There are some days that you just have to count down towards: wedding days, holidays, and if you're a movie fan, the days to the next installment of your favorite series. So it's only natural that some have started marking the days until Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters, and this time around, it's not just the fans that are excited. As you'll see below, Mark Hamill himself is one of the many who are interested to see how things turn out after Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and he revealed on Twitter:
It's definitely interesting to think about just why Hamill would be counting down to the film, considering the events and fallout surrounding Star Wars: The Last Jedi. No matter his reasons, you have to admit, it's kind of adorable to see someone who's been part of this franchise since the beginning maintaining a sense of joy about it. Though part of that joy might be the fact that J.J. Abrams is back to co-write and direct this last film in the current trilogy.
The folks behind Star Wars: Episode IX could definitely use this sort of hype, as Solo: A Star Wars Story landed with a thud this summer, showing that even this IP has its limitations. Not to mention, there's the fact that mentioning Star Wars: The Last Jedi in the wrong company is bound to land you an earful. So turning ones thoughts to the more anticipatory side of the scale is definitely a welcome change from what has been raging through the fandom since last December.
It seems like the hype engines for Star Wars' latest film are about to kick into hyperdrive any day now, especially with frequent J.J. Abrams collaborator Keri Russell recently announced for an "action heavy" role in the film. That sort of announcement feels like a teaser for an eventual floodgate's worth of follow-ups that are bound to lead straight to Star Wars: Episode IX's publicity campaign. But there's also joy in the unknown, as the fandom is left to theorize about Russell and the contents of Episode IX. Even Mark Hamill and his co-stars are probably wondering, possibly marveling over whomever Russell is attached to in the current draft.
Speaking of co-stars, it's not just Hamill's Twitter feed that's hyping Star Wars: Episode IX, as John Boyega has taken to his own Instagram to share the same enthusiastic countdown.
With about a year and a half until Star Wars: Episode IX's release, there's going to be a lot of people joining in on the big countdown. The folks behind the planned big screen adaptations of Wicked and Death on the Nile (which will competing with Episode IX at the box office) probably feel like it's a good idea not to rush into anything at this moment. We'll see if they react or possibly reschedule, as the December 20, 2019 release date ticks down. In the meantime, you can take a look at the release calendar for the rest of 2018, and see if anything can even come close to the anticipation you may have for Star Wars: Episode IX.
