If you are among the many who have been eagerly anticipating the new Star Wars movie, you may be more than a little disappointed. Although the official title of the latest film in the series is Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it seems that Disney and LucasFilm have decided to keep the title secret until the movie’s premiere.
The Last Jedi was previously known only as Episode 9 in the Disney+ series that is set to premiere on Dec. 4, then again on Dec. 18, and finally on Dec. 25. However, with less than two weeks to go, there is still no official confirmation as to the name of this final installment of the beloved series.
The Last Jedi is the third and final chapter of the nine-film series that began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and continued with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Director J.J. Abrams and writer Lawrence Kasdan return to the series to wrap up all the loose ends left over from the previous movies. The main protagonists Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) will be going head-to-head in a battle of wills, with the latter trying to complete his Jedi training and avoid being tempted by the dark side of the Force. The Last Jedi is a battle between good and evil, with the fate of the galaxy resting on the shoulders of these two unlikely heroes.
Behind the Scenes
The Last Jedi is the culmination of a nearly two-year development process that began with writer Lawrence Kasdan and his team developing story ideas for a potential ninth installment in the Star Wars series. For the past two years, the team of writers, directors, and producers have been working arduously to bring the story conceived by Kasdan to life. Although much of the story will remain a secret, certain details are beginning to leak out.
According to an anonymous source who has knowledge of the production, one of the early ideas that came from Kasdan was to explore Luke Skywalker’s redemption, having led an exemplary life as a Jedi knight. With Abrams at the helm, this idea was taken and developed further into a concept that would ultimately become The Last Jedi. One of the key moments that helped to confirm the direction of this new installment was a scene that was shot over a year ago but wasn’t included in The Force Awakens. This source tells us that one of the early drafts of the script included a line where Luke says, “I can accept my death, but not my heart.”
To prepare for the role, Luke underwent a rigorous training regime that involved him learning how to sword dance and properly use a lightsaber. One of the scenes that was cut from the theatrical version but was kept in the extended cut of the film was when Rey and Luke duel with lightsabers. This particular moment was included during the final scenes between Rey and Luke, as a representation of the fact that they have finally found their way back to each other. The two fight with their lightsabers, eventually coming to a stop and looking into each other’s eyes. It’s a rather emotional moment, and one that surely had an impact on the fans, given that the final installment of a nine-film series had to be delayed until 2019.
Final Trailer and Teaser
Although it was expected that Disney and LucasFilm would keep the title of The Last Jedi a secret until the movie’s premiere, it wasn’t quite that secure. A few weeks ago, a set of teaser images were discovered, revealing some pretty stunning snippets from the movie. The most striking image of the bunch is an overhead shot of Daisy Ridley’s Rey, dressed in a leather jacket that is set ablaze, as she looks up at the sky, searching for her fate. This image is a clear reference to one of the most crucial scenes in the movie, where Rey encounters the former Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.
In one of the teaser images, we also get to see Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker holding a lightsaber, looking rather dashing in his signature brown jacket. The other images showcase different shots of the character, looking rather heroic as he faces off against a horde of Stormtroopers, or an AT-AT walker.
As you may have guessed, the final trailer for The Last Jedi was rather exciting. The two-minute long video teasers have become rather popular among the YouTube community, with over 10.7 million views as of this writing. Many people have compared the video teasers to the work of filmmaker Ridley Scott, who also went unseen for many years before the release of his 2000 film, Gladiator. Like Scott’s film, The Last Jedi features mostly unseen scenes, with some beautiful and iconic images. It also sets up some major events for future installments in the franchise, finally bringing to a close the journey of Rey, Luke, and the rest of the original Star Wars trilogy cast, plus some new faces too. With only a few weeks to go before the premiere, fans are still trying to figure out how they’re going to feel when the title is finally revealed.