As the all-important final entry in the current Sequel Trilogy, it probably goes without saying that Star Wars: Episode IX aims to go big with the spectacle, but in recent months, the reports have really been piling up to suggest that J.J. Abrams’ next film will deliver on a scale previously unseen for the franchise.
Take this new report from Reddit user Arcantiger for example, which has so far received an enthusiastic response from the fanbase. Though the post is consistently vague in its alleged intel, it does offer the bold claim that the “sheer scale” of Episode IX rivals that of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Well, as far as blockbuster trilogy-closers from this century go, that’s still arguably the one to beat, and while the Redditor’s assertions have yet to be confirmed, this particular boast certainly lines up with previous reports.
Back in January, for instance, another Redditor – who reportedly had sufficient proof to convince people that they were involved in the production – alleged that “the scale of the film is incredibly large, even by Star Wars standards, and fans will be surprised.” But if you’d rather the source wasn’t so anonymous, Kevin Smith visited the set last year and claimed that Episode IX had the biggest set he’d ever seen in his life, adding that Abrams is “not directing a movie, it’s like he’s directing a small country.”
From the sound of things, J.J. and Lucasfilm have every intention of making Star Wars: Episode IX the major blockbuster event that the fans hope it will be, but we’ll find out if the film has the substance to match its scale when it arrives in theaters on December 20th, 2019.