After taking last December off, it is “Star Wars” season once again. “The Rise of Skywalker” is here to dominate all pop culture discourse for at least a couple weeks. Maybe longer, since this will be the last new “Star Wars” movie we get until 2022. And boy, what a discourse it will be.
So far “The Rise of Skywalker” has earned the second-worst Rotten Tomatoes percentage, at 57 percent as of this writing, of the franchise, with only “The Phantom Menace” getting a worse mark. Even “Attack of the Clones” managed to get a 65-percent positive rating. Not that a Tomatometer score is necessarily a good gauge of how a film will be remembered, but it certainly works as a gauge for the how the discourse is going right now.
With the “Star Wars” films going on break for the next three years after “The Rise of Skywalker,” and given that “The Mandalorian” hasn’t really driven much in the way of fun “Star Wars” discourse outside of all those Baby Yoda memes, maybe it’s a good thing that we got a film that’s causing so much consternation. We don’t get enough chances as it is to fight with everyone we know about something that actually doesn’t really matter. So we have to make it count when the opportunity arises.
Given the impending hiatus for the films, it’s valid to wonder if “The Rise of Skywalker” might want to get into the post-credits scene game. Not all post-credits scenes are teases for future movies — there are plenty that simply serve as an extended epilogue. So is now the time when “Star Wars” joins this popular trend, by throwing in a bonus mid- or post-credits scene?
Unfortunately for fans hoping for any extra content during or after the credits, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” has no post-credits or mid-credits scenes. Once the credits begin, the movie has no more content for you beyond just the credits themselves. We’ve still never had a post-credits scene on any “Star Wars” movie.
Given how many people put in a lot of work to bring the film to life, it’s not the worst idea in the world to stick around in appreciation for their effort. But if you gotta go, you gotta go — and you can rest assured you aren’t missing something crucial if you head out when the credits start.
36 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2019, From 'It Chapter Two' to 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' (Photos)
We're in the home stretch. The final quarter of the year brings with it some mega blockbusters, Oscar hopefuls and indie darlings. As part of our fall movie preview, here are the 36 movies we're most excited for in the coming months.
Universal/Sony/Disney/Warner Bros./Paramount
"It: Chapter Two" - Sept. 6 (New Line)
Andy Muschietti's first "It" film brought in $700.3 million worldwide on the back of a terrifying performance from Bill Skarsgård as the monster clown Pennywise. And the excitement of that film spurred the new film's A-list cast, including Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and Bill Hader as grown-up members of The Losers Club. The sequel, though, clocks in at two hours and 49 minutes.
Warner Bros./New Line
"Hustlers" - Sept. 13 (STX Entertainment)
Look at those money moves. The impressive cast of pop star royalty behind “Hustlers,” including Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B and Lizzo, helps bring some hip hop attitude and style to the true story of a group of strip club dancers who swindled their clientele of often corrupt Wall Street brokers. Lorene Scafaria’s (“Seeking a Friend For the End of the World”) film is inspired by a New Yorker magazine article by Jessica Pressler, and the finished product is like if “Ocean’s 8” met “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Constance Wu, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart also star in the film.
STX Entertainment
"Ad Astra" - Sept. 20 (20th Century Fox)
Director James Gray's sumptuous, slow-burn character dramas have always found an audience with critics and cinephiles. His latest puts him into the sci-fi realm and pairs him with a cast that includes Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland. The sweeping space scenes look impressive, but the film has been pushed back several times as a result of the Disney-Fox merger.
20th Century Fox
"Rambo: Last Blood" - Sept. 20 (Lionsgate)
Can Sylvester Stallone tap into the same nostalgia with "Rambo: Last Blood" that he did with the "Creed" movies? The early looks at "Last Blood" have been hyper-violent and show Stallone in something of a "Home Alone" scenario as he fights off waves of intruders to his property looking to exact revenge from his past.
Lionsgate
"Downton Abbey" - Sept. 20 (Focus Features)
The feature film for "Downton Abbey" takes place 18 months after the ending of the original series, which concluded on New Year's Eve 1926. Now in 1927, the family is expecting a visit from the King and Queen, and the family needs to bring back their retired butler Carson (Jim Carter) to help with the arrangements.
Jaap Buitendijk / Focus Features
"Judy" - Sept. 27 (Roadside Attractions)
Renée Zellweger looks spot-on as Judy Garland in this biopic that follows the legendary star during the winter of 1968 as she arrives in London for a series of sold-out concerts. Rupert Goold directed the film that's based on a Garland stage play called "End of the Rainbow" by Peter Quilter.
Roadside Attractions
"Joker" - Oct. 4 (Warner Bros.)
Todd Phillips' "Joker" still feels like something of an enigma. Rather than your typical superhero origin story, the backstory of the famed Batman villain stars Joaquin Phoenix as part of a larger character drama as he struggles with his career as a comedian and seeks acceptance in society. Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, Marc Maron, Shea Whigham and Brian Tyree Henry also star in the film that nods to Martin Scorsese cult favorites like "The King of Comedy."
Warner Bros.
"Lucy in the Sky" - Oct. 4 (Fox Searchlight)
After demonstrating prolific work on "Legion" and "Fargo," Noah Hawley is making his feature debut with "Lucy in the Sky," which stars Natalie Portman as an astronaut who starts to lose touch with reality after visiting outer space. Hawley's story is loosely inspired by the criminal activity of Lisa Nowak, an astronaut who was charged with the attempted kidnapping of a U.S. Air Force captain. Jon Hamm, Dan Stevens, Zazie Beetz, Nick Offerman, Ellen Burstyn and Tig Notaro also star in the drama.
Fox Searchlight
"Pain and Glory" - Oct. 4 (Sony Classics)
"Pain and Glory" might be among the most personal films for Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar and a career highlight that's earning Oscar buzz for star Antonio Banderas. Banderas stars as a film director reflecting on his life choices, flashing back to his life as a young man and his relationship with his mother, played by Penélope Cruz, who owns the film in its early moments.
Sony Pictures Classics
"Gemini Man" - Oct. 11 (Paramount)
Will Smith is an assassin facing off against a younger version of himself in Ang Lee's thriller "Gemini Man." But the star of the film is really the advanced CGI technology in which Smith also plays the de-aged version of himself. The filmmakers accomplished the feat in a different manner than the de-aging used on Samuel L. Jackson for "Captain Marvel," crafting an entire digital character based on a Will Smith that looks just like the Fresh Prince.
Paramount Pictures
"Parasite" - Oct. 11 (Neon)
"Snowpiercer" and "Okja" director Bong Joon-ho's latest film, "Parasite," is a return to his native Korean language and a tantalizing drama that plays on the class divide between rich and poor. A poor family of conmen pose as expert tutors and servants and swindle their way into cushy jobs with an eccentric and gullible rich family. But the film naturally has a devilish twist that helped win him the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Neon
"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" - Oct. 18 (Disney)
In a strong year for Disney's live-action remakes, "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" goes beyond the original "Sleeping Beauty" story as Angelina Jolie returns for a new take on the villain. In the film directed by Joachim Rønning, Maleficent starts a battle after forbidding Aurora (Elle Fanning) from marrying a young prince. This time, Maleficent's war effort is helped by another race of dark, winged beasts led by Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Disney
"Zombieland: Double Tap" - Oct. 18 (Sony)
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin and director Ruben Fleischer are back in for more screwball gun-slinging and zombie attacks in a sequel to the 2009 comedy "Zombieland." The cast, particularly Stone, has exploded in stardom since the original's release, so a sequel now seems like a no-brainer. The trailers suggest they're willing to toy with more surprise cameos and wordplay along the way.
Columbia Pictures
"Jojo Rabbit" - Oct. 18 (Fox Searchlight)
In between "Thor" movies, Taika Waititi's new comedy is an "anti-hate satire" in which Waititi plays a cartoonish version of Adolf Hitler who exists as an imaginary friend in the mind of a little German boy during World War II. It's an absurd premise, and the film's first teaser is a colorful romp featuring Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen and Stephen Merchant.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
"The Lighthouse" - Oct. 18 (A24)
Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are unshaven, unkempt and unhinged lighthouse keepers living at the tail end of the 19th century. Their performances anchor an insane psychodrama from director Robert Eggers, making his follow-up to the horror film "The Witch." And it's all shot in an anxiety inducing black and white and old-fashioned, nearly-square aspect ratio.
A24
"Motherless Brooklyn" - Nov. 1 (Warner Bros.)
For his first directorial effort in nearly two decades, actor Edward Norton adapts and also stars in the acclaimed Jonathan Lethem novel. Relocating the neo-noir narrative to the 1950s in New York City, he plays a private detective with Tourette's Syndrome who finds himself ensnared in a citywide conspiracy at the hands of a master builder played by Alec Baldwin. The film also features a score by Daniel Pemberton, orchestration by Wynton Marsalis and an original song by Thom Yorke.
Warner Bros. Pictures
"Terminator: Dark Fate" - Nov. 1 (Paramount)
There have been several "Terminator" sequels since James Cameron's classic "T2: Judgment Day," but "Dark Fate" is the first one that brings Cameron back into the fold and aims to complete the story established in the original films. It's not just Arnold Schwarzenegger who's back, but also the original Sarah and John Connor, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong, who are fighting the war for humanity. "Deadpool" director Tim Miller should be more than equipped to make this an action spectacle.
Kerry Brown for Skydance/Paramount
"Harriet" - Nov. 1 (Focus Features)
Cynthia Erivo stars as legendary freedom fighter Harriet Tubman in this biopic from director Kasi Lemmons ("Eve's Bayou"). The historical drama also stars Janelle Monáe, Joe Alwyn and Leslie Odom Jr.
Focus Features
"The Irishman" - Nov. 1 (Netflix)
Martin Scorsese's eagerly awaited "The Irishman" will get a limited theatrical release in November just ahead of its streaming debut on Netflix. It's a massive gangster throwback to Scorsese's heyday of "Goodfellas" and "Casino," bringing back Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and even Joe Pesci out of retirement. It even pairs Al Pacino with Scorsese for what is incredibly the first time. But much of the film hinges on de-aging technology that makes De Niro and Pacino look decades younger in a saga about the man who claims he killed union boss Jimmy Hoffa.
Netflix
"Marriage Story" - Nov. 6 (Netflix)
Noah Baumbach's "Marriage Story," starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, launched ahead of its Venice Film Festival premiere with two hers-and-his teaser trailers. The film looks at divorce through two separate perspectives and the love story that leads up to the deteriorating relationship.
Netflix
"Doctor Sleep" - Nov. 8 (Warner Bros.)
The second Stephen King sequel this fall, "Doctor Sleep" is the follow-up to "The Shining" and stars Ewan McGregor as an adult Danny Torrance. He now comes face to face with a young girl with more incredible "shine" powers than he's ever seen. The horror film from Mike Flanagan has a hard R rating and strongly evokes Stanley Kubrick's horror classic.
Warner Bros.
"Charlie's Angels" - Nov. 15 (Sony)
Can a reboot of a 2000s action franchise based on a 1970s spy TV show work? If you have the colorful direction and story of Elizabeth Banks and a whole lot of "wigs, toys, clothes" and exploding peppermints, it just might. Kristen Stewart looks like she's having a ball alongside Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska. And the glitzy single from the dream team of Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey to go along with the film is a nice touch.
Sony Pictures
"Ford v. Ferrari" - Nov. 15 (Fox)
The American muscle and A-list talent on display in James Mangold's "Ford v. Ferrari" is the kind of slick biopic that doesn't get made often enough. Christian Bale and Matt Damon lead the cast of the story of how Ford enlisted a top car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and hot-shot driver Ken Miles (Bale) to beat Ferrari in the legendary 24 hour Le Mans race in 1966.
20th Century Fox
"A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" - Nov. 22 (Sony)
How do you make a movie about one of the nicest guys ever enter the entertainment business? Get the nicest guy in Hollywood. It's almost magical seeing Tom Hanks step into the shoes (and cardigan) of Fred Rogers for "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," which filmed on some of the original sets where "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" was produced for so many years. "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" director Marielle Heller focuses on a moment in Rogers' life where he managed to warm the heart of a cynical journalist writing a profile of the legendary children's host.
Lacey Terrell/Sony Pictures
"Frozen 2" - Nov. 22 (Disney)
It's been six years since "Frozen" became a modern Disney classic and a new merchandising empire. So there's a lot riding on "Frozen II," which goes beyond the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale and finds Elsa leaving the kingdom of Arendelle to discover the source of her enormous power. The first trailer looked inspiring, but the question is whether the film can deliver another soaring anthem on par with the original's Oscar-winning "Let it Go."
Disney
"Dark Waters" - Nov. 22 (Focus Features)
From director Todd Haynes ("Carol"), Mark Ruffalo stars in this environmental drama inspired by the true story of an attorney who took on the massive chemical company DuPont after connecting it to a series of unexplained deaths. It's based on a New York Times Magazine article called “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare,” and it also co-stars Anne Hathaway, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham, William Jackson Harper and Bill Pullman.
Getty Images
"Knives Out" - Nov. 27 (Lionsgate)
After conquering galaxies with "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," Rian Johnson took on this star-studded murder mystery as his ambitious pet project. Daniel Craig stars as a detective with a rich Southern drawl who investigates a wealthy, eccentric and backstabbing family for the murder of the family's patriarch. The twisty, comedic film that also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Katherine Langford, Lakieth Stanfield and Christopher Plummer.
Lionsgate/Claire Folger
"Queen & Slim" - Nov. 27 (Universal)
"Queen & Slim" is more than the story of the "black Bonnie & Clyde." Director Melina Matsoukas's debut film, with a script by Lena Waithe, is a timely American odyssey about a mismatched couple who see the country and all its colors. The two are on the run for the killing of a police officer during a traffic stop gone wrong. But it also is meant to be a universal story of being black in America as seen through the eyes of stars Daniel Kaluuya and newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith.
Universal Pictures
"The Aeronauts" - Dec. 6 (Amazon)
Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones go sky high in the visually impressive period drama from Tom Harper. Set in 1862, the film pairs a sheepish scientist (Redmayne) and a wealthy widow (Jones) as they attempt to soar to unprecedented heights in a hot air balloon. The film boasts some stunning aerial cinematography and also includes supporting performances from Himesh Patel and Tom Courtenay.
"The Aeronauts" / Amazon Studios
"Jumanji: The Next Level" - Dec. 13 (Sony)
"Jumanji: The Next Level" mixes up the fun of the last film by having the video game avatars played by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan jumble the human counterparts they're portraying. The twist allows the original cast to return without rehashing the same jokes and performances. And this time they're joined by Danny DeVito, Danny Glover and Awkwafina as they brave an arid desert and snowy mountain in the world's most dangerous game.
Sony
"A Hidden Life" - Dec. 13 (Fox Searchlight)
At its premiere in Cannes, "A Hidden Life" earned Terrence Malick his best reviews since 2011's "The Tree of Life." The World War II-era drama is just as spiritual and freeform as all his recent movies. But this one is based on the true story of an Austrian farmer named Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl), a conscientious objector who refused to fight for the Nazis. The nearly three-hour saga chronicles his love story with his wife, played by Valerie Pachner.
Fox Searchlight
"Cats" - Dec. 20 (Universal)
The trailer for "Cats" broke the internet when it was released, with online viewers launching countless memes and parodies at the sight of digital cats with the faces and bodies of Taylor Swift, James Corden, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen and Judi Dench. Love it or hate it, Tom Hooper's big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage hit has created enormous buzz, and we're purring at the chance to finally see it.
Universal Pictures
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" - Dec. 20 (Disney)
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" marks the conclusion to the Skywalker saga and perhaps the set-up for what fans can expect from future big-screen trilogies from both the "Game of Thrones" showrunners and Rian Johnson. J.J. Abrams, back on board after directing "The Force Awakens," has already revealed that Emperor Palpatine is still threatening the galaxy. And he's teased that there's "more to the story" of Rey's parentage than Kylo Ren previously let on.
Walt Disney Studios
"Bombshell" - Dec. 20 (Lionsgate)
Director Jay Roach's look at the downfall of Fox News' Roger Ailes is told from the perspective of the women who accused him of sexual harassment. Margot Robbie stars as a fictional news producer at the cable news giant, while Charlize Theron plays Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman is Gretchen Carlson and John Lithgow is Ailes. The script is by "The Big Short" writer Charles Randolph.
Lionsgate
"Little Women" - Dec. 25 (Sony)
There have been numerous film adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, but the cast that director Greta Gerwig has assembled for her follow-up to "Lady Bird" is like the "Avengers" of awards season. Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep star in the story that's been updated to play on new gender norms, with a modern sensibility.
Columbia Pictures
"1917" - Dec. 25 (Universal)
Not unlike "Dunkirk" from two years ago, "1917" tells the story of a heroic British military effort against the worst odds, but now the action has been relocated to World War I. Director Sam Mendes has assembled a cast that includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden, Colin Firth, Andrew Scott and George MacKay for this tense war epic.
Universal
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“Joker,” “Cats,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Terminator: Dark Fate” and many more hit theaters soon
We're in the home stretch. The final quarter of the year brings with it some mega blockbusters, Oscar hopefuls and indie darlings. As part of our fall movie preview, here are the 36 movies we're most excited for in the coming months.
Friday audiences didn't like 'Cats' much more than critics, giving the musical a C+ CinemaScore, while 'Rise of Skywalker' is the first recent 'Star Wars' pic not to earn an A.
J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker soared to $90 million at the Friday box office, putting the tentpole on course for a domestic debut in the $190 million range.
Not even The Force is immune to some sequel fatigue, despite the latest Star Wars pic being billed as a finale to the Skywalker saga. Two years ago, Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi — which divided fans — opened to $220 million domestically, preceded by a then-record $248 million for Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015.
Nevertheless, $190 million would be a huge number, as well as repping the third-best December launch of all time behind Force Awakens and Last Jedi. Friday's haul, which included $40 million in Thursday previews, is likewise high up on the list of all-time biggest first days for any time of the year, or No. 6, according to Comscore.
Movies hitting the big screen just before Christmas can enjoy unusually strong multiples during the final two weeks of the year, putting less pressure on the opening number.
Potential challenges facing Skywalker include mixed reviews and a B+ CinemaScore. It's the first Star Wars pic made by Lucasfilm and Disney not to earn an A from audiences. Exit scores on PostTrak are more promising.
Elsewhere, Universal and Working Title's Christmas event movie Cats is looking at a disappointing fourth-place finish behind holdovers Jumanji: The Next Level and Frozen 2 with a projected $8 million weekend, behind expectations.
On Friday, Cats took in an estimated $2.6 million after landing a dismal C+ CinemaScore from moviegoers and getting banished to the litter box by critics.
Directed by Tom Hooper, the PG pic hopes to make ground in the coming days as families become available. (Two years ago, The Greatest Showman bowed to $8.8 million over Christmas on its way to grossing $174.3 million domestically.) Cats cost $100 million to make after tax rebates and incentives. That doesn't include marketing costs.
Lionsgate's Bombshell is likewise coming in behind expectations in its nationwide expansion, albeit by a slimmer margin. The Fox News drama rounded out the top five Friday with an estimated $1.8 million for a projected weekend gross of $5.5 million-$6 million.
Of the three movies, Bombshell — an awards contender — boasts the best Rotten Tomatoes score (65 percent), followed by 57 percent for Star Wars and a mere 19 percent for Cats.
There’s no doubt that Princess Diana would be big on social media. The “people’s princess” had millions of followers before social media was even invented. Before we had selfies, she was one of the most photographed people in the world.
So it’s safe to say Instagram would have been her thing. Before social media, Princess Diana was already using photographs very strategically. She knew her power as a public figure, and she tried to bring awareness to various causes through photography.
She was pictured holding hands with a man suffering from AIDS, during an epidemic of the disease. The public didn’t know a lot about how HIV and AIDS were transmitted. By being photographed simply holding hands with someone with the disease, Princess Diana educated the public without a word.
Princess Diana was brilliant in her ability to use her image for the greater good. She never had the chance to try out social media, but her children have. And they’re using social media platforms to carry on her legacy.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are active on Instagram
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, made an Instagram account earlier this year. A lot of thought went into the Sussex Royal account. The couple was very careful about their color scheme, and all pictures are uniformly formatted with white borders.
Duchess Meghan apparently even studied Instagram algorithms. It’s not because they wanted to maximize likes on their selfies. They use their page almost exclusively for promoting charitable causes.
Every month they post about a new cause. And usually, pictures of the duke and duchess are taken at charitable events or other meetings to promote social causes.
One royal expert says it’s exactly what Princess Diana would have done on social media. According to the expert: “Diana would be so proud of what Harry and Meghan are doing with their platform at the moment – being creative with it, thinking outside the box, doing things differently.”
It’s not just social media
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may use Instagram to promote causes, but they’re not putting all their eggs in the social media basket.
The duchess also promoted various activists on her Vogue cover in September. The issue was highly publicized, and she undoubtedly brought a lot of awareness to some important causes.
Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry also took a trip to Africa this fall. The journey was highly publicized. Even people who don’t follow the royal couple on social media likely heard about the trip, and what they were doing there.
They retraced some of Princess Diana’s steps while there. Prince Harry was photographed walking across the same former minefield in Angola as his mother. The princess visited in the 1990s.
Prince Harry and Kate Middleton deserve some credit too
Markle and Prince Harry are often favorably compared to Princess Diana, but her other son is doing his part to further her legacy as well. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, also have an Instagram.
The Kensington Royal account also does its part to promote charities. Most recently, Duchess Kate was photographed during an event for the Family Action charity, and the pictures were posted on social media.
The older royal couple has more royal duties than Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, so naturally, their social media focuses more on the formal aspect of being a royal. It’s still important to note that they are very charitable and try to bring awareness to good causes when they can.
They may not have the same knack for public promotion as Princess Diana did or the freedom as Prince Harry, but Princess Diana clearly left her older son with an impressive sense of duty to the greater good.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker caps off a story that spans nine films over the last four decades. That's a lot of baggage to unload, and director J.J. Abrams attempts to pay off earlier elements while offering nods to the classic trilogy. That's a fine line to walk.
But just who is the Skywalker in the title? And does everything make sense?
I'll break down the ending of the film. There's a decent amount to unpack. But first, here's your courtesy spoiler alert.
One last warning: Spoilers below!
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Official Trailer (2019)
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The Rise of Skywalker ends with a massive space battle between the Resistance and the First Order, this time armed with a freshly built fleet of Star Destroyers because, well, it's Star Wars and that's how these movies end. At first, it's just the Resistance, but Lando Calrissian (a clearly having fun Billy Dee Williams) and Chewbacca rounded up seemingly every free ship in the galaxy for a massive assault. It's a visually impressive moment as the screen fills with ships jumping out of hyperspace.
The real action, however, is on the Sith planet of Exogol below, where Rey has her own fight against a resurrected Emperor Palpatine.
Throughout much of the latter half of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey (Daisy Ridley) has to deal with the revelation that she is Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter. She's not just Rey, she's Rey Palpatine. It's a retcon of The Last Jedi's idea that anyone could be a Force user and a meaningful player in this series. Nope, she's basically Force royalty.
And no, the movie doesn't bother to explain how Palpatine survive, but he's apparently been around the whole time pulling the strings, and even created Snoke.
Rey's flirtation with the dark side is a key theme that plays a role in her final struggle with Palpatine, and spills into her attempts to turn Kylo Ren back to the light side.
Like he did with Luke in Return of the Jedi, Palpatine invites Rey to strike him down and fulfill her legacy as the new emperor. She doesn't, of course, and gets help from Ben Solo, who dropped the Kylo Ren act earlier in the film after Rey impaled him with a lightsaber, only to use the Force to heal him. If you're surprised by that particular power, note that The Mandalorian sets it up in Episode 7. (Oh, there's no Baby Yoda in this film.) But Palpatine was expecting this, and taps into the Force powers of both Rey and Solo to fully revive his damaged body and sends Solo flying off a cliff.
As Palpatine cackles that he carries all of the Sith with him, a chorus of classic Jedi, from Yoda to Mace Windu and even Star Wars Rebels' Kanan voice their support for Rey, and she responds by saying she represents all Jedi. She brandishes both Luke and Leia's lightsabers in a very Wonder Woman-esque cross-pose and deflects the lightning that's attacking her, killing the emperor and herself in the process.
Solo climbs back up and proceeds to use the same Force healing technique to resurrect Rey. When she wakes up, they embrace and kiss, and he dies, having sacrificed his life energy to revive her.
And the Skywalker?
It's the final scenes that offer a true answer to who the Skywalker is and rebuts the idea that Rey is a Palpatine and evil. After a victory celebration, Rey travels to Tatooine, visiting the moisture farm Luke Skywalker grew up on. It's there she buries Luke and Leia's lightsabers together, and shows off her own new yellow lightsaber. Building your own lightsaber is one of the milestones on the way to becoming a true Jedi, and that glimpse is a nice visual cue of just how far she's come.
An old woman passes by and asks Rey who she is.
Rey looks out and sees the Force ghosts of Luke, Leia and Ben, and she answers, "Rey Skywalker."
So even if she's a Palpatine by blood, her time spent training under Luke and Leia, and her efforts to redeem Ben, forged her new family.
She and BB-8 stand in front of the twin suns of Tatooine, echoing the beginning of Star Wars and the end of Revenge of the Sith. Cue John Williams' epic score.
Note: This story was originally published earlier.
The Rise of Skywalker touted a marquee cast: Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, and John Boyega returning as the core team. Billy Dee Williams back as Lando Calrissian. Carrie Fisher resuming her regal role as General Organa thanks to the magic of Star Wars deleted scenes. Keri Russell, a J.J. Abrams favorite since the Felicity days, under a Boba Fett-like mask to play Zorri Bliss. The list goes on — and on and on and on.
Star Wars is the kind of property where name actors don’t mind filling small but important roles. Take Lord of the Rings and Lost star Dominic Monaghan, who shows up as a Resistance fighter who kinda sorta knows how the Emperor came back to life. Then there are the straight cameos: in Rise, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and longtime franchise composer John Williams both pop up in blink-and-you’ll-miss them moments, just because.
But perhaps the most fulfilling, inspired bit of cameo casting comes at the very end of The Rise of Skywalker, at a key moment that is definitely spoiler territory.
[Ed. note: the rest of this post contains major spoilers for Rise of Skywalker.]
As Rey stands down the Emperor in his dark chamber on Exegol, tempted to strike him down, the good-hearted warrior hears the voices of Jedi past.
“These are your final steps, Rey. Rise and take them.”
Like Korra in the Avatar: The Last Airbender spinoff The Legend of Korra, Rey is not only the obvious candidate to lead a new generation of Jedi, she’s literally possessing the power of every Jedi who walked before her. And as she faces her greatest enemy, her predecessors whisper words of encouragement through the ether. Some of the Jedi are recognizable. Others a viewer would only know if they’d kept up with the last decade of animated Star Wars television. Here’s a rundown of the surprising voices we hear in this key scene.
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker
Though replaced by beloved voice actor Matt Lanter in The Clone Wars TV series, Christensen returns to his role as Brooding Older Anakin Skywalker to remind Rey that the Force “surrounds” her. It’s the first time he has appeared in a Star Wars movie since Revenge of the Sith (unless you count his Force ghost in re-edits of Return of the Jedi).
Christensen’s work as Anakin was not terribly well received, and in 2010, he took a four-year break from acting.
“I guess I felt like I had this great thing in Star Wars that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me,” Christensen told Los Angeles Times in 2017, while promoting the religious drama 90 Minutes in Heaven. “I didn’t want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave.”
Olivia d’Abo as Luminara Unduli
Despite deepening Star Wars canon since 2008, the mythology of creator Dave Filoni’s The Clone Wars has rarely crossed over into Lucasfilm’s theatrical blockbusters. Rogue One was a milestone, casting Forrest Whitaker to play a live-action version of Saw Gerrera and featuring a cameo by the Ghost, the main ship from Star Wars: Rebels. Rise of Skywalker brings the connections to the canonical animated universe to the Skywalker Saga for the first time, featuring a line-reading from Olivia d’Abo, who breathed life into Luminara after she appeared silently in Attack of the Clones.
Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano
There is no bigger Star Wars fan favorite who has never to set foot on the big screen than Ahsoka. The padawan of Anakin Skywalker, the character was the lifeblood of The Clone Wars and later appeared on Star Wars Rebels to help guide the young Jedi wannabe, Ezra. (Both shows are now on Disney Plus, so no excuses.) When or if Ahsoka would appear in a movie has been a sticking point for fans, though they’d have a hard time separating Ashley Eckstein’s vibrant voicework from whoever might play her in a live-action setting. While we’ll hold out for a Mandalorian appearance, her voice cameo in The Rise of Skywalker is a bit heartbreaking. After Rebels, it was unclear what happened to Ahsoka, but by the time the First Order crumbles, we know she’s passed on.
Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura
If you’ve spent an inordinate time looking at background shots of Jedi battles, you know Aayla Secura, who appeared in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Dave Filoni and his team of Clone Wars writers carved out more backstory and adventures for the Rutian Twi’lek, but Aalya is especially notable for not being a creation of George Lucas. She first appeared in Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars: Republic, only becoming modern canon through her inclusion in the prequel films. Hale, who played her on Clone Wars, keeps the legacy of the character going into the sequel trilogy.
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu
If viewers could pick out any of Rey’s motivators’ voices, it’s probably Jackson’s, who along with being a force of god on screen, has a reputation for great voiceover. After narrating Inglorious Basterds for longtime accomplice Quentin Tarantino, the actor delivered Oscar-worthy work speaking the words of James Baldwin in the recent documentary I Am Not Your Negro. The man can talk.
Mace Windu had a life after the prequel trilogy, with Terrence C. Carson performing the role on The Clone Wars for years. But in a recent interview with Stephen Colbert, Jackson he’d be interesting in returning to the role. “I’d really love to get one more run at Mace Windu in Star Wars,” he said. Lucasfilm, are you listening?
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
No one in all of the Star Wars galaxy matched the concentrated charisma of McGregor, so it’s not surprising that Disney and Lucasfilm are actually giving the actor one more run in his old Jedi robes. August, Lucasfilm formally announced that Ewan McGregor, who filled the shoes of Alec Guinness in Lucas’ prequel films, would return to the Star Wars universe in a new Obi-Wan TV series for Disney Plus. We’re already dreaming of the possibilities, and his voice cameo in Rise of Skywalker only got us more pumped.
Frank Oz as Yoda
OK, we take that back about Sam Jackson: there’s no Star Wars voice more recognizable than Muppet veteran Frank Oz’s elderly Yoda voice. After appearing in the rubber flesh for The Last Jedi, the OG Yoda returned to inspire Rey in the Rise of Skywalker’s pivotal scene.
Fun fact: veteran voice actor Tom Kane assumed the role for The Clone Wars TV series, and while there wasn’t room to squeeze him into the voice-heavy Episode IX scene, he already has a place in the sequel trilogy pantheon: He picked up the role of Admiral Ackbar after original actor Erik Bauersfeld passed away.
Angelique Perrin as Adi Gallia
Like Aayla Secura, Adi Gallia was a Jedi who appeared on screen in the prequel trilogy but didn’t have much to do. Unlike Aayla Secura, the Adi of the Clone Wars series is, like her live-action counterpart, played by a woman of color. Angelique Perrin, who most recently voiced characters in Cannon Busters, voiced the role over seven animated episodes and returned for The Rise of Skywalker.
Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus
Easily the biggest surprise to any millennial Star Wars fan who didn’t keep up with the animated expanded universe, former She’s All That and Summer Catch heartthrob Freddie Prinze Jr. pops up for a second in Rise of Skywalker’s aural Jedi collage. We don’t want to spoil too much of Rebels for the uninitiated, but Kanan is the rare mix of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, a Jedi who put down his saber for a blaster and life as a smuggler after his brethren were killed in Order 66. His story in Rebels will pull your heartstrings, making his inclusion in Rise of Skywalker emotional for a certain sliver of fans.
Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn
Last but not least, Neeson’s formidable Phantom Menace Jedi returns to the sequel trilogy to hep Rey battle a villain he didn’t live long enough to know as a villain. While Qui-Gon’s untimely death at the hand of Darth Maul kept him out of the main narratives of The Clone Wars, he did appear as a Force Ghost to instruct his former padawan Obi-Wan. And unlike most of the prequel trilogy actors, Neeson actually returned to play him.