Co-writer Chris Terrio is Rolling Stone‘s latest The Rise of Skywalker interview.
He talks about developing the films, how to go about writing Star Wars “for real” and more. He also talks about going beyond the movies, and not just the cartoons – Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath books get a shoutout.
They’re filming Episode IX, but Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac both have movies coming out (The Little Stranger and Operation Finale) and are making the press rounds. They can’t say much about IX, obviously, but there are a few things of note, plus a check-in with Keri Russell and Dominic Monaghan.
J.J. Abrams’ Episode IX will begin filming on August 1 at London’s Pinewood Studios, StarWars.com has announced, confirming that Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher (via unused The Force Awakens footage) will be returning.
Interestingly, the release calls IX “the final installment of the Skywalker saga.”
As expected, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Anthony Daniels, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd are also returning. They’re being joined by new (to Star Wars) faces, Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant.
The role of Leia Organa will once again be played by Carrie Fisher, using previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. “We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” says Abrams. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”
Composer John Williams and Director of Photography Dan Mindel are also returning.
Kelly Marie Tran stops by Oh My Disney (with BB-8!) and Fangirling to talk shooting The Last Jedi, ships, and working with John Boyega and Benicio del Toro.
Multiple sightings (Reddit, SWNN) are showing that The Last Jedi digital release may be March 14, nearly two weeks ahead of the (still unannounced) release of the Blu-Ray copies on March 27. The digital and physical releases for both The Force Awakens and Rogue One were only a few days apart. Word is we’ll get an official announcement on the 20th.
The Last Jedi has now made more than $1.3 billion, making it the all-time 9th-biggest global grosser. It’s unlikely to go any higher as we start heading into blockbuster season, with Fifty Shades Freed and Black Panther on the horizon. Scott Mendelson at Forbes writes why it’s still (duh) a big win for Disney.
→ Domhnall Gleeson was at Sundance for National Lampoon biopic A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and we’ve gotten several interviews from him that touch on the sequel trilogy. In an IMDB interview, he revealed the origins of Hux’s blaster scene.With The Huffington Post, he talks about Hux and the aim of the character, while on the Happy Sad Confused podcast he touches on The Last Jedi‘s “broken phone call,” surviving the film, and his relationship with Kylo Ren. Also recently unearthed in a Japanese guide to The Force Awakens is a behind the scenes photo of Gleeson (with J.J. Abrams) filming the snow rescue scene that was cut.
Wired’s Autocomplete Interviews are always fun, and this one with some of The Last Jedi cast (Mark Hamill, Laura Dern, John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran, Daisy Ridley and Domhnall Gleeson) certainly delivers.