Entertainment Weekly’s Fall Movie preview has plenty of The Last Jedi goodies, including a picture of Chewbacca and a Porg in the Millennium Falcon (seen above) and it’s just so damn adorable I just can’t even right now. Seriously, all they could’ve had for TLJ news was that picture alone and I’d be perfectly content. Thankfully, it’s not all they have, as they reveal Ahch-To’s Caretakers (grumpy old Scottish alien nuns!), that your Snoke theories won’t end, more details on Rose and Finn’s time together, of course some deep bits about Rey and Luke, a truly heartbreaking but beautiful memory of Carrie Fisher from Oscar Isaac and more! They normally roll it out over several days, but I waited until they finished and gathered it all here below for your convenience!
As infinitely adorable as the Chewie + Porg pic is (though some people are wondering if he’s going to eat it while current Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo has a little fun with all the Porg love}, the article from EW with that picture reveals a second alien living on Ahch-To: the Caretakers (seen above). Beyond the fact that they are all female and basically grumpy Scottish nuns, who just tolerate Luke’s presence, we don’t know much about them but now they are one of the more interesting aspects of the film I’m curious to learn more about. Read the full article for some thoughts from writer/director Rian Johnson on them.
Rey and Luke are the focus of another article, as Daisy Ridley explains the mindset of Rey and how Luke’s reluctance really takes her aback considering everyone else has been so welcoming to her up until now. As for Luke, I found Mark Hamill’s comments about Luke’s feelings regarding Ben/Kylo, that he, “made a huge mistake in thinking that his nephew was the chosen one, so he invested everything he had in Kylo,” (though here he means the chosen one not Chosen One, but more like prodigal student chosen one), interesting because to me it almost implies Luke’s never had children. Sure, he might go harder on his own kid(s) and not consider them to be the prodigal student, but that he puts it on Leia and Han’s kid makes it seem like he doesn’t have a kid to put that on. There’s all sorts of holes to my feelings from Mark’s remarks, including Luke might not have wanted his kid(s) to train, but I feel like anyone holding out hope Rey = Skywalker should be open to considering a new theory. But don’t get me wrong, I really hope Luke has/had kids, as it would almost seem wrong for the man who toppled the Sith with love not to have had love in his life since.
The more I hear about Rose Trico, the more I want to meet her! I love the idea she, and most of the Resistance, feel like Rey and Finn are heroes, therefore everyone believes Finn to be the Big Deal he claimed to be (so be careful what you wish for!). That he wants out after everything that’s happened to him, as Maz Kanata noted running was his default from looking into his eyes, is intriguing so it’ll be interesting to see where his story goes by the end of the film, especially with his undercover mission into the First Order with Rose. Find more about Finn and Rose in this article.
Supreme Leader Snoke’s personal bodyguards, the Praetorian Guard, get the main focus of the next article. But those curious if The Last Jedi will reveal more about Snoke will have to wait even longer it seems, but understandably so because Snoke, “…is here to serve a function in the story. And a story is not a Wikipedia page,” something Pablo Hidalgo said about story only a few days prior. I’ve cared just about zero regarding Snoke’s history and am more curious how he impacts things currently happening/going forward, so it looks like TLJ is taking the direction I hoped with his character. Rian also clarified Snoke will be CGI and stated, as one should expect from his mo-cap filled career, Andy Serkis’ performance should be mesmerizing.
The article concerning Leia and Carrie Fisher reiterates what they’ve been saying for awhile now regarding the film’s ability to the actress’ performance of the character a fitting send-off, but it’s the memory Oscar Isaac (Poe) shares of his time on set with Carrie that pulls hard on the heartstrings. Seriously worth your time to check that out…just bring Kleenex with you. There was also some focus on Poe and how Leia is training him to be a leader of the Resistance and not just the hotshot pilot that wins battles, something Poe Dameron comic fans have already seen, especially in two recent issues, #14 and Annual #1.
EW’s bit about Benicio Del Toro’s “DJ” character keeps up his ambiguity, but does at least reveal he’s a splicer and will help Rose/Finn’s mission to the casino, Canto Bight. He does remind me a little of resident favorite Doctor Aphra, with playing both sides, so I’m looking forward to seeing someone like that on-screen. I’m placing misguided bets he’s related to someone we know, with my main bets on him possibly being Rey’s dad; like I said, misguided, hey, everyone’s got a theory at this point, right?
Speaking of Rey’s parentage, those curious if The Last Jedi will answer said question should probably be happy to know they’ll get some new details, but the rather fluffy article (because hey, did you really think they’d spoil it here?) about this aspect of the film feels like it’s tempering expectations for the reveal: “Ridley says Rey will ultimately find the answer — and discover that it doesn’t matter that much. It won’t change who she is, or at least who she wants to be.” As I mentioned above, I felt like a comment from Mark Hamill points to Luke not having kids and this certainly feels like it’s trying to prepare you for the answer not to be Luke (or even Obi-Wan). Either way, it’ll be nice to have this mostly answered in December.
The final bit of the cover story touches on mostly villains, like where Kylo is regarding his journey towards the dark side, Phasma’s action-packed return, and how we’ll see less of Maz Kanata this time around.
Of course there’s an image gallery with a few other photos I didn’t post here, including a look at the casino Canto Bight.
The Last Jedi hits theaters December 15!
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Last Jedi
JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI:
Phasma (novel) | Leia – Princess of Alderaan (novel) | Captain Phasma (comic miniseries) | The Legends of Luke Skywalker (novel)
SEE ALSO:
Rian Johnson Set to Create New Star Wars Trilogy, Live-Action TV Show Plans Announced
The Last Jedi Theatrical Trailer and Poster are Here!
The Curious Case of Force Ghosts
Luke and Leia Explore The Last Jedi’s Crait in Comic One-shot (UPDATED)
The Last Jedi Behind the Scenes Featurette Unveiled at D23 2017 (UPDATED)
Vanity Fair Unmasks The Last Jedi Secrets
The Last Jedi Teaser and Panel Impressions (SWCO 2017)
Captain Phasma Novel and Comic Miniseries, Leia YA Novel, and Ken Liu Penned Luke Book Start Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi (SWCO 2017)
Star Wars Ep.VIII Titled The Last Jedi
Dream or Force Vision: A Crazy Night’s Thoughts on Star Wars: Episode VIII
It’s a Wrap: Celebration Europe 2016 News Roundup – Han Solo Casting, Ep. VIII Teases, Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel Author Revealed, Battlefront DLC
SWCE 2016 News Roundup Pt. 3: Ahsoka Untold Tales and Future Filmmaker Discussion Panels Announced
Episode VIII Begins Production, New Cast Announced
First Star Wars Stand-Alone Titled, Ep. VIII Gets Release Date