It’s been a few months, but we’re still trying to absorb and dissect everything last we saw and learned in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I’m sure many of us will comb through it frame by frame when it hits Blu-ray in a few short weeks. But with so much more Star Wars on the way, there’s always something to look forward to. Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII is currently filming in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and despite talk of enhanced set security, a number of set photos have hit the airwaves, including a look at a new alien creature, and we can’t help but wonder who he is. Check it out below.
This tweet from behind the scenes of Star Wars: Episode VIII shows just a couple of the flood of images snapped on the sly by enterprising Star Wars fans. There are two key ones in this set of pictures, the grey-ish alien in the flowing white robe, and the darker, brown-ish alien dressed in black.
The white-robed creature has a more traditional alien appearance, like the little guys who showed up at Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. He has the bulbous head, jet black eyes, and pasty grey skin you expect, and looks like he may abduct and probe you. As for the other guy, he looks very similar to a sketch that is included in the book The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The drawing is labeled "Maz’s Castle Alien C020," and though the clothes are different, the head shape is quite similar. To be honest, I don’t know if this alien, or one of his race, showed up a Maz’s castle in The Force Awakens, but it wouldn’t surprise me—there are a ton of cool creatures to be seen, and there are tons that I missed.
So we don’t know who either of these creatures are, but there may be a clue in their outfits. These are not dive bar aliens; they look like they’re dressed up, wearing formal garb, so perhaps they’re attending some sort of high-class function or official event. That’s all speculation, but the general vibe they’re putting off is one of a more elevated social scene than you might find in, say, a cantina. Maybe our heroes crash a First Order fundraiser.
I love how much these behind the scenes images from Star Wars: Episode VIII show off the practical special effects involved. Though they don’t provide a ton of specific information, they do illustrated a continued commitment to that strategy, which was a big part of why the world of Star Wars: The Force Awakens felt so concrete and real.
Star Wars: Episode VIII blasts off into theaters on December 15, 2017.
