Fans were hoping for a huge reveal at the annual Star Wars Celebration in Chicago and no one left disappointed.
Director/writer J.J. Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy were joined by members of the cast and presented those in attendance with an exclusive first look at the teaser trailer for the franchise’s upcoming Episode 9.
Opening with Rey (Daisy Ridley) in a desert, lightsaber in hand, the teaser has a bit of everything, but yet ultimately reveals nothing - other than a few character involvements.
Rey’s backflip leap to attack a First Order fighter coming right at her is only a small snippet of the otherwise fully loaded montage that also includes appearances by the late Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams’s Lando Calrissian, and leading villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
After a touching moment showing Fisher’s Leia Organa hugging a tearful Rey, Mark Hamill’s voice takes center stage as the trilogy’s main heroes all stand in solidarity while he proclaims, “We’ll always be with you. No ones ever really gone.” The combination of visual and audio is undeniably powerful in many ways, though one thing is for sure: all bets are off for this ninth installment in the coveted intergalactic franchise.
But I’m leaving out the best part - really the only piece of actual information the trailer gave us: the film’s title.
The Rise of Skywalker, in all its splendid glory, hits theaters on December 20.
