‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Title Finally Revealed!
At Star Wars Celebration 2019 in Chicago, Illinois this weekend, a special panel dedicated to all things Episode IX finally revealed the secret Lucasfilm has been keeping for years. (Decades? There was tentative talk about these sequels since back in the George Lucas days.)
Star Wars: Episode IX is officially titled Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Director J.J. Abrams said that the film is currently being edited. He also revealed that Carrie Fisher’s part in the movie is taken from deleted scenes that were filmed for Star Wars: The Force Awakens but didn’t make the final cut. And he noted that The Rise of Skywalker doesn’t pick up immediately after The Last Jedi; some time has gone by since then. "This is an adventure that the group goes on together,” Abrams said. Later, Abrams introduced a new droid, DO, which took the stage.
The Rise of Skywalker also marks the return of J.J. Abrams as director; he helmed Star Wars’ return to the big screen, 2015’s The Force Awakens, before ceding the director’s chair to Rian Johnson for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Abrams also co-wrote the film’s screenplay with Argo and Justice League’s Chris Terrio. Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac all return as Rey, Kylo Ren, Finn, and Poe, respectively, alongside Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (Hux), Kelly Marie Tran (Rose), and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca). Additions to the cast include Richard E. Grant and Keri Russell, along with Billy Dee Williams, returning as Lando Calrissian for the first time since 1983’s Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters on December 20, 2019.
Gallery — Every Star Wars Movie Ranked From Worst to First: