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After years of patiently waiting, the time is finally upon us. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has had its world premiere, and will arrive in theaters in a matter of days. Director J.J. Abrams was tasked with completing the nine-film Skywalker Saga, as well as the trilogy he began with The Force Awakens. The pressure and stakes couldn't be higher, and emotions are running high ahead of its theatrical release. And for actress Daisy Ridley, seeing the theatrical cut was so overwhelming she wanted to cry in her car.
Daisy Ridley is arguably the star of the current trilogy, as Rey is the Light Side hero that we've been following throughout the last two movies. The young actress has no doubt had an intense tenure in the galaxy far, far away, with Rise of Skywalker marking her final bow as the scavenger turned Resistance leader. Ridley recently opened up about how emotional it was to see the movie for the first time, saying:
We all sort of sat around a bit stunned. And then I was trying to scurry off into the car to cry and [producer] Michelle Rejwan and [screenwriter] Chris Terrio were like, 'No, go on.' I was like, 'I don't want to cry in front of you! I just want to get in the car.'
Well, that's sweet. Obviously the Star Wars franchise means a lot to Daisy Ridley, but Episode IX is also a movie that has to cover a lot of ground. And as such, it was an emotional experience to watch the Skywalker Saga come to an end.
Daisy Ridley's comments to ET show how connected the 27 year-old actress is to Star Wars, especially her signature character. Ridley was a relative unknown before she landed the role of Rey, and she's spent the past few years almost exclusively focused on the beloved property. So seeing it all wrap up should elicit a few emotions for those who were intimately involved in the story.
Ahead of the release of The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars fans can currently rewatch the Skywalker Saga on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
Just what happens in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that brought Daisy Ridley to tears remains a mystery, but she later explained that it was partly because of how many places Episode IX goes. Despite working on the project (or perhaps because of it), the expansive story and quick pacing seemed to overwhelm her. As Ridley put it,
It's, like, super snappy. So you're sort of so tuned in that we really didn't process it until the end. Then suddenly, you're like, 'Oh… oh my gosh,' … it's very overwhelming.
As if the wait for The Rise of Skywalker to arrive in theaters wasn't excruciating enough, it has enough jam packed action that even Daisy Ridley was overwhelmed. But what surprises does J.J. Abrams have up his sleeve? Luckily, the wait is nearly over. In fact, you can read our spoiler-free review you here.
Related: Baby Yoda Vs Porgs? Daisy Ridley Has A Very Blunt Opinion
The trailers for The Rise of Skywalker have been limited, but it teases a big adventure that will unite the trio of heroes. We should also expect Kylo Ren's fate decided, while Palpatine will also factor into the story and likely tempt Rey with the Dark Side. At least, if the trailers are to be believed.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
