Written By: Intergalactic Mojito
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Happy Star Wars Celebration Weekend, everyone! Is it just me or has 2019 got you feeling like you’ve been tethered to an X-Wing, hanging on for dear life as you speed through the nerdaverse from one exciting announcement or incredible reveal after another? Well if so then prepare to make another jump to lightspeed because we now have a title and a teaser for Episode IX! Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker. The internet braced itself against another sweeping tidal wave of geek, as fans around the world began racking up multiple viewings of the highly anticipated teaser premiere, unveiled only moments ago during Star Wars Celebration Chicago. If like me you also find yourself struggling to say goodbye to the Skywalker saga with this bittersweet finale, from the looks of what exploded across the screen during that sneak peek, don’t expect the last installment to go quietly into the night! It also appears that JJ Abrams certainly may have made good on his word to course correct the story with this conclusive entry to the series! The teaser uncovered several scenes of what may or may not be answers to many of the questions fans have started asking since we got our first look at Force Awakens! Did Kylo Ren truly have the last word when it came to the identity of Rey’s parents? What became of the mysterious group of force sensitive padawans who, along with Ben Solo, survived the destruction of the Jedi Temple, and appeared in Rey’s flashbacks the first time she came in contact with Luke’s lightsaber? Will the Resistance arise from their defeat to deliver a devastating blow to the First Order and restore peace to the galaxy once and for all? Will Chewbacca finally be allowed to return to his homeworld of Kashyyk and reunite with his family, having long since fulfilled the life debt he once owed to his fallen friend? Will Kylo Ren remain now and forever loyal to the darkness or like his grandfather, is there still good in him? Which color of cape will Lando be wearing when he makes his most impressive grand entrance? Have we seen the last of what could have been a Rey and Finn love connection, or could it be that a Rey and Poe romance has been hiding in plain sight all this time? Oooor, does Rey have a soft spot for the dating profile of an emotionally unstable, force-wielding brooder with an affinity for wearing scary masks and dressing in all black? I guess we will just have to wait and see when Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker arrives in theaters, December 19! But wait, there’s more!
Yesterday during the Disney Investor Day 2019 event, several announcements were made regarding the Star Wars content that will be included with the Disney + streaming service, scheduled to go live this year in the U.S. on November 12! Lucasfilm president, Kathleen Kennedy was on deck to confirm the inclusion of prequel Episodes I-III, MVP starting line-up Episodes IV-VI, current series Episode VII, and stand-alone fan favorite Rogue One. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story will be added later, after the expiration of the current Netflix contract. Episode IX will round out the SW film library branch of Disney +, after its theatrical run and the DVD/Blu-Ray release. In addition to the films of the SWU, there are the two highly anticipated small screen live-action series’ Star Wars: The Mandalorian and the Rogue One spinoff, both exclusive only to the Disney streaming service. Animated tv shows such as Star Wars Rebels and Clone Wars, that will also feature a brand new 7th season continuation exclusive to Disney + will also be part of the package of SW content.
So after everything they’ve shared with us over the last 24 hours, it looks like Lucasfilm and Disney have insured the fans against any manner of drought within the SWU for years to come. I don’t think I’ve ever used the words “Star” and “Wars” together in a sentence more in one sitting than I have while writing this article. But to be honest I knew exactly what I was signing up for during the summer of 1977 and I would be more than ok with saying “Star Wars” one way or another every single day for the rest of my life!