Of all the great many callbacks littered across Star Wars: The Force Awakens – and we do mean a great many – fans who caught early screenings of J.J. Abrams’ grand old adventure have been busy marinating on which moment in particular was their favorite.
And while we have no intention of revealing anything ahead of time to those who have remained on media blackout, the second tidbit to surface today is in relation to Andy Serkis’ all-powerful villain, Supreme Leader Snoke, with a new rumour seemingly revealing his true identity. With that in mind, perhaps it’s best to stay this side of the jump if you have yet to see The Force Awakens.
As for the stop-motion sequence in question, the above video illustrates the work that VFX designer Phil Tippett poured into the film, which is placed front and center when Finn accidentally switches on the Dejarik holochess set aboard the Millennium Falcon. Perhaps what makes this scene even more special is that the game in progress is actually a continuation of the one started by Chewbacca in A New Hope all those years ago.
[zerg]Switching gears from nostalgia to the future, a new report compiled by Heroic Hollywood seems to shed light on the origins and indeed true identity of Andy Serkis’ CG character, Supreme Leader Snoke. Mentioned only in passing during the opening segments of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Serkis’ abomination is kept in the shadows for a fair amount of time, though when he is revealed in all his grandeur, it’s a sight to behold.
But how does Snoke fit into this new chapter in the lore? We know that he harbors a deep affiliation with the Dark Side of the Force, and Serkis himself even went so far as to say that Snoke, despite his power, can actually be seen as vulnerable at times. Said the actor:
“Obviously he’s not a nice guy. And he’s a long-range schemer, not an impulsive hothead type. Supreme Leader Snoke is quite an enigmatic character, and strangely vulnerable at the same time as being quite powerful. Obviously he has a huge agenda. He has suffered a lot of damage. As I said, there is a strange vulnerability to him, which belies his true agenda, I suppose.”
According to HH, though, the true identity of the megalomaniac is actually Darth Plagueis, an ancient Sith Lord who was once the master of Emperor Palpatine himself. Indeed, the existence of Snoke/Plagueis reared its head in Revenge of the Sith, revealing that Palpatine, jealous of his ability to create life, attempted to murder Snoke and left him in the state of perpetual agony that we see in The Force Awakens. It would lend some explanation to Snoke’s vested interested in the Skywalker bloodline, too, but could it be true? Speculate with us below.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is out now in theaters, and you can check out our stellar review to get the jump on Abrams’ excellent film.