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The release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is less than a month away, and anticipation for the blockbuster is at a fever pitch. J.J. Abrams' second movie in the franchise will wrap up both the current trilogy, as well as the nine-film Skywalker Saga. The pressure is on, as Abrams has a ton of content to fit into the movie's runtime. And it turns out that Episode IX is going to be shorter than we originally thought.
The final trailer for The Rise of Skywalker hit a month ago, teasing the wild final adventure for the trio of new heroes. There was also a possible runtime reported, indicating that the upcoming blockbuster was going to be a whopping two hours and 35 minutes. This would have made Episode IX the longest Star Wars flick ever, but an updated run time should make moviegoers with small bladders very happy.
J.J. Abrams recently appeared on Sirius XM to promote Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, where he revealed the approximate runtime of his sophomore installment in the galaxy far, far away. According to Abrams, the upcoming blockbuster will clock in at two hours and 21 minutes. As such, The Last Jedi will remain the longest running movie in the franchise, with Episode IX on the same tier as prequels like Attack of the Clones.
While Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has a ton of ground to cover, J.J. Abrams didn't craft an extra long blockbuster. Instead, the filmmaker will be tasked with telling the story with a more modest runtime. Although what that story will be remains a mystery, as the trailers for the movie are purposefully vague and stingy on footage.
It should be interesting to see exactly how J.J. Abrams utilizes this updated runtime. The Rise of Skywalker will feature a time jump, set one year after the events of The Last Jedi. The movie will finally unite the trio of new heroes, while also putting droids like C-3PO and newcomer D-O into the action. And although Abrams likely had plans for how the sequel trilogy was going to end, he also has to conclude the Star Wars franchise as we know it.
You can currently catch up on the franchise by streaming the Skywalker Saga in Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial of the service.
Giving the Skywalker Saga an adequate ending is of the utmost importance, as generations of moviegoers have been following the property for decades. J.J. Abrams does seem to be taking this role seriously, and likely has plenty of surprises up his sleeve. Chief among them is Palpatine's role, as his laugh was heard in the movie's first trailer. Leia's story will also be completed, thanks to unused footage of the late Carrie Fisher from the previous two movies.
All will be revealed when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. And our 2020 release list to look ahead toward the New Year.
