Everyone’s talking about The Mandalorian these days, so it’s easy to forget that a new Star Wars movie will be in theaters in just under a month. Disney has provided a nice reminder of that fact, though, in the form of a new clip from Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.
The 30-second clip features a combination of new Star Wars stars and veteran characters, with Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac), and BB-8 fleeing across the desert with Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). They soon find themselves pursued by First Order stormtroopers, and make a startling discovery: These stormtroopers have incorporated jetpacks into their armor and can take the chase to the air.
Directed by Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens filmmaker J.J. Abrams, The Rise of Skywalker promises to bring the modern sequel trilogy to a close and conclude the chapter of the sci-fi saga that began with The Force Awakens in 2015. Abrams co-wrote the script for the film with Academy Award winner Chris Terrio (Argo, Justice League).
As with past installments of the Star Wars franchise, little is known about the plot of The Rise of Skywalker at this point, but there are plenty of rumors about what the ninth episodic chapter of the series could have in store for key characters — including a potential revelation about Rey’s bloodline in the film. Disney has made it clear that the studio intends to take a hiatus from releasing new Star Wars films for several years following the release of The Rise of Skywalker, with the company pivoting to television and its Disney+ streaming service with The Mandalorian and an upcoming series focusing on iconic Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi, with Ewan McGregor reprising his role from the Star Wars prequel trilogy and spinoff projects.
The final, full-length trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiered October 21 during a broadcast of the NFL’s Monday Night Football. Tickets for the film went on sale just before the trailer’s debut.
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker is scheduled to hit theaters December 20.
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