The Rise of Skywalker panel at Star Wars Celebration was a complete delight! As I sat on the edge of my seat watching it via the live stream I took several screen caps and jotted down some quick notes of my favorite moments and interesting tidbits concerning the upcoming film. Of course my absolute favorite moment was when the teaser trailer was revealed at the end. It is absolutely incredible! If you haven't seen my reaction video yet you can watch it on this post.
One of the first things we learned about The Rise of Skywalker is that this film does not take place right after The Last Jedi. JJ Abrams also explained that the group, meaning that at the very least Rey, Finn, and Poe, go on an adventure together. This leads me to believe that we should see them interacting with each other quite a bit throughout the film. We also learned that newcomer Naomie Ackie's character is called "Jana" and that she will eventually meet up with the group. She had no comment as to whether or not she is Lando Calrissian's daughter.
We try to keep it as real as possible, as physical as possible. - JJ Abrams
This is one of the reasons why I love JJ as a Director so much. Not only do I think he is an extremely talented director but I really appreciate how much he strives to use real props, sets, etc. as much as he can in his movies. To me, it creates so much more of a realism while watching them and I think it's also a great nod to George Lucas' work on the original films.
Lando never left me. - Billy Dee Williams
When Billy Dee Williams made his entrance onto the stage I couldn't help but smile as tears built up quickly in my eyes. He was so pleasant and so appreciative of the chance to reprise his role as Lando Calrissian. He praised JJ saying, "I love his name. He is a beautiful young man. He is extraordinary." We also got a great peek at what his outfit looks like in the film which looks very much like something young Lando wore in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Quite dashing, wouldn't you say?
In this film he is a full fledged resistance sexy young man. - John Boyega
John is always passionate about Star Wars and has been since the beginning of his career as Finn. He seemed to be just as excited as the crowd at the reveal of his new outfit which, in my opinion, feels very Han Solo inspired. I definitely approve! When asked about Captain Phasma and whether or not she would be returning he replied with, "Phasma? She dead." I guess time will tell!
No one can pilot the Millennium Falcon like Han. However, Poe can literally fly anything. Poe is the better Uber driver. - Oscar Isaac
This was Oscar Isaac's response to when Late Show host, Stephen Colbert, asked Oscar who he thinks the better pilot is. I'd definitely agree with him on that one! Poe Dameron also has a snazzy new outfit complete with a scarf which I say needs to become something fans can buy when the film comes around in December. I mean, why not?
The lightsaber that Rey inherited from Luke lives. - Daisey Ridley
Daisy Ridley was as charming as ever and did her best to answer any question that came at her with precaution as to not give too much away. It was definitely wonderful to see her using the Skywalker lightsaber again in the teaser trailer! When asked what's up with her and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver was sadly not present) she smiled and answered with, "I guess the Kylo and Rey thing...we will have to wait and see." We also got a great look at her new outfit. I love that she now has a hood!
There are some extraordinary things that the character does in this movie. - JJ Abrams
When Colbert asked Daisy if she has any new Force abilities she was hesitant to answer and looked to JJ for help and this is exactly what he said. The Force has been used in ways we've never seen before in this trilogy so I'm excited to see what new things Rey has learned! We've already been given a tease as to what she is capable of in the trailer which is mind boggingly amazing!
In this movie BB-8 has a new friend. His name is D-O - JJ Abrams
BB-8 and R2-D2 were on the stage being as adorable as ever but I don't think anyone expected a third cutie to come onto the stage! D-O is a new droid in the film. I can't wait to see what his or her personality is like and what role they will have in the film.
It was an emotional day. - Kathleen Kennedy
The President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy herself explained that the last day of filming was an emotional one. JJ chimed in and referenced a photo of Daisy, John and Oscar hugging and explained how they truly love each other. It doesn't seem like this new trilogy began so long ago already and that it'll be coming to a close on December 20th. It's been an emotional journey for everyone involved with this franchise.
What moments did you also love that I didn't mention here? Let me know in a comment below!
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