In a galaxy far, far away the quest for intergalactic cinematic supremacy is incubating… oh, wait, never mind. That is actually happening on this planet in real-time. That’s right, principle photography has already commenced on Star Wars: Episode VIII in London, lightsaber-hot off the heels of J.J. Abrams’ axis-tilting seventh installment, The Force Awakens.
Where The Force Awakens served to precipitate the chain of events for a new trilogy to continue the Star Wars saga, completing the exposition timeline since the Battle of Endor and introducing us to some fresh-faced characters, Episode VIII aims to dive deeper into character motivations while unpacking the mythos. What relationship will Luke Skywalker and Rey foster? Is she Jedi-ready? What’s next for Poe? Will Finn be undone by an obsession for revenge against Kylo Ren? How far will Kylo extend The First Order’s empire of evil under Snoke’s seductive command? Will BB-8 manage to be even more adorable? So many questions, so precious few details to even attempt constructing connective tissue to predict what’s coming down the pike.
That’s where we come in. Below are the few plot/character developments to which we are privy. Beware the spoilers ahead.
Who's Making It?
If fans were concerned about the creative direction the trilogy would take, their anxiety was misplaced, especially knowing that Abrams has passed the directorial baton to Rian Johnson for Episode VIII. While this is certainly a massively daunting mission to accept — especially this being his first attempt at franchise kingdom building — Johnson has proven he has the both the genre and storytelling chops to rise to the occasion. If Abrams was the safe, seasoned sci-fi scion to carry on the Star Wars legacy, then Johnson is his unpredictable, edgier younger cousin cloaked in all black with his own singular vision.
Johnson’s feature debut, Brick, was rich in character and highlighted his keen ability at balancing original, highly stylized storytelling with homage to the noir forefathers the movie draws from. Looper, his sci-fi masterpiece, speaks to his affinity for grittiness while proving that he could shoot the hell out of some thrilling action set pieces. Most importantly, he accomplished both without sacrificing the engaging, thought-provoking themes of the genre.
Episode VIII might take a darker turn, especially as we prepare for the eddy of rage swirling within Kylo Ren in the wake of murdering his father Han Solo which makes Johnson an ideal choice to steer the ship.
What's the Story?
Disney has every right to be protective and confidential with their IP, especially one with the scope and significance and bulletproof bankability of Star Wars. Keeping details under wraps as efficiently as they do, especially in the age of transparency thanks to social media, is a bureaucratic achievement that our federal government couldn’t even manage to accomplish.
What we do know is Rey (Daisy Ridley) has tracked down Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on Ahch-To, the planet where his isolated Jedi temple is. How Luke will take to this Force-prone warrior, especially after the last prodigy he trained-his nephew Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)-defected to the Dark Side? Rumors and speculation might make you believe Luke is Rey’s father, especially since her parents’ mysterious absence in The Force Awakens fuels her motivations for searching for answers outside of her home planet of Jakku.
Expect Luke and Rey’s relationship development to dominate the running time of Episode VIII. Finn (John Boyega) is still recuperating at the Resistance base, overseen by General Leia (Carrie Fisher), after the critical injuries he sustained in a lightsaber duel with Kylo, so hopefully this will provide a respite for some backstory to slip in and answer how he got mixed up with The First Order in the first place.
As for Poe (Oscar Issac), it remains to be seen how his character will evolve as the X-Wing pilot who led the Resistance in destroying the Starkiller Base. We definitely know he has some unfinished business with Kylo and considering he was presumed dead for the bulk of The Force Awakens, maybe we can get a glimpse at how his moral compass got him to this point.
I’m most interested in seeing how General Leia will move forward in avenging her former love’s murder, especially since his murderer is her only son. Her conflicting emotional and moral turmoil could accelerate her character arc and the fate of The Resistance at large.
Who's In It?
We fell in love with Ridley, Boyega, Isaac and Driver as new additions to the pantheon of great Star Wars characters, and Episode VIII looks to carry on that same tradition. Disney has confirmed that Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern and the up and coming Kelly Marie Tran have joined the cast.
While details about their characters remain predictably minimal, some fans have guessed that Del Toro will bring his reliably ominous presence to a First Order-related villain, while others have suggested that perhaps he and Dern will be introduced as parental figures to Rey. If the latter is true, I predict that Tran might be Rey’s sister and we will get a complete reunion and answers as to why she was abandoned on Jakku.
Fun Clues
We know the brass at Disney are experts at operating with calculated, stealth-like maneuvers. But let’s not forget that they are also Jedi marketers, knowing exactly how far to pull the curtain back to whet the appetite of fans with enough details to keep them intrigued until December 15th, 2017.
Thanks to some photos from the set of Episode VIII, we got an in-progress glimpse of the remote sanctuary where Luke absconded to in his self-imposed exile.
We also were blessed with some aerial shots of the new and improved Millennium Falcon.
The awe-inspiring scope of both the setting and hardware means we are definitely in for another fun ride under Johnson’s direction.
Stay tuned as more plot details emerge, set photos hit Twitter and the cast announcements roll in. What are your predictions for Episode VIII? Let us know in the comments below!