K.T Simpson
Following on from the last lot of new images and story reveals for “The Last Jedi” comes some more out of EW’s article. We’ve summed up all the good bits below, but again stop reading if you don’t want to know anything prior to the December release!
Leia Organa
After Carrie Fisher’s untimely passing in December, “The Last Jedi” will see her final performance as Princess Leia. Her commitment to fighting for her galaxy continues in the 8th installment, and she remains in charge of the Resistance movement. Not only is she dealing with the First Order on the brink of taking over, but she is also mourning the loss of Han Solo at the hands of their son Ben, aka Kylo Ren.
As she always does, she finds hope in any situation and her story in “The Last Jedi” will be largely intertwined with Poe Dameron’s (Oscar Isaac).
“Poe’s arc is one of evolving from a heroic soldier to a seasoned leader, to see beyond the single-mindedness of winning the battle to the larger picture of the future of the galaxy,” Isaac says. “I think Leia knows she won’t be around forever and she, with tough love, wants to push Poe to be more than the badass pilot, to temper his heroic impulses with wisdom and clarity.”
Though Rian Johnson doesn’t state, it’s believed that Leia may also have a history with Laura Dern’s Vice Admiral Holdo. There will of course be conflict and alliances within the Resistance movement, but that remains to be seen until you see the film.
“The secrecy does have a purpose in that part of the fun with Laura’s character, with Admiral Holdo, is figuring out what her relationship is to everybody as you go along through the movie,” Johnson says.
Johnson further states that the heat within the Resistance is cranked up to 11, seeing relationships being tested as they fight against the First Order.
And of course, the 9th film is being re-written sans-Leia, so this will be our final goodbye to our Princess. But what of her goodbyes?
“There’s no way that we could’ve known this would’ve been the last Star Wars movie she would be in, so it’s not like we made the film thinking that we were bringing closure to the character,” Johnson says. “But watching the film, there’s going to be a very emotional reaction to what she does in this movie.”
L to R: Director Rian Johnson with Carrie Fisher (Leia) on set
Credit: David James/ILM/© 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd.
Benicio Del Toro’s character
Up until now, Del Toro’s inclusion in “The Last Jedi” has been shrouded in mystery. What we now know is that his character goes by the name of “DJ”, and his one-liner goes like this: “DJ is an enigmatic figure whose tattered, threadbare clothes and lackadaisical attitude conceal a sharp mind and expert skills.”
Benicio Del Toro, a newcomer to the saga, plays the shifty character “DJ” #StarWarsTheLastJedi #StarWars #VanityFair pic.twitter.com/EGmazhVGWI
— Vahn (@ImTheFilmEditor) May 25, 2017
DJ is also part of a mission with Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) as they voyage to Canto Bight, the Vegas of “Star Wars”. All his involvement in the mission remains to be seen, but as for the casino, it’s described as follows:
“With so much money and jewelry on display, and so many powerful figures gathered from throughout the various star systems, the casino is surrounded by law enforcement. There are landing pads for spike-winged police speeders, with armored security officers patrolling the perimeter.”
Canto Bight
It’s noted that DJ is neither good nor evil, but in his own words: “To him, the heroes and the villains aren’t enemies — they’re opponents”. Boyega notes that DJ is after what will benefit him, a dodge character after financial gain.
Rey’s family history
It won’t be spoilt here, but Rey’s mysterious past will be revealed in “The Last Jedi”. The questions surrounding her family, her destiny and her origin will all be addressed in “Star Wars 8”.
Actress Daisy Ridley commented on the reveals of Rey’s history:
“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”
Ridley further states that in “The Last Jedi”, no one easily falls into the good or bad side. There is always a potential for change, for better or for worse, and make decisions that could sway either way.
Rey (Daisy Ridley)
Furthermore, we will find out a little more about Finn’s history, but it won’t be explored in depth in this installment. But we will discover a little more about his past and how he came escape being a Stormtrooper.
The Dark Side
Where there are heroes, there are of course villains and they too will be a large part of “The Last Jedi”. Starting with Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver), Leia & Han’s rogue son, the 8th flick will see him coming to terms with his committing of his father’s murder.
From director Rian Johnson:
“Kylo represents kind of the rebellious anger that you feel during that period. Honestly, sometimes it’s a healthy desire to push away from the place that you know, from the things that you came from. But he obviously does it in an extreme that’s not healthy at all.”
Not only does Kylo have his internal battles to mull over, he also has an external one with Rey. Han Solo was a father figure to her, and now she has a grudge and a personal vendetta against Kylo.
Expect there to be a presence of the late Han Solo, even if not a physical one. Wait and see how his spirit manifests in “The Last Jedi”.
Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer
Gwendoline Christie’s merciless First Order officer Captain Phasma has a more significant role in “Star Wars 8”, with a showdown with Finn on the cards. While there won’t be a backstory for Phasma per se, we will get to see her leading an assault on a Rebel base. Sweet.
Our furry friend Chewbacca (Joona Suotamo), while not a villain of course, will be dealing with his grief at the loss of lifetime pal Han Solo. Consequently, he will be more volatile than usual, as he deals with his depression.
“Chewie’s doing all right. It’s tough. It was obviously a big loss for him, but, you know, he’s Chewie. He’s resilient,” Johnson says. “He’s got broad Wookiee shoulders, and he also has a new mission. He’s got Rey, and she’s someone that Han, to a certain extent, handed the keys to. So I think that that helps.”
For fans of Maz Kantana (Lupita Nyong), bad news – there will be less of her to see but she does show up for an important part in the spotlight. Per EW: “Maz has insights into the past, and for a film about history, family connections, and the way the Force shapes destiny, she is bound to deliver important information.”
