After the mixed reactions to Star Wars: The Last Jedi (which was, in our critic Eric Eisenberg's opinion, fantastic) fans have been skeptical about whether or not the conclusion of the Skywalker saga will satisfy. But with director Rian Johnson off doing other projects such as Knives Out, the franchise finds itself back in the capable hands of J.J. Abrams. Abrams directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which many fans consider to be markedly better than its sequel.
Franchise star Daisy Ridley, who plays formidable force-wielder/Jedi-who-was-in-training Rey, recently attempted to quiet fans' concerns regarding the final film, titled The Rise of Skywalker. She was asked, on a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied will audiences be with this ending? She chose a non-numeric answer:
I think very satisfied. Everything we were doing felt, in the moment, really good.
Daisy Ridley's comment comes to us from an interview with People TV and echoes her previous sentiments that the ending J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm have crafted is “epic.” Her co-star Oscar Isaac, who plays seasoned pilot Poe Dameron, effectively said the same, calling the highly anticipated conclusion “fulfilling.”
This may sound silly, but if you've got a film with two actors who are openly endorsing that film, you should, at the very least, pay some attention to that. Of course, Hollywood etiquette dictates that they have to ooze positivity when promoting their projects. So while it could be (and probably is) a marketing tactic, it's important to remember that it's probably not just a facade. And even if it is, you've gotta admit that it does increase anticipation for the film. Of course, it may cause extreme apprehension for some, but I'll choose to remain positive on this one. And no, Disney isn't paying me to say this.
In addition to reuniting the main characters (who spent an entire movie apart), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will supposedly mark the return of the evil Emperor Palpatine, who was thrown to his death, screaming all the way down, lightning crackling from his wrinkled fingertips. It was a satisfying death that may not have actually been a death, as April's teaser trailer made relatively clear.
We all knew who laughed as the screen cut to black so we can assume he's super happy about somehow surviving both the destruction of the Death Star and Darth Vader's arc-ending act. He could be a Force ghost, which would be mildly disappointing. If you're gonna bring him back, bring him back in the flesh.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker brings George Lucas's core story to a (hopefully) breathtaking end on December 20, 2019. If Disney and Lucasfilm's previous marketing tactics are anything to go on, tickets will go on sale in conjunction with a full trailer in early/mid October.
