker for the Resistance” who becomes involved in “a mission behind enemy lines with [John] Boyega’s Finn.”

There’s also a photo of Laura Dern’s character, “a prominent officer in the Resistance named Vice Admiral Holdo.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

More photos and reporting from the magazine’s coverage of The Last Jedi can be seen at the Vanity Fair website.

The first trailer

As many fans (and industry pundits) predicted, Disney and Lucasfilm premiered the first trailer for Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi during 2017’s Star Wars Celebration event in Orlando, Florida.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Official Teaser

Packed with ominous imagery and suggesting that the time of the Jedi could indeed be nearing its end, the trailer hinted at dark things to come for Rey, Finn, and the rest of the franchise’s current cast of characters.

A big chase

The spies of MakingStarWars.net have been keeping an eye on production, and they’ve seen some interesting things. Based on the website’s intel, there will be an interesting chase scene with Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) on horseback. Rumor has it the pursuit will take place on Canto Bight, a gambling-heavy planet, and they’ll be riding on special space race horses called falthiers. Apparently, the chase will culminate in Finn and Rose’s escape to a coffee shop of sorts that the site describes as “like a neon Starbucks.”

That which we call a rose

Fans of the franchise were introduced to Kelly Marie Tran during the Star Wars Celebration in Orlando in mid-April, as Deadline reports. We’ll see a lot of the actress in The Last Jedi. Her character, Rose, is a maintenance worker for the Resistance who gets caught up in the action thanks to Finn and Rey (Ridley).

Just starting to get these developed & scanned. A little dark but they came out alright! pic.twitter.com/5EKxuK8Zwz

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) April 28, 2017

Being able to reveal her role was probably a relief to Tran; she initially had to tell her family and friends that she was working on an indie flick in Canada because she was not allowed to tell them she snagged a role in Episode VIII. Oh, the secrecy.

A dark turn?

There have been hints that the Luke Skywalker we know won’t be the one who shows up in The Last Jedi. Ridley hinted at big surprises during the Star Wars Celebration in Orlando.

“Rey has a certain expectation as to what she might be getting from Luke and what that might entail,” she said, according to Deadline. “It’s difficult when you meet your heroes, because it might not be what you expect.”

She hinted that the iconic character could be “being challenged or going in a different direction,” and Hamill threw fuel on the fire with similar comments about his character.

“It was as shocking to me to read what Rian [Johnson] had written as I’m sure it will be for the audience,” he said, according to the International Business Times.

An ominous title

All of the speculation regarding the film’s full title was finally put to rest on January 23, 2017, when the project’s official title was revealed to be Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The announcement was made on StarWars.com, and although it answered a long-standing question about the film, it also prompted even more guessing games among fans.

Could the titular last Jedi be Luke? Per Yoda’s dying speech in Return of the Jedi, “When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be.” Maybe the title refers to Rey, who is poised to study under Luke in the upcoming film?

As Jedi is both the singular and plural form of the word, there is a lot of ambiguity in the title. If foreign translations of the title are accurate, however, it seems there will be more than one Jedi in the film. The Spanish translation of the title is Los Últimos Jedi; unlike in English, adjectives in Spanish match the noun they modify in number, and “últimos” is the plural form of the word.

#StarWars: #LosÚltimosJedi, 15 de Diciembre en cines. pic.twitter.com/G5AF9yPccg

— Star Wars España (@StarWarsSpain) February 17, 2017

The other foreign translations of the title, such as the French and Italian, also use plural adjectives, so the evidence seems overwhelming. Exactly how many Jedi can fans expect to see? For now, we must wait to find out.

Brick by brick

Johnson — the director of Looper, Brick, and three episodes of Breaking Bad — signed on in 2014 to write and direct Episode VIII, as well as to provide a film treatment for Episode IX (to be directed by Jurassic World‘s Colin Trevorrow). Though legitimate leaks from Disney or the film’s set are few and far between — in fact, the Star Wars team reportedly hired out drone operators to prevent unauthorized drones from capturing on-set footage in Croatia — Johnson’s Tumblr page provides some photographic insights into the film’s production timeline.

In particular, one photo shared by Johnson stirred up conversation and controversy. Shared in June with the not-so-cryptic caption, “In the home stretch,” Johnson’s snap of (ostensibly) a Jedi robe in front of a rocky backdrop drove fans to wild conclusions about the robe’s owner and the potential hidden meaning behind the photo.

http://rcjohnso.tumblr.com/post/145623121700/in-the-home-stretch

Principal photography for Episode VIII began in February, per the official website. After nearly five months of filming, Daisy Ridley (Rey) confirmed that the movie was finished shooting via her Instagram account.

And that is a wrap on Star Wars Episode VIII. My heart is brimming. #reyout pic.twitter.com/uoEHE37pS3

— Daisy Ridley (@_DaisyRidley_) July 13, 2016

In July, the official Star Wars account on Twitter also posted a brief video confirming that filming had indeed concluded on Episode VIII.

Final slate of the final shot. VIII is officially wrapped. Cannot wait to share it with you all! –@rianjohnson pic.twitter.com/l4Apk0Ro4i

— Star Wars (@starwars) July 22, 2016

As with The Force Awakens, it appears Episode VIII will be a mysterious affair with intrigue swirling around every facet. Legendary composer John Williams, a 50-time (!) Academy Award nominee and five-time winner, told Variety in a June interview that “… if I can do [the music for Episode VIII], I certainly will.” Williams scored Episode VII, and is confirmed to be scoring the next installment in the Indiana Jones franchise as well. It appears the musical mastermind has developed an affinity for aspiring Jedi Daisy Ridley. “I’m happy to do it,” said Williams, “but the real reason is, I didn’t want anyone else writing music for Daisy.”

Though Episode VIII was originally slated for release in May 2017, the studio’s decision to push the movie back to December appears to have had some far-reaching effects on the film industry. Though it’s unclear if Episode VIII is primarily responsible, following the news of the Star Wars delay, 20th Century Fox announced that James Cameron’s Avatar 2 would not be ready in time for its tentatively scheduled Holiday 2017 release.

It seems likely that Fox doesn’t want to compete with Episode VIII, as Episode VII broke domestic box office records and currently stands as the third-highest grossing film of all time, behind Titanic and the first Avatar.

New heroes and familiar faces

Many fans were excited about The Force Awakens  casting of Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) as silver-plated stormtrooper Captain Phasma, and some were subsequently disappointed when Phasma’s role in Episode VII boiled down to a few stern lines for and an easy capture. Those fans may take solace in the confirmation of Phasma’s return for Episode VIII. “[Phasma] is an important character … A baddie in the best sense of the word,” said Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy in December. Here’s hoping her shiny chrome armor will house a bit more of that Brienne-of-Tarth toughness.

star-wars-force-awkens-phasma
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Though Disney and Lucasfilm generally keep their cards close to the chest when it comes to casting, a few actors and actresses of note have been confirmed as having roles in Episode VIII. Laura Dern (Jurassic Park, Wild) and Kelly Marie Tran — known for her appearances in several short films and College Humor videos — are both set to appear in as-yet undisclosed roles.

The bigger casting coup by Johnson & Co. comes in the form of Academy Award-winning actor, Benicio del Toro (Sicario, Traffic). The actor has made his bones portraying eccentric and unique characters that often reside in the gray areas between “good” and “evil,” but his role is still shaded in mystery.

“They don’t let me talk about it that much,” said del Toro in a 2015 interview with rac1.org. “I’m like the villain,” Toro added, “but we’ll see.”

Despite the inclusion of veterans del Toro and Dern, the new trilogy has largely put its future in the hands of young, up-and-coming actors, including Ridley, Jon Boyega, and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), emboldening the studio to bring in more of the same. Collider reported in October that 33-year-old upstart Gugu Mbatha-Raw (BelleBeyond the Lights) could be joining the Episode VIII cast. However, Screenrant reported in January that 24-year-old British actress Bel Powley (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) might be in line for the same role.

As of September 2015, been rumored that three other women were in the running for an unclear — but significant — role.

Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Olivia Cooke (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), and Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) reportedly read alongside Boyega for chemistry purposes, which indicates that Rey might not be the only romantic interest for Finn in Episode VIII. It’s unclear whether the role they’re competing for is the same as Mbatha-Raw and Powley’s.

At least one Hollywood mainstay could have a cameo in Episode VIII, however. According to Makingstarwars.net, Tom Hardy (Max Max: Fury RoadThe Dark Knight Rises) may also make an appearance.

cinemafestival/Shutterstock
cinemafestival/Shutterstock

Hardy recently touched on the cameo rumors, too. When asked if the rumors were true, Hardy did not deny them — not explicitly anyway — telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I don’t know if I can even say that.” Hardy went on to say that the internet is a “glorious web of deceit and misinformation,” but when the interviewer asked if the rumor about his alleged role was misinformation, he merely said “It could be, couldn’t it?”

On top of all the new casting decisions, most of the stars from Episode VII have been confirmed for the sequel. We’ve already mentioned Ridley, Boyega, Christie, and Driver, but below are some others set to appear in the next installment.

  • Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa
  • Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
  • Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron
  • Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
  • Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata
  • Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke (motion capture)
  • Domnhall Gleeson as General Hux
  • Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca

A dark time for the rebellion?

In a May interview with Variety at Cannes, Boyega intimated that the tone of Episode VIII would (as expected) be darker than the previous installment in the series, and “bigger.” (Powley was also present for the interview as both actors were receiving awards, though neither Boyega or Powley revealed any information regarding her possible appearance in Star Wars.) Isaac echoed Boyega’s claims in his Rolling Stone cover story, saying there’s “a lot more to do” in Episode VIII and that all three heroes — Rey, Finn, and Poe — will be tested.

Curiously, Rian Johnson offers a different view on the tone of the story. Speaking to USA Today, Johnson said he wants the film “to be a blast and to be funny and to be a ride the way The Force Awakens and the original Star Wars movies were.”

Like Boyega and Isaac, Johnson did reiterate that the protagonists would be tested, saying “I wanted to know more about each of them, and that doesn’t just mean information or backstory. Figure out what’s the most difficult thing each of them could be challenged with now — let’s throw that at them and dig into what really makes them tick by seeing how they handle that.”

Unexpectedly, Fisher may have also spilled the beans a little bit while speaking at July’s Star Wars Celebration event in London. After mishearing a fan’s question, she mentioned that the funeral for Han Solo would be taking place offscreen between Episodes VII and VIII. We can’t be sure, but avoiding on-screen cremations would be a departure for the series (see: Jinn, Qui-Gon; Skywalker, Anakin).

Fisher’s death and family dynamics

Fisher’s sudden death in December was heartbreaking for fans, not to mention her colleagues. For the people behind the new trilogy, however, it also poses a challenge, as they must now decide what to do with the character of Leia. Those decisions will likely only matter for Episode IX; according to a report by Deadline, Fisher had already finished filming her scenes for Episode VIII.

Star Wars has always been a family affair, and to that point, rumors have been flying left and right about the relationship (and history) between Luke and Rey. There’s speculation regarding the First Order’s next move and the potential roles for both Finn and Poe.

Many fans foresee the reveal of a familial relationship between Luke and Rey, which could explain her preternatural Force sensitivity as well as her mysterious past. According to a rumor circulated via Reddit, the planet Ahch-To — where Rey meets Luke in the final scene of Episode VII — may be the site of some serious Force usage. The rumor involves Luke blowing up a building with his mind (!), a force power that we haven’t yet seen in the Star Wars universe. Given that telekinesis, mind control, and force lightning are already in the Jedi toolkit, pyrokinesis doesn’t seem that far-fetched.

While the rumors that Luke may be related to Rey are just that for now, Johnson did indicate that Luke is the emotional heart of the film, according to the USA Today interview. The director also emphasized the importance of Rey’s family issues, saying “that was a really powerful part of her setup and something I really wanted to dig into with this.” It seems like the film will not waste any time diving into their relationship, and may open where Episode VII left off, with Rey meeting Luke on a remote island. “I don’t want to skip ahead two years. I want to see the very next moment of what happens,” Johnson elaborated.

A March article from Inquisitr also details rumors that Laura Dern’s character could end up in a power struggle against Poe for control of the Resistance in the wake of some sort of injury to Leia. The piece also mentions that Luke and Rey are expected to travel the galaxy, rather than settle for a Dagobah-esque training montage on Luke’s lonely island. A casino-type setting is even rumored.

Anoter report from Inquisitr — this time, in June — claims that Luke and Rey are not blood related, but that Rey could be some kind of reincarnated Force prodigy that represents the light side of the Force. The report details a flashback showing a powerful tree that corrupts a boy and saves the life of a girl, leading to the creation of the Jedi order.

Rebels on the offensive and other rumors

More recently, a report surfaced on a mysterious blog that included several details about the plot in Episode VIII. Sourced from an anonymous insider referred to as “General Flux,” the site claims that Finn and Poe will go on the offensive in the next film, clashing primarily with General Hux and Captain Phasma. This makes sense from a story perspective, as Kylo Ren and Rey seem like natural enemies given their force sensitivity, which means Finn and Poe will require villains of their own to battle.

Fans of the animated series Star Wars Rebels may even see some familiar creatures in Episode VIII. According to a report by Making Star Wars, a species of birds called convorees inhabit the planet where Luke Skywalker is staying. These birds make occasional appearances in Star Wars Rebels, but their significance in Episode VIII — if they even appear at all — is a mystery.

That’s what we know so far, but check back with us often as this piece will see constant updates as we lead up to the big premiere.

Updated March 20, 2018, with a behind-the-scenes clip from the film.

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Nick Hastings
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick is a Portland native and a graduate of Saint Mary's College of California with a Bachelor's of Communication. Nick's…
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