Believe it or not, folks, an entire month’s worth of shooting on Star Wars: Episode VIII is in the can. It feels like just yesterday we were salivating over any and every piece of information we could gather about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, eager to finally have J.J. Abrams’ new-trilogy-starter unveiled to us. And now, a few months after that film shattered box office records, the cast is gathered back in London, revealing the further adventures of Rey, Finn, Poe, and yes BB-8 under the direction of Rian Johnson. And to mark a month’s worth of filming under his belt, Johnson has shared his first photo from the set, marking a return to a mighty familiar piece of machinery.
Yes indeed, that sure looks like the Millennium Falcon to me. We last saw Daisy Ridley’s Rey jetting off in the Falcon to go return Luke Skywalker’s long lost lightsaber to a jaded-looking and very bearded Mark Hamill, so it’s nice to see that while Han Solo is gone, his ship remains very much a part of this new Star Wars trilogy.
I am mighty excited to see what Johnson brings to this franchise. He’s a brilliant storyteller. From Brick to The Brothers Bloom to Looper, he’s more than proven himself adept at keeping a strong focus on character while telling wildly compelling tales. Star Wars is a massive step up for him in terms of scope and scale, but I’ve no doubt he’s really gonna deliver something special.
One thing that gives me promise for how Lucasfilm is approaching this new Star Wars franchise is that they are clearly giving their directors the freedom to bring their own style and vision to the mix. Abrams delivered his signature style with longtime cinematographer Dan Mindel, and Johnson here is working with Steve Yedlin, who has shot all of Johnson’s movies to date. And then there’s Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One, which has lensing by Foxcatcher and Zero Dark Thirty cinematographer Greig Fraser. I love that Lucasfilm isn’t being too precious about style here, and I’m eager to see what Johnson and Yedlin bring to the franchise with Episode VIII.
For more on Star Wars: Episode VIII, peruse our recent coverage below. The film stars Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis, Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong’o, Laura Dern, Kelly Marie Tran, and Benicio Del Toro and opens in theaters on December 17, 2017.
- 'Star Wars: Episode VIII': Daisy Ridley on the Film's Secrecy and Director Rian Johnson
- 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Working Title Revealed
- 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Production Start Confirmed in New Video; Cast Revealed
