Even though Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is giving us our fill of Star Wars movie fun in 2016, that hasn't stopped many fans from thinking about what's coming next year: Episode VIII. Thanks to The Force Awakens' ending, there are a lot of questions that need answering, and casting reports, set photos and rumors only work so well to paint a mental picture of what's coming. Unfortunately, if you were hoping to see an Episode VIII trailer soon, you'll have to wait longer, because according to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, it won't arrive until spring 2017.
Kennedy revealed this to BBC journalist Lizo Mzimba in an interview, saying how Disney and Lucasfilm want to focus on Rogue One for a few months before the Star Wars: Episode VIII promotion kicks off. This was her response when asked about when we'll get a "peek behind the curtain" on Episode VIII:
Well, pretty soon. We're giving [Rogue One] a little bit of breathing room, and then probably heading into spring you'll start to see things.
Spring 2017 is still a fairly large window to work with for a Star Wars: Episode VIII trailer release, but hey, it's better than nothing. In contrast, The Force Awakens premiered its first trailer near the end of November 2014, approximately 13 months before the movie was released. Then again, that was the first live action Star Wars movie to be released in a decade, so Disney and Lucasfilm had to start building anticipation early. Now that the new trilogy has been established, Episode VIII can get away with premiering its first trailer a little later, i.e. around 8-9 months before the movie is released, which is a standard schedule for many blockbusters.
So now that we have a more specific time frame, when could we possibly see the Star Wars: Episode VIII trailer? Well, some notable blockbusters being released in March include Power Rangers, Ghost in the Shell and Beauty and the Beast, so it's possible the trailer could be attached to one of those movies. Beauty and the Beast would be especially fitting since it's a fellow Disney "family member." However, let's not forget that the next Star Wars Celebration will be happening from April 13-16 in Orlando. The Force Awakens premiered its second preview at the 2015 Celebration, so Episode VIII could do the same. Plus, 2017's Celebration will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope. There's already going to be plenty of excitement, but the Episode VIII trailer could easily be promoted as one of the main things to look forward to. But those are just our guesses, feel free to leave yours in the comments below.
Star Wars: Episode VIII hits theaters on December 15, 2017.
