When erstwhile director Colin Trevorrow seeded control of Episode IX to J.J. Abrams, The Force Awakens helmer sought about crafting a story that would harken back to the Star Wars films of old, all the while drawing the curtain on Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Saga.
The result? Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and it’s already set the Internet alight with its stunning first teaser trailer. Further details about the December blockbuster are being kept firmly under lock and key, safely stowed away within the bowels of Lucasfilm. And yet, while speaking to MTV at Star Wars Celebration this past weekend, director J.J. Abrams touched base on the creative process involved in The Rise of Skywalker, and why he turned to George Lucas, the founding father of this most beloved franchise, as the wheels were beginning to ache into motion.
Via MTV:
There have been a lot of ideas since the beginning, since George first came up with this, of where things could go. We had a meeting with him before we even wrote the script about this. So a lot of what we have taken, is really taken to heart, everything that’s come before. While it’s been obviously significantly challenging, it’s been a greater opportunity than a challenge. I cannot wait for you to see what this movie is.
Given he’s all but retired from filmmaking, it’s surprising to hear that George Lucas was involved – albeit indirectly – in the creation of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Then again, this is the man responsible for Lucasfilm and that famous galaxy far, far away, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the person tasked with closing the book on the Skywalker Saga (read: Abrams) wanted to get a little advice from Lucas himself.
Abrams continued:
I feel that the story we told, the goal for this movie, the job was to end not just this trilogy, and–just to make a standalone film, of course, it needs to work in that way too. But to end nine films, three trilogies. So the job was to look at all of them, including [Star Wars: The Last Jedi], and ask ourselves, ‘What is the inevitability? Where is this going?’
The Rise of Skywalker will also be the final chapter in Lucasfilm’s storied saga – a saga that began with a flicker of hope back in ’77. And now, the Star Wars franchise is arguably stronger than ever before, what with TV spinoffs (see: The Mandalorian) and multiple new franchises in the works from Rian Johnson and Game of Thrones duo David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
For this far-away galaxy, the future is very bright indeed.