It was just a few years ago that we were introduced to Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron and all the other major new players of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but following The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, this era of a galaxy far, far away will conclude in late 2019 with the release of Episode IX. For this last chapter, J.J. Abrams returned to the director's chair, and Isaac has noticed that this time around, shooting has felt more laid back. The actor said:
The way they've been shooting it right now is looser than it's been for the last two times. It does feel like a relief to get on set and feel like, 'Oh, we can try things.' It's a testament to J.J. coming back and feeling confident. There's less pressure for it to be right. We just want to make a good movie and have a really good time while doing it.
Oscar Isaac has been keeping busy lately with projects like The Addams Family animated movie and Triple Frontier, and currently he's deep into principal photography on Star Wars: Episode IX. As Isaac informed Indiewire, he plans on taking the next year off once Episode IX has wrapped, but for now, he hasn't been too worn down working on the space opera blockbuster. Sure the goal is to give audiences a great movie, but under J.J. Abrams' direction, Isaac feels that there's been less pressure and more opportunities to improvise.
J.J. Abrams was brought in to usher a new era of Star Wars cinematic history with The Force Awakens, and Rian Johnson filled his shoes on The Last Jedi. Although Abrams initially didn't plan on returning to the Star Wars franchise once The Force Awakens was done, after Colin Trevorrow exited Episode IX due to creative differences, Abrams stepped in to helm and co-write the project.
Given that The Force Awakens was the first live action Star Wars movie to be released since Revenge of the Sith a decade earlier, it's understandable that there was a lot of pressure to get this grand return right. But it's good to hear that for Episode IX, there's more of a relaxed feel on set. This is the last time these talents will be together working on a Star Wars project, so shouldn't they try to be more innovative and have a little extra fun?
Thus far, plot details for Star Wars: Episode IX are under wraps, although there's been no shortage of rumors and speculation about what's in store for Poe Dameron and the rest of the main cast. However, they'll be joined by plenty of newcomers, with Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Naomi Ackie, Dominic Monaghan and Matt Smith all being added to the lineup, as well as Billy Dee reprising Lando Calrissian for his first theatrical appearance since Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20, 2019, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage on its progress. Don't forget to also look through our Star Wars movies guide to learn what else is in development for the franchise.
