General Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker News and Rumors Thread

The trailer and seeming reappearance of Palpatine made me remember this report: https://makingstarwars.net/2019/02/...sode-ix-and-the-threat-of-the-knights-of-ren/

"things would get interesting for Kylo Ren when a threat from The Beyond reveals itself, making Kylo Ren vulnerable. This threat would serve as a motivating factor for Kylo and Rey’s interactions as the story progressed"
"Very recently, another source with a great track record said it was really important that The Knights of Ren have returned from The Beyond."

I'm not up to speed on all the little details that have come out in the games, comics, novels, and cartoons but I do know from Battlefront II that Palps' "First Order" after his "death" was to send the imperial remnant to the Beyond where they later re-emerged as the First Order with Snoke. Also I recall in some particular novel there were snippets about an evil force of some kind manipulating/calling out to Kylo in Leia's womb from beyond.

Very very interesting. I hope this stuff is explained somehow in the film

EDIT: Here are more details from https://spoiledbluemilk.com/2019/02/16/the-sith-the-knights-of-ren-and-beyond/
"According to the 2015 Aftermath book, This group believed that The Beyond was a place that the Sith go after they die. They believe that dead Sith can still affect the living, and could be connected to artifacts from deceased Sith Lords. In fact, in the Aftermath trilogy this group obtained Vader’s lightsaber years after the battle of Endor."

 

--- Double Post Merged, Apr 13, 2019, Original Post Date: Apr 13, 2019 ---

USA Today - John Boyega has thoughts about 'The Rise of Skywalker' title: 'I've got questions, man'

John Boyega: “I've got questions, man. I got questions. I thought it was going to be ‘Star Wars: Heirs to the Force.’ For some reason I just had that title in my head, that it would be something along those lines.” “This is just very specific: ‘Rise of Skywalker.’ And I don't know what it actually means. Bearing in mind that I’m a part of it, but there were certain changes to the script while we're filming and I'm not in a lot of the scenes that Rey has with Kylo Ren. So my curiosity just hit the roof.”

J. J. Abrams: “[I won't be revealing anything about the title] breaching the agreement that we have to preserve the fun for fans. But I will say I think it is the right title.”

Kathleen Kennedy: “[I really feel that the title The Rise of Skywalker] really draws from all the previous films in a way, even though we're focused on new characters in the mythology. It really is a perfect combination of what's come before and where we are today.”

 

Kathleen Kennedy: "We've always recognized that it's the Skywalkers, it's a family, it's a family drama, and the resolution around that is what was important in what we're doing with this episode. So that was certainly the focus." (archive)

 

Anthony Daniels: "For me to see the magic coming to this wonderful fruition...Episode IX is just a magical coming together. J. J. [Abrams] has joined all the dots and what makes me thrilled is that the audience, the fans, I think are gonna be really pleased with what he's done. Happy. You know there's been some sort of 'mmm' questions in the past but somehow J. J.'s woven it together with I have to say a terrific cast, an absolutely brilliant crew that you never get to see, but without them we don't got no movie. So thank you to them. And thank you to the fans for being in my life for more than 40 years. It's kind of weird, isn't it? And kind of lovely."

 

Ive seen this being discussed on here and on Reddit but, is it just me or does anyone else not on board for the idea of 'Skywalker' being the new name of the new Jedi? Im really not fond of it.

 

I’m not fond of the idea either.

 

Really? Why not?

I think it’s a great idea: The Skywalker=the Jedi who can love

 

Most of the time people's fan theories don't come to pass. That being said, I dunno I've always thought about Star Wars as more about it's world and less about the Skywalkers. Their just a vehicle in which the story is being told, something that's relatable to everyone.

 

I'm with you.

Somehow I just don't see Luke being comfortable with the idea either.

 

J. J. Abrams: "We met with George [Lucas], we met with Rian [Johnson], we talked with Larry [Kasdan], this was a lot of thinking and trying not to overthink but really considering what it meant."

"It felt like there were a series of Star Wars movies that came out pretty close behind this one [Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker], we didn't want to feel like we were getting lost in that, we felt like it was kind of better to wait until the right moment [to unveil it]."

"When we first started working on the story, we realized immediately we could not tell the story without [Carrie Fisher as Leia]. There had been a number of scenes that we had filmed and not used for Episode VII and I compiled the footage and watched it and it was like finding this impossible answer to an impossible question. We could tell her story with these pieces that she had shot so she's in the movie - it's her she's in the film. She's performing these scenes."

Kathleen Kennedy: "Hope [sums up Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker]. This is the epitome of good versus evil and there's a lot of conflict in this movie but I think where it goes and what the resolution is is very hopeful."

"I think it will absolutely live up to the hype. I think we have all poured our heart and soul into making sure it lives up to the hype. I think the story is pretty great."

 

So much for redoing all of Rian’s supposed wrongs. While I’m sure JJ is going to expound on some things left hanging in TFA, it seems like he is also going to build off of what RJ did in TLJ

 

Rian was never the final word on Star Wars.The Episode IX writer/director was always going to be more powerful than him. Rian himself had admitted as much since TLJ came out when he said everything is still open.

Rian Johnson: “No [I’ve not seen the script or cuts of Star Wars: Episode IX], I’ve had a couple conversations with [J. J. Abrams] but I’ve actually really enjoyed, kind of, sitting back, waiting to get my popcorn opening day and see how the thing turns out. I cannot wait.” “[In terms of retconning Rey’s parentage J. J. Abrams] can do…like I said, man, I want to let go of all my expectations. I want to sit back. I want to be entertained. I want to be surprised. I want to be thrilled. I want him to do stuff that I wasn’t expecting him to do and just go along for the ride. For me, that’s why I go to the movies, you know?” (April 5, 2019) (archive)

 

Its not like he has much of a choice unless he has decided that TLJ was nothing but a dream.

 

@MagnarTheGreat just wanted to thank you for collating all these interviews together and posting them. It must take a lot of time and effort . It's greatly appreciated.

 

Here's my crazy theory then:
They've taken the imagery of the Dagobah Gnarltree Spider, mixed it with the idea that the tree/cave could be a place "strong with the dark side" in TESB and come up with this.

Palpatine's spirit lives on in that spider, which inhabits a swampy area on the moon of Endor, where the Death Star II debris settled.
He's leaching the lifeforce off that other creature. He's been pulling Kylo's strings all along, knowing Snoke would be able train him in the dark arts where he is unable to in his present form.
Ren betrayed Snoke because Palpaspider told him to once he had served that purpose.
The spider has Ian McDiarmid's voice.

 

Episode 8: "Forget the past, kill it if you have to."
Episode 9: "No one's ever really gone."

....