The Star Wars franchise is in a high stakes situation right now. The beloved space opera as we know it will come to an end with J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker, which will end the nine-film Skywalker Saga that began back with A New Hope. It seems like Abrams could go anywhere with the story wrapping up the character arcs he put into motion during The Force Awakens. And it looks like one scene in particular left the crew speechless.
The overall contents of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker are a total mystery, as the beloved franchise is known for its tight security and secret-keeping. But there have been a few brief trailers, teasing the blockbuster's mysterious contents. Fans are eager to see what will happen with Rey and Emperor Palpatine, especially after one clip showed the Daisy Ridley's hero on the dark side, with a double-sided red lightsaber. It looks like that scene in particular left the crew gobsmacked. As Ridley recently put it:
It was our last day shooting in Jordan and the natural light was fading. And it was so exciting. It was just a short scene, we filmed very fast, but the crew was shaken in a way I had not seen before. And I thought, 'My God, if this is people's immediate reaction when the scene isn't even ready, imagine what it will be like to see it in the movies, with the John Williams soundtrack and all that.'
Well, she's not wrong. Star Wars is known for its iconic score, written by the iconic John Williams. The music makes each scene more impactful, and that should certainly be the case with Rey's mysterious Sith appearance in Episode IX.
Daisy Ridley's comments to us from international outlet Andro Cinema. While it's possible that Ridley's comments were slightly different due to the translation process, the message is clear: Dark Rey blew the minds of the crew. That disbelief was ultimately echoed by the fans, as the quick shot of the young Jedi as a Sith was revealed a few months back. The context remains a mystery, and one of the many reasons why moviegoers will be running to theaters this December.
Related: Rise Of Skywalker Will Give Star Wars Saga A 'Cohesive' Ending, J.J. Abrams Says
Narratively, it seems like J.J. Abrams could go seemingly anywhere with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi told a capsulated story set just after the events of the previous film. As such, he didn't significantly alter any of Abrams' original plans for the trilogy. The fate of characters he created will be decided in Episode IX, including Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren.
Of course, the pressure is also really on J.J. Abrams to deliver with his upcoming Star Wars movie. He'll need to complete the overall franchise, and give a fitting end to the likes of Luke and Leia. The latter will be played by Carrie Fisher, with her posthumous role being crafted through unused footage from the previous two movies.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will hit theaters on December 20th, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. And our 2020 release list to plan ahead for the New Year.
