Rian Johnson Talks Luke and Rey in ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’

With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story now in its fourth week in theaters, it’s already time to start shifting our attention to the next chapter in the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: Episode VIII, due out next Holiday season.

The Force Awakens was rather cryptic with its explanation of Luke Skywalkers self-imposed exile but the sequel’s director Rian Johnson offered up a few interesting tidbits telling USA Today “a large part of the of the movie” will be spent addressing why Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil) is on Ahch-To —  the planet believed to be home to the first Jedi temple — and what he’s going to do next.

The film will also focus on how Luke and Rey (Daisy Ridley) relate to one another. Johnson added:

“Part of what’s she’s dealing with is the realization that she has this power and this gift. She’s taking her first step to coming to terms with this thing inside her that she never knew was there and is just starting to reveal its potential.”

The last we saw Rey she was holding out Luke’s father’s lightsaber as her plea for him to return to the galaxy with her to restore balance to the force shifted into a demand. Rather than jump ahead a few years, Johnson reassured fans Episode VIII will break Star Wars tradition and pick up right where The Force Awakens left off:

“I don’t want to skip ahead two years. I want to see the very next moment of what happens.”

With Episode VIII already in the can, including Carrie Fisher’s scenes, Lucasfilm has begun to look to the future in order to develop a plan to rework the story for Episode IX due to the untimely death of the franchise’s beloved Princess.

Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow will meet this week with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy to weigh out the options of how to alter the storyline in a way that not only serves the franchise best but also honors the memory of Carrie Fisher.

Insiders told THR that at least two major scenes from the upcoming films will be affected including (spoiler warning) a reunion between Princess Leia and her brother, Luke Skywalker, and a confrontation between Leia and her son, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), over the murder of his father, Leia’s husband, Han Solo (Harrison Ford).

Star Wars: Episode VIII hits theaters December 15, 2017.

The film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, Benicio del Toro, Laura Dern, Kelly Marie Tran, and Andy Serkis. Written and directed by Rian Johnson.

SOURCE: USA TODAY

Daisy Ridley Says The Answer To Reys Parents is in ‘The Force Awakens’

“Whomever you’re waiting for on Jakku, they’re never coming back.” – Maz Kanata

When The Force Awakens cut to the end credits, the parentage of the franchise’s new lead heroine, Rey (Daisy Ridley), remained a mystery. The film was littered with clues that suggested Rey could either be the daughter or Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) or that her parents are characters we have yet to be introduced to.

While promoting the new documentary The Eagle Huntress, for which she serves as Executive producer, Ridley told Time Out London that she was caught by surprise at audiences reactions and their lack of understanding of her character’s origin:

“I thought a lot was answered in ‘The Force Awakens’. Then after the screening I went for a drink with my agent and everyone, and we were chatting away and I realized that oh, in their minds it’s not answered at all!”

Luke Skywalker has always been my favorite Star Wars character. Sure Han Solo is great but I never wanted to be Han. I wanted to be Luke. It wasn’t until Rey came along did the franchise have another character that came close to being as incredible as Luke for me. That being said, I will be pretty disappointed if she turns out not to be his daughter because I think if there has ever been a character worthy of the Skywalker name, it’s Rey.

Unfortunately, based on the clues in The Force Awakens and what we already know about the force, I don’t think Rey is Lukes daughter. Like Anakin, I think Rey is a vergence in the force. A vergence or nexus point was a phenomenon of the force that was centered on a place or around an object, and in some rare cases a person.

“I have encountered a vergence in the Force.”
“Located around a person?”

―Qui-Gon Jinn and Mace Windu on the discovery of Anakin Skywalker.

When the force is out of balance, the force itself will create a vergence to restore the balance between the light and the dark. With the dark side rising in Snoke and Kylo Ren — and Luke in exile on Ahch-To, it’s possible that Rey was created with the purpose of finding Luke and restoring balance to the force in the galaxy with him.

We’ll find out next Christmas when Star Wars Episode VIII hits theaters on December 15, 2017.

SOURCE: TIME OUT

Felicity Jones Talks Playing Jyn Erso

Star Wars isn’t just for boys anymore. Last Christmas, The Force Awakens introduced us to one of the greatest female heroines in history in the form of Daisy Ridley as Rey, who begins as an orphaned scavenger trying to get by on the junkyard of a planet known as Jakku as she embarks on her heroes journey which resulted in the discovery of the self-exiled hero of the galaxy, Luke Skywalker.

Continuing that trend this holiday, Lucasfilm will introduce us to another heroic female lead with Felicity Jones as the rebel soldier Jyn Erso who will lead the rebellion on their mission to steal the plans to the first Death Star which allowed Luke to destroy the superweapon in the original classic A New Hope.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, the oscar nominated actress discussed the empowering experience she hopes for girls to have when the experience Rogue One.

I just hope that girls like the movie and can invest in Jyn’s story and care about her. It is quite nice now that instead of a fish’s tail, girls can see a cool female character who’s got a blaster and can run really fast.

Jones also commented on how much she enjoyed the physicality required for playing the role of Jyn Erso.

I loved it because I got to kick some ass. I loved the physical side of making these larger films. I worked closely with the stunt teams and got to learn a new skill. I mean, you do go home covered in bruises, but it’s worth it.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters December 16, 2016.

SOURCE: VANITY FAIR

Daisy Ridley on Rey/Jyn Erso Theory

Daisy Ridley is making the rounds promoting her new documentary “The Eagle Huntress” which she served as the executive producer and narrator for. When speaking with Yahoo! Daisy was asked what she thought about the fan theories online which speculate that Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is actually the mother of Rey.

I don’t know. That’ll be interesting when I see Rogue One. But I don’t watch things and think in that way. So I think I’m just gonna watch it and be blown away.

For those wondering, there is very little chance that Jyn is the mother of Rey. At the time of Rogue One, Rey would not be born for another twenty years at least. The character of Rey is only nineteen years old in The Force Awakens which takes place thirty-two years after Return of the Jedi. Rogue takes place just before the classic trilogy which spans six years in the timeline. By the time Rey would be born, Jyn would most likely be in menopause.

On top of that, if there was ever any intention of Jyn being her mother, Lucasfilm would have already started planting the easter eggs to allude to that connection. As of now, there are only minor suggestions that Luke Skywalker could be her father but they are countered by just as much evidence that he is not her father. For me personally, the only clue I take seriously in regards to Rey’s parentage is at the very end of The Force Awakens end credits during John Williams’ incredible score when the force theme calls out only for Rey’s theme to answer it.

To read the full interview with Daisy including her thoughts on Felicity Jones as she embarks on the whirlwind of a press tour for Rogue similar to what Daisy experienced last year, head on over to Yahoo!

SOURCE: YAHOO!

JJ Abrams Talks ‘Star Wars’: “The Force Awakens” Reshoots

The 3D collections edition blu-ray for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is getting ready to hit shelves on November 15. Just a few days ago Lucasfilm released a clip from the film’s commentary track featuring director JJ Abrams commenting on that heartbreaking scene that left many fans with their guts ripped out.

Today Yahoo! has got the exclusive on another preview of the film’s commentary track featuring Abrams discussing one of the film’s most iconic moments when Rey (Daisy Ridley) takes a moment to focus and find the strength of the force within her as she duels with Kylo Ren.

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/star-wars-force-awakens-exclusive-125500342.html?format=embed

It’s interesting that JJ mentions the shot featuring Rey in her fiercest moment — no doubt channeling the dark side — was actually a reshoot added into the duel at a later point. This is most definitely an attempt to ease audience’s minds who are feeling a bit trepidatious over the infamous reshoots for the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

In addition to the reshoots for the duel in the snow, JJ Abrams has already gone on record stating that the chemistry between Rey and Finn (John Boyega) was not working after he reviewed dailies from the shoot in Abu Dhabi. At first, there was too much hostility between the two characters. Some scenes were completely reshot including much of what happened on the Millennium Falcon after the two escaped from Jakku. Harrison Ford’s on-set injury allowed Abrams to go back and rewrite the scenes he felt needed improvement.

Head on over to IGN to watch another clip from the commentary where Abrams describes the differences between what was originally shot for Rey and Finn’s first meeting compared to what was reshot for the film’s final cut.

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