Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, on home media Mar. 13, 2018

[Duke Togo]

The as of yet untitled Episode 8 is written and directed by Rian Johnson, and slated for release December 15, 2017.

DAYS UNTIL STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII

Lots of news on the next film in the new trilogy:

• The release date has been pushed back from May 2017 to December 2017. $$$$
• Rian Johnson is revising his script, in what is said to be a move to reduce the role of further new characters and focus more on the trio introduced in TFA.
• Principle photography was set to begin in the next few weeks (end of January 2016), but has been delayed until February 2016 because of the script revision.
• Some filming with Hamill and Ridley was done on Skellig Michael island in fall 2015. Word is they will not be returning to the island due to the difficulty in shooting there, and they will pick up shots elsewhere and on a soundstage for further scenes on the island. Whatever they needed for physical continuity was gotten this past fall.

[Dynaman]

You forgot the "all of the above" answer to the quiz!

Personally I'm glad it was pushed back, one year between films is a good pace.

[Chewie]

Someone else I was talking to today said they also read "somewhere" that the new characters were far more popular than anyone anticipated.

....really?

What were they going to do? Give us a new set of main characters with each new movie?

Zangdu Hilotron. Kinda all right pilot. Hes edgy and cool and has a new droid, BU-MD which is just an arm with a talking hand. He flies almost anything.

Next we have Mex'can Raycfiller. He speaks an ancient dialect no one understands. His father was killed on the first Death Star and he's out for vengeance.

The last new addition is R'ay. She's the daughter of old Imperial money but she has something they all want: The Force.

STAY TUNED.

[jvmacross]

^ This would still make billions....and have dorks across the webs declaring it as still better than Lucas' prequels....

[Duke Togo]

If I had to guess, they're giving Poe a larger role, and possibly Phasma. The rewrites cannot be significant, as they've pushed principle photography back only a few weeks (it officially begins shooting in February now).

Edited January 21, 2016 by Duke Togo

[mickyg]

Someone else I was talking to today said they also read "somewhere" that the new characters were far more popular than anyone anticipated.

....really?

What were they going to do? Give us a new set of main characters with each new movie?

Zangdu Hilotron. Kinda all right pilot. Hes edgy and cool and has a new droid, BU-MD which is just an arm with a talking hand. He flies almost anything.

Next we have Mex'can Raycfiller. He speaks an ancient dialect no one understands. His father was killed on the first Death Star and he's out for vengeance.

The last new addition is R'ay. She's the daughter of old Imperial money but she has something they all want: The Force.

STAY TUNED.

That put a genuine smile on my face and got an honest laugh. Nice work.

I can't understand that comment either? Honestly, where they going to give them minimal screen time in the next movie? I'm interested in what the rest of that comment originated from. There must be more to the story.

[jenius]

I'd say it's more of a "keep it simple" re-write. Everyone loves the core characters, why are we developing some go no-where characters? People loved Phasma and Boba Fett and they barely did nothing... we don't have to reach too far on the periphery.

Edited January 21, 2016 by jenius

[Black Valkyrie]

The rumored cast of E8.

[Roy Focker]

I thought the move so Disney's Star Wars doesn't kill Disney's Pirates opening at the same time.

[JB0]

Someone else I was talking to today said they also read "somewhere" that the new characters were far more popular than anyone anticipated.

....really?

What were they going to do? Give us a new set of main characters with each new movie?

Of course. Maximizes toy sales if kids can't reuse their old figures when playing the new movie.

[Duke Togo]

Well, now we know why they moved Star Wars: Avatar 2 is no longer scheduled for release that holiday season. Knowing that, they jumped at the chance for the money it'll bring in opening Star Wars then.

The script re-write sounds like small potatoes, given that they've only delayed the start of principle photography by about two weeks. The rumors swirling around it were likely just that: rumors.

[azrael]

Well, now we know why they moved Star Wars: Avatar 2 is no longer scheduled for release that holiday season. Knowing that, they jumped at the chance for the money it'll bring in opening Star Wars then.

I have no doubt the move was for financial reasons. Didn't they move Pirates of the Caribbean out of December too?

[Duke Togo]

I have no doubt the move was for financial reasons. Didn't they move Pirates of the Caribbean out of December too?

July to May, I think?

[Dobber]

They pretty much swapped release dates.

Chris

[Duke Togo]

They pretty much swapped release dates.

Chris

Just checked, PotC moved from July to May.

[Mommar]

They didn't want to go up against Avatar 2? I'd watch the Prequels over that POS Cameron wank-fest.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Mommar

[azrael]

They didn't want to go up against Avatar 2? I'd watch the Prequels over that POS Speilberg wank-fest.

Avatar 2 never really had a release date, just a planned date of December 2017. We don't know why Avatar 2 has been pushed back only that it has. When that happened, Disney pushed back the release date to December 2017. Seeing the success of Episode 7 during the holidays, when there are normally fewer big budget releases, this was a no-brainer for Disney.

[Dobber]

Avatar is James Cameron, but I agree....really not a fan of Avatar. I think it was highly overrated. Different strokes, though. I loved TFA but there are some here that hate it. I thought I heard Avatar was also moving....I could be wrong though.

Chris

[myk]

I loved TFA but there are some here that hate it.

And it's a love-hate thing with others...

Edited January 23, 2016 by myk

[Hikuro]

I was just looking it up and avatar 2 is pushed back again so it doesn't compete against Star Wars, atleast the theory is Cameron doesn't want to compete. Not to thrilled of a December 2017 release date as May held a bit more meaning behind it imo but not gonna bitch and moan. Not like I wanna see pirates anyways!

[azrael]

I was just looking it up and avatar 2 is pushed back again so it doesn't compete against Star Wars, atleast the theory is Cameron doesn't want to compete. Not to thrilled of a December 2017 release date as May held a bit more meaning behind it imo but not gonna bitch and moan. Not like I wanna see pirates anyways!

It was Avatar 2 that moved its proposed December 2017 release date first, then Episode 8 spontaneously moved to December 2017 from May 2017. IMDB still lists Avatar 2 in pre-production while Episode 8 started filming but delayed itself. I don't think it's a matter of competition, Cameron just isn't ready to start.

[Dobber]

While I don't like having to wait longer, I do like the idea of Star Wars at Christmas time. I always take my vacation time around Christmas and it just makes one more thing to look forward to around the holidays.

Chris

[Duke Togo]

Principle photography in slated to begin on 8 in the next few weeks (around two weeks later than planned), so whatever changes that were made to the script were minor.

[Sandman]

Aww that suck. They moved back the date. I prefer a summer release especially for SW. It's one movie that's garenteeed to have long line ups. Don't want want to wait in the cold again. That sucked.

[jenius]

I really wonder how they're going to come up for a story with Luke walking away that doesn't make him seem like he abandoned everyone. I heard a rumor that he got to a point he was unable to control his own force abilities so he isolated himself to protect everyone. I guess that might still work out if he started a new Jedi Academy but then ditched all the kids because he was afraid of hurting them only to have Snope come along and eradicate all of the cadets except Kylo who he kept as a pet.

[Duke Togo]

I really wonder how they're going to come up for a story with Luke walking away that doesn't make him seem like he abandoned everyone. I heard a rumor that he got to a point he was unable to control his own force abilities so he isolated himself to protect everyone. I guess that might still work out if he started a new Jedi Academy but then ditched all the kids because he was afraid of hurting them only to have Snope come along and eradicate all of the cadets except Kylo who he kept as a pet.

Um, they state exactly why he walked away in 7. No great mystery. He blamed himself for Ben's turn and the death of his other students, and exiled himself.

[jenius]

Did they? I haven't watched it more than once... but the problem with that is it's incredibly douchey. He learns there's a bad guy, and he has some responsibility for it, and he leaves?

[Scyla]

If I remember the movie correctly there is a scene in it where Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren standing in the rain in the middle of (what I assume) the corpses of the dead Jedi students and look sitting in the same place with R2 next to him (the one scene from the trailer where he is touching R2 with his prosthetic limb). So I assume that Luke witnessed the killing of his students but wasn't strong enough to fight the Knights of Ren so he flew. So Snoke must have had some influence over Kylo Ren before the destruction of the new Jedi order.

I agree with Jenius that it is strange that he would go into hiding instead of trying to stop Kylo Ren. Also what happened to the other Knights of Ren. From the movie it got the idea that Kylo is the leader of them but where are they?

[Negotiator]

that's han''s point of view. we don't know why exactly until luke elaborates on his actions

[the_foul_fowl]

If I remember the movie correctly there is a scene in it where Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren standing in the rain in the middle of (what I assume) the corpses of the dead Jedi students and look sitting in the same place with R2 next to him (the one scene from the trailer where he is touching R2 with his prosthetic limb). So I assume that Luke witnessed the killing of his students but wasn't strong enough to fight the Knights of Ren so he flew. So Snoke must have had some influence over Kylo Ren before the destruction of the new Jedi order.

I agree with Jenius that it is strange that he would go into hiding instead of trying to stop Kylo Ren. Also what happened to the other Knights of Ren. From the movie it got the idea that Kylo is the leader of them but where are they?

Another scenario could be that Luke was off world when Kylo turned and massacred the new Jedi academy with the knights of Ren. Luke, feeling a disturbance in the force, rushed back to the temple and upon see his dead students, went Jedi berzerk and killed every one of the Knights. Finally, facing a masked Kylo, Luke disarms him and just as he's about to deal the killing blow, he unmasks Kylo and finally sees who he really is. This snaps out of his killing frenzy when , realizes how close he was to the Dark Side. Feeling that there is "still good in him" and unwilling to kill his own nephew, Luke force blocks Kylo's Jedi powers, leaving him Force insensitive. Luke then goes into retreat and hiding to better control himself and learn how to better train students to avoid the Dark side. Before that, he also Force blocks Rey's powers and leaves her on Jakku for her own good.

Unknown to him, Snoke comes on scene and returns Kylo's Jedi powers, but not fully... Which is why Snoke summons Kylo at the end of TFA, to complete his training

This actually parallels ROTS, and I guess could make sense...

[Scyla]

Man, being a Jedi is hard.

Glory for the Sith Empire!!! *Force choke*

[Dobber]

Possibly more delays for Ep 8. A workers strike is set to start this weekend when it is supposed to start filming.

Chris

[Duke Togo]

The_foul pretty much hits it on the head: he can't bring himself to face--and potentially kill--his nephew. He was put in that position with his father and can't bear to do it again. It's not that complex of an idea, guys.

[jenius]

No one said it was complex, it's just shitty. He's been crying on an island for 30 years while his nephew does as he pleases? Sounds like a real compelling hero.

[Duke Togo]

No one said it was complex, it's just shitty.

I'd like to put you in his shoes and see how you handle it. I'm sure you'd be real gung-ho to go after your nephew after already having squared off with your father in a duel to the death. It's called complexity, and it makes for more interesting and compelling characters. It's why Empire is a better film than Star Wars.