Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Might Be Introducing An Intriguing Force Power

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Might Be Introducing An Intriguing Force Power

Most of the main saga Star Wars movies have shown off new ways to harness the Force, like how Luke Skywalker was able to project himself from Ahch-To all the way to Crait in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. If a new rumor is to be believed, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will contribute to the expansion of the Force through something called “Force Flash Fights.”

It was teased during the Rise of Skywalker panel last week at Star Wars Celebration that new Force powers would be on display in the upcoming movie. Supposedly “Force Flash Fights” is likely the main power that was being alluded to, although it might be given a different name later on. So what are “Force Flash Fights”? Basically, as two Force-users are engaged in a lightsaber duel, the environment around them changes.

As Making Star Wars’ report notes, when Rey and Kylo Ren meet again during The Rise of Skywalker, both are much more powerful since we last saw them in The Last Jedi, which makes sense given that there’s a time jump. Whereas before Snoke was responsible for mentally linking the two together, apparently now they’re able to do that on their own. This time, as the two are flighting, they’re still physically in the same location, but Force-wise, the background will change to different places.

And these aren’t just any random places in a galaxy far, far away, by the way. They’ll be places that we’ve already visited in previous Star Wars movies, although no specific locations were identified. Still, considering that The Rise of Skywalker is the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga, it’d be fitting to look back at where some of the Star Wars franchise’s biggest events have gone down, even if the characters aren’t actually there.

As for how Rey and Kylo Ren end up in a “Force Flash Fight” with one another, it sounds like this could happen after that moment from the teaser trailer when Rey ignites her lightsaber, gets a running start and then leaps over Kylo Ren’s TIE Fighter as it flies towards her. She damages the ship, Kylo emerges from the wreckage and they begin this trippy battle.

However, it’s also worth mentioning that other sources that spoke with MSW say that Rey and Kylo Ren will team up against an “outside threat.” Maybe it’s Emperor Palpatine, maybe it’s the Knights of Ren, maybe it’s someone/something new that still hasn’t been revealed or even rumored, but regardless, it’s possible that if Rey and Kylo do form an alliance later in the story, they might engage in a “Force Flash Fight” with this threat.

Although this sounds like a cool way to elevate lightsaber fights up a level, given how some fans reacted to Force Projection in The Last Jedi, if “Flash Force Fights” do indeed factor into The Rise of Skywalker, I suspect that will also be met with controversy. At the very least though, seeing all these different locations flash by as Rey and Kylo Ren have their respective blue and red blades locked in combat should make for quite the visual treat if pulled off effectively.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters on December 20, and you can find out when this year’s other big movies are coming out in our 2019 release schedule.

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Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Has Been Planned Since The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Has Been Planned Since The Force Awakens

The past few years have been great for Star Wars fans, as there's been a ton of new and exciting projects hitting theaters since Disney acquired Lucasfilm. The House of Mouse has produced standalone films and an upcoming live-action series, although fans are most invested in the main franchise. The nine-film narrative will end with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with J.J. Abrams returning to the director's chair to tie up a variety of stories.

The pressure is on for J.J. Abrams to conclude the story he began with The Force Awakens, as well as the entire franchise up to this point. Adam Driver has starred as the villainous Kylo Ren in the sequel trilogy, and recently revealed that his character's story was planned from back in Episode VII, and has remained consistent through The Rise of Skywalker. As he put it:

An overall arc was very, not vague, the opposite, it was very clear—[there was] an end in sight even from the very beginning. The details obviously hadn’t been worked out, but we had talked about the very thing that we’d been working towards with this last one.

Well, this is a relief. Because while The Last Jedi shocked audience and The Rise of Skywalker was originally set to be directed by Colin Trevorrow, it looks like the overall story hasn't been changed much since The Force Awakens was in production.

Adam Driver's comments to Vanity Fair are sure to excite the hardcore Star Wars fandom, who might be nervous about what J.J. Abrams is bringing to the franchise with The Rise of Skywalker. Rian Johnson purposefully subverted fan expectations with The Last Jedi, and the blockbuster is the most divisive installment in the long running property. His bold choices didn't vibe with some of the hardcore fandom, although now it looks like the current trilogy's core narrative has remained consistent across all three movies.

Related: Knights Of Ren Confirmed For Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

The Star Wars franchise is beloved by entire generations of fans, so the pressure is on for J.J. Abrams to deliver with The Rise of Skywalker. But since he was the architect of the property's return to theaters, Abrams has a full understanding of the story, and will be able to wrap it up on a way that (hopefully) satisfies the rabid fanbase. Although the contents of Episode IX are still a total mystery at the moment.

There are a ton of balls in the air for the current Star Wars trilogy, so J.J. Abrams' narrative possibilities are seemingly endless. Audiences will follow the final battle for Ben Solo's soul, General Leia's final appearance, as well as the trio of new heroes. The first trailer for The Rise of Skywalker was truly epic, so the wait until Episode IX's will be excruciating for hardcore fans.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Star Wars' May The Fourth Is Now An Official Holiday In California

Star Wars' May The Fourth Is Now An Official Holiday In California

For years, May 4th has been known as Star Wars Day. The phonetic similarity between "May the fourth" and 'May the Force" has made the day an unofficial day to celebrate all things Star Wars, but the day is now anything but unofficial, as the State of California has officially declared May 4th 2019, Star Wars Day.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 72 was officially introduced on April 22 but was voted on yesterday by the California legislature and it officially declared the fourth day of May as Star Wars Day. A large Yoda shaped balloon was on display on the Capitol lawn and members of the 501st, the charity organization whose members dress as Stormtroopers, were on hand for the event.

The resolution wasn't entirely done simply for fun. It was introduced by California Assemblyman Tom Daly whose district includes a very important place for the Walt Disney Company, the city of Anaheim. The resolution's text specifically calls out that Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is set to open at Disneyland later this month, and that the creation of the new land brought numerous temporary construction jobs as well as additional permanent Disneyland cast member jobs to the city of Anaheim. Disneyland is the largest employer in all of Orange County.

Galaxy's Edge alone is estimated to bring in an additional $14 million in tax revenue to the city of Anaheim according to the resolution.

Certainly, it's understandable with that information at hand why California would bother to take the time to create an official Star Wars Day. Disney and Star Wars are massively important to the state in real, tangible, ways.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opening is certainly going to be a massive event for Disneyland, and by extension, the state. Disneyland is already one of the top tourist destinations in the state, which means millions of people coming from outside the city and the country, nevermind the state, to spend money. It's no understatement that the entire state's economy would be measurably smaller if Disneyland did not exist.

Yesterday we saw every reservation available for Galaxy's Edge in the land's first three weeks vanish in under two hours. Now, the only way to get into the land when it opens is to book a Disneyland Resort hotel. One assumes that a lot of people who got reservations are now booking trips to Disneyland that will bring money into the state, county, and city. Many of those that did not are probably looking at booking Disney hotels in order to be sure they don't miss anything.

Of course, while May 4 may now be an official Star Wars holiday in California, that unfortunately doesn't mean that business will be closing in observation of the day. This year May 4 happens to fall on a Saturday anyway, so a lot of businesses will already be closed.

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Star Wars' Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill And More React To Peter Mayhew's Death

Star Wars' Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill And More React To Peter Mayhew's Death

Today, it was announced that Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca across five Star Wars movies and numerous other projects, had died earlier this week of a heart attack, just shy of his 75th birthday. This marks yet another passing of a Star Wars icon, and while it’s sad that Mayhew is no longer among us, it’s also touching to see those who worked alongside him paying tribute to the man.

First off, we have Harrison Ford, who acted alongside Peter Mayhew as Han Solo, Chewbacca’s longtime partner, in the original Star Wars trilogy and The Force Awakens. In his statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Ford honored Mayhew not only was a work partner, but as a true friend in real life.

Next, we have Mark Hamill, who also spent a lot of time alongside Peter Mayhew when he was playing Luke Skywalker in the first three Star Wars movies. Hamill said the following:

Then there’s Billy Dee Williams, who joined the Star Wars franchise as Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and performed alongside Peter Mayhew in that movie and Return of the Jedi. Williams posted:

Following The Force Awakens, Peter Mayhew retired from playing Chewbacca, and Joonas Suotamo, who shared the role with Mayhew in the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has been playing the trusty Wookiee full time ever since. Here’s how Suotamo paid respects to his mentor:

Of course, there wouldn’t be a Star Wars franchise without George Lucas, who discovered Peter Mayhew and personally selected him to play Chewbacca. Lucas paid tribute to Mayhew with the following statement to ABC News:

Then there’s The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, who never worked with Peter Mayhew, but was nonetheless inspired by his work ethic, saying:

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recognized Peter Mayhew’s impact on the Star Wars franchise thusly:

Finally, Disney CEO Bob Iger mourned Peter Mayhew’s passing with these words:

These are just some of the many reactions you’ll find about Peter Mayhew’s death, both from well-known figures and regular Star Wars fans. While he’s no longer with us, his presence in the Star Wars franchise will continue to be felt for many years to come. Mayhew also acted in projects like Dark Towers, Dragonball GT: A Hero’s Legacy and Comic Book: The Movie, and along with being a regular on the convention circuit, he opened the Peter Mayhew Foundation, which aids in numerous charitable causes.

Be sure to share your thoughts about Peter Mayhew in the comments below. The Star Wars film series continues later this year with the release of The Rise of Skywalker on December 20. You can also look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies not set in a galaxy far, far away are coming soon.

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Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Will Let You Damage The Millennium Falcon In An Amazing Way

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Will Let You Damage The Millennium Falcon In An Amazing Way

One of the first things we learned about Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge's Millennium Falcon attraction was that it would be possible to bring the iconic ship back in great shape, and it would also be possible to bring the ship back severely damaged, depending on how you and your flight crew performed your duties. However, beyond a few passing comments, we had little idea exactly what that meant. Today at Star Wars Celebration we learned a little more about what can happen after your flight in the Falcon is finished, and how you'll be able to see just how good, or bad, a job you did.

Asa Kalama is the executive creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering and is in charge of Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, and he revealed that the experience of flying the Falcon doesn't end when you leave the cockpit. Instead, as you exit down the Falcon's main hallway, that we've seen countless times before in the movies, that hallway will actually look different depending on what happened on your trip. According to Kalama...

One of the amazing things about this experience is actually, even when it’s over the story continues. So as you make your way out of the cockpit at the end of your amazing smuggling adventure, even that iconic hallway that you make your way through., it’s going to look different depending on how you fly. If you’ve had a beautiful, clean run, that hallway’s going to be in pristine condition. If you’ve banged into every possible thing there was to bang into and taken a volley of laser blasts, lights are going to be broken, we’re going to hear sparks flying, we’re going to hear comm chatter about the incredible damage that you managed to cause to the ship.

The idea that the results of your Smuggler's Run experience would continue after the attraction ended had been part of the description of the attraction since early on, but what we heard about most was that you might run into somebody at Oga's Cantina who could respond to you in a particular way based on your experience, but this is the first we've heard that the Falcon itself would show the results of your ride.

Star Wars Celebration did show off the hallway in question in good condition, we didn't get a chance to see how it will be different if you do a bad job..

Everything else we know about how your Smuggler's Run experience will impact the rest of your time on Batuu involves the idea that cast members or animatronics might react to you differently based on how well you did on the ride. We also got to see more of the Hondo Okana animatronic that will be part of the attraction. Asa Kalama spoke about how Okana himself will react to you if you beat up his ship too much.

It’s important that you do what you can to bring the ship back in good working order. Hondo Onaka, he’s a phenomenal boss, but he doesn’t take too kindly to those bringing his ship back in rough shape.

The more we hear about Stars Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the more exciting it becomes. We'll finally get a chance to experience it all when the new land comes to Disneyland May 31 and Walt Disney World August 29.

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Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Will Feature Yoda, Other Surprising Returning Personalities

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Will Feature Yoda, Other Surprising Returning Personalities

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge promises to open up a new corner of the Star Wars universe. It creates an outpost on a planet at the edge of wild space where guests will be able to interact with new characters, eat new food, and experience all new attractions. However, it wouldn't be Star Wars if the new land didn't also include those elements of the franchise that we're familiar with. At the recent Star Wars Celebration it was revealed that several classic characters will appear in the new land, including Jedi Master Yoda.

Of course, since the time period for the new Galaxy's Edge land is set in the era of the new trilogy, don't expect to actually see Yoda anyplace in the new land, except possibly as merchandise. Yoda has been long dead by the point in which this part of the story is taking place. However Chris Beatty, the Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering did reveal that Yoda would be heard someplace in the new land, and that Yoda's voice was being provided by Frank Oz, the voice of Yoda throughout all of the films.

Exactly how the voice would be heard wasn't revealed. It could be part of one of the E-ticket attractions inside the new land, though neither of them strikes me as particularly Jedi enough to make Yoda make sense there. Perhaps Yoda will help guide you as you build your own custom lightsaber, which will be something you'll be able to schedule for yourself in one of the Black Spire Outpost shops.

However, Yoda isn't the only classic voice who will be returning for Galaxy's Edge. Fans of the original Star Tours will remember the pilot, named R3x, who was voiced by Paul Reubens. While the current version of the attraction doesn't have R3x flying, Galaxy's Edge will have the character back, as a DJ at Oga's Cantina.  Margaret Kerrison, Story Editor at Walt Disney Imagineering says the new R3x is going to be a lot of fun...

We worked with so many incredible voice-over actors. One of the ones that we definitely wanted to bring back was Paul Reubens. We were super excited to bring him back and nobody was more excited than Paul. He was really great to work with. He really, really was. He brought in a lot of inspiration and new lines for us. Let’s just say you will be thoroughly entertained in Oga’s Cantina.

Reubens apparently recorded a lot of new dialogue for his new role, where he'll be playing a lot of brand new music written specifically for the land. Some of that music is being attributed to the band Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, which is the group more widely known as the "Cantina Band" from Star Wars: A New Hope. Take a listen to some of it below.

One more classic Star Wars character who will be seen at Black Spire Outpost is the alien Nien Nunb. First seen as Lando Calrissian's co-pilot during the attack on the second Death Star in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Nien Nunb was seen as an X-Wing pilot in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and he's also a background character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi who survives until the evacuation on Crait.

Nien Nunb will also appear in Galaxy's Edge in some capacity, and he will be voiced by the same man who gave him a voice back in Return of the Jedi, even though, according to Galaxy's Edge project lead Scott Trowbridge, making that happen was a little bit tougher this time around...

I love this story because Nien Nunb, when he was voiced in his original appearance, was voiced by a young man who was a student in the bay area at the time. Actually, was from Kenya. He spoke a unique dialect and had a unique sounding voice. But then, time passed and the gentleman, whose name is Kipsang, went back to Africa. We kind of lost track of him. But when we decided we were going to bring Nien Nunb back for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, we actually went to Kenya, tracked him down, to record the original voice actor for Nien Nunb to play in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge because that’s the kind of thing you want us to do.

All of these characters get added to the list of Star Wars characters we already knew would be appearing. All of the main heroes and villains of the current trilogy will also appear on Batuu. We'll see Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and even Kylo Ren as part of the Rise of the Resistance attraction. Fans of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series will meet an incredibly life like animatronic of Hondo Ohnaka

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will also see new music written for it created by John Williams, the man who has written nearly every note of music for the galaxy far, far away. It won't simply be ambient music throughout the land, as that would potentially break the illusion that you actually standing on an alien world. I'm sure, however, that Disneyland and Walt Disney World have found plenty of other ways to include the music.

Whatever your level of love for Star Wars, there's going to be so much going on in Galaxy's Edge that you're going to find something that strikes a chord. Disney never gives the entire game away and with all this announced only slightly over a month before the new land opens, there's almost certainly more to see and hear that we don't know about yet.

We'll find out when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disneyland on May 31 and at Walt Disney World August 29. If you want to guarantee yourself access to the new land, you'll need to book a Disneyland Resort hotel stay during the land's first three weeks, as that will get you a no-cost reservation to enter Black Spire Outpost.

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Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Just Unveiled New Footage, Check It Out

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Just Unveiled New Footage, Check It Out

While many fans are excited to see the next Star Wars movie, some of us are even more excited to live our first Star Wars experience. That what we've been promised when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disneyland and Walt Disney World later this year. While we've learned a lot about what things will happen when we first walk on the planet Batuu, we haven't actually seen what Black Spire Outpost will actually look like very much beyond concept art. However, some new footage was just dropped at Star Wars Celebration, and CinemaBlend has it. Check it out below.

In Star Wars movies, so much of what we see is never real. It's digital effects and movie magic. However, for Galaxy's Edge, everything is quite real. Everything from the rusted out landspeeder to the Millennium Falcon looks just as real as it does on the movie screen. In fact, some of the shots look almost identical the concept art that was released years ago, showing just how close to the mark Walt Disney Imagineering has come in trying to recreate the world of the galaxy, far, far away for us.

When music composed by John Williams is added, that's when it all really begins to feel like we're seeing a piece of Star Wars.

While there were no major reveals at the Disney Parks panel at Star Wars Celebration, like the opening date of the new land's second phase, the panel brought together all the pieces of information that we had in one place, expanding on details and confirming things that had previously only been rumor.

For people who are simply fans of Disneyland, Galaxy's Edge will offer all the things we expect from it, amazing attractions, delicious food, and cool merchandise, but for those of us that want to take the experience a step, or several steps, further, then there's going to be an immersive experience like nothing Star Wars fans have been able to be a part of before.

While the planet Batuu is a new place in the Star Wars galaxy for us, it's been around for as long as the stories that have been told. This means that if you look you'll see design elements that reference the prequels, the original trilogy, and the new trilogy as well. How Batuu experienced these events has helped shape the world that it is today. It used to be a well traveled planet, but is now on the edge of wild space, thus the look in the video that everything feels slightly rundown.

No doubt we're all waiting to live our own Star Wars experience. The day will come at Disneyland May 31, then on August 29 at Walt Disney World.

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Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Is Opening Earlier That We Thought, But There's A Catch

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Is Opening Earlier That We Thought, But There's A Catch

Fans of Star Wars and Disney have been waiting to experience the galaxy far, far away for themselves when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge finally opens at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. We knew the land was coming this year, but you can't book your hotel room without an exact date. Now we have it. At a Walt Disney Investor Meeting this morning Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that Galaxy's Edge will open earlier than anticipated, at Walt Disney World on August 29 and at Disneyland May 31. However, not all parts of the land will be up and running on opening day.

Previously, the Disneyland version of the land was set to open in the summer, so Disney is getting more than a month jump on that date. Walt Disney World is doing even better. It was given an opening date of late fall 2019, but now it will be opening before the summer ends. However, the Rise of the Resistance attraction will not be open on day one apparently at either location. It will open later in the year as part of a second phase of the land.

There had not been any discussion of Galaxy's Edge being opened in two phases previously. We fully expected both big E-ticket attractions to be up running when the land opened. However, it sounds like the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run attraction will be ready to go earlier, so it was either let the one ride sit idle while Disney waited for the other, or open with the land with one ride and wait for the other.

There will also be an additional catch at Disneyland. anybody wanting to visit the land between opening day and June 23 will need to make a "no-cost reservation." In order to get a reservation, you need to book a room at one of the three Disneyland hotels.

It isn't necessarily all that shocking that Rise of the Resistance is taking a bit longer. Based on the details revealed last week, the scope of the attraction is just physically massive. You can only work so fast when you have to build full size AT-ATs and realistic hallways inside Star Destroyers.

When phase two is expected to open was not revealed on the investor call. It's possible, even likely, that we could see Rise of the Resistance opening closer to the original Galaxy's Edge opening windows, so sometime this summer at Disneyland and in the fall at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

To get you that much more excited a new teaser with the official dates was also released. Check it out below.

Of course, the biggest downside may be that this means the lines for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run are going to be that much longer on opening day, and every day until Rise of the Resistance opens. With only the one big attraction available, everybody will be waiting for it.

Still, for those people who just want to be there on day one, you now know which day that will be. I'm sure a lot of people are making Disney hotel reservations right now since we finally know which days to make them for. Will you be getting to Galaxy's Edge on day one, or waiting for phase two? Let us know in the poll below.

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Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Has Blue And Green Milk But Which Is Better?

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Has Blue And Green Milk But Which Is Better?

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is a new land that is all about making you feel like you're standing on an alien world in the galaxy far, far away. You get to fly in Star Wars spaceships. You can craft Star Wars weapons and droids. You can shop in an alien marketplace. However, one thing that Disneyland is especially known for is innovative and interesting food and drinks, and Galaxy's Edge is no exception.

A number of culinary delicacies have been created for guests to try, but if you're a serious Star Wars fan, then none may be quite as important as the beverages you can find at the Batuu milk stand.

From the moment Luke Skywalker sat down to breakfast in A New Hope, fans have wondered exactly what that blue concoction he was drinking actually was. The food and beverage team at Disney Parks have come up with their best approximation of that, as well as the green liquid Luke Skywalker pulled right from the source in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The two drinks don't have special names. They're known simply as "blue milk" and "green milk" and are both available in a single place inside Galaxy's Edge, a location known simply as the milk stand. Both types of milk go for $7.99, so they're not cheap drinks, to be sure, but that's honestly pretty standard for a non-alcoholic specialty beverage at Disneyland.

What Exactly Is Blue Milk And Green Milk?

So, first and foremost, the most important thing to know is that neither of these drinks is technically milk. Both are beverages with a rice and coconut base rather than coming from any form of actual dairy. This is done largely to simply allow more people to enjoy the drinks. Both of them are vegan, so everybody from vegetarians to the simply lactose intolerant can still have a glass.

The drinks also are not quite the same consistency as milk. Both are closer to a milkshake than milk, or, since both have strong fruit flavors, maybe calling them a smoothie is more accurate. Either way, pouring blue milk on your morning breakfast cereal wouldn't simply change the color of your breakfast, but everything about the meal.

Blue Milk

Starting with the iconic blue milk made famous in Star Wars: A New Hope, this icy cold beverage is going to hit all your buttons, especially if you're a fan of tropical fruits. It's got flavors of pineapple and dragonfruit, but also watermelon. If you're looking for something cold and refreshing to drink on a hot day in Southern CA and there will be a lot of those this summer, or on Batuu, the blue milk is probably going to be much more your speed.

My guess is that the blue milk will be the favorite among most guests as it's something of a safer choice. The other option is a bit more adventurous.

Green Milk

Green milk is also very much a fruit smoothie, though the fruits here are quite different. The green option is very heavy in the citrus flavors -- think oranges and grapefruits above all. There's a bit of tropical fruit here as well as I think there's passion fruit also included.

This could have made the green milk the more popular choice overall, but green milk has a bit of a twist. In addition to these citrus flavors, there's also a strong element that I can only describe as floral tasting. It comes in at the back of the sip and is very strong. Because of this, it's the flavor that is still lingering after you swallow, making the green milk the more unique taste of the two.

This will be the determining factor in which of the two you like better. These floral notes are either going to appeal to you or they're going to turn you off in a big way.

So Which Is Better?

Going in I sort of assumed this would be an easy enough question to answer, but as it turns out, not so much.

Personally, I have to say I actually enjoyed the green milk more. I found the floral notes of the beverage to be quite interesting and unexpected and I love any food or drink that combines flavors I like in unique and interesting ways.

Having said that, it seems, based on those who have given both milks a try at Galaxy's Edge, that I'm very much in the minority. Odds are you will prefer the blue milk over the green. I can totally see that many might not go for the floral component of the green milk. It's not the first flavor you think of when you think "ice cold fruit smoothie."

The best comparison that I can come up with comes from the world of beer. What's often referred to as a "west coast IPA" is a beer that is usually heavy in hops and thus is more bitter. It certainly has a strong flavor to it, but it's one that doesn't appeal to everybody.

Green milk isn't bitter, but it has a strong flavor in the same way. You're either going to like the taste or you're going to hand the glass to your friend and see if they want to finish it.

Blue milk is more like your session IPA. Its flavors are smoother and more balanced. It's easier to drink. It's designed specifically to appeal to a wider variety of palettes.

If you're going to be checking out Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and you want to try something at the milk stand, my recommendation is go with the blue milk first. If you're there with a group of friends, consider getting one green milk among the group so that everybody can at least give it a try. There's a decent chance somebody will like it enough that it won't go to waste, and if everybody loves it, you can always get more.

You can still check out Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge now by booking a stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel, everybody booked in the room will get access to a four hour visit to Batuu. Starting June 24, no reservations will be required.

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Star Wars Galaxy's Edge: Everything We Know About Walt Disney World's New Land

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge: Everything We Know About Walt Disney World's New Land

Star Wars' existence in Disney theme parks actually pre-dates the company's purchase of Lucasfilm, but everybody knew it was only a matter of time once the purchase happened before Star Wars' presence saw a massive increase in Anaheim and Orlando. That is set to happen later this year when Walt Disney World in Florida, and also Disneyland in California, see a major upgrade in the form of a new land called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

While we won't get to really see or truly experience Star Wars Galaxy's Edge until the land opens later this year, there's still a lot that has been revealed about the new area and what it will contain. Here's everything that we know about the newest part of the Disney parks.

When Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Will Open

Originally, Walt Disney World had been given a window of Late Fall 2019 for the opening of Star Wars; Galaxy's Edge with Disneyland set to open in the summer of the same year. This meant a lot of people were surprised when the actual opening dates were revealed as Disneyland was announced to see the land open May 31 with Walt Disney World following on August 29.

There's a catch however. With the earlier date it was announced that only one of the E-ticket attractions, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run would be open to the public. The other attraction, Rise of the Resistance will come later as part of a second phase opening. No date was given for when that will happen beyond both parks seeing phase two come sometime in 2019. It seems likely each park will see the second attraction close to the original opening date.

How To Get Into Galaxy's Edge

With the popularity that Disneyland and Walt Disney World already have, combined with the popularity of Star Wars, it's clear that Galaxy's Edge is going to be a popular place when it opens. However, Disney is doing what it can to alleviate crowds.

For the first three weeks of Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland, May 31 to June 22, a separate reservation will be necessary to access the new land. On May 2 reservations were made available to the general public, but they were all taken in less than two hours. Now, the only way to get in during that opening period is by booking a stay at a Disneyland resort hotel. A hotel reservation will get you access to a four hour long reservation at Galaxy's Edge during one day of your hotel stay.

Once the reservation period has ended a "virtual queueing system" will be utilized to prevent a standby liner from forming.

There has been no reservation system announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios.

How Galaxy's Edge Will Be Different

One of the ways that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge will be a unique land for a Disney park is that it is being designed to feel, in its entirety, like it exists as a planet in the Star Wars Universe. The idea is that this isn't simply a space in a theme park that looks like Star Wars, but an actual part of Star Wars canon, just like any movie. The name of that planet is Batuu. It can be found on the outer edge of the galaxy, thus the name of the land, but is also a location of importance to both the Resistance and The First Order. We've never seen Batuu before, as it's a brand new creation by Disney. However, the Star Wars multimedia machine has already begun to sprinkle the location throughout other forms of Star Wars media as a way to prepare us for the planet.

Of course, even Disney's largest single land expansion ever isn't going to feel like it's actually a whole planet, so the focus will actually be a single settlement on that planet

Black Spire Outpost

While Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will exist on its own planet, the focus of the land will be on a specific place on that planet. Named for the petrified trees that have transformed into the planet's unique geology, Black Spire Outpost will be the hub of activity where guests will find the attractions, the restaurants, and the merchandise available for sale. The Black Spires actually received a reference in Solo: A Star Wars Story, showing that this new area will be intimately tied to the larger Star Wars universe.

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run

There will be two E-ticket attractions as part of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The most exciting is probably the one that will put you in the pilot seat of the Millennium Falcon. Within the story of the ride, Pirate Hondo Ohnaka, known to Star Wars fans from his appearances in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Rebels animated series, has made a deal with Chewbacca. He will help fund a refurbishment on the Falcon if Chewie will let him use it to run some less than legal goods through the galaxy. As a guest, you're actually a freelance smuggler, looking to make some cash by signing up to work for Hondo.

Groups of six riders will be given one of three crew positions, pilot, gunner, or engineer. When it comes time to actually do your flying, It isn't just a ride. Guests will have to actively use the controls in the Millennium Falcon cockpit in order to successfully execute the mission. If gunners don't fire fast enough, the Falcon will take damage. If that happens, engineers may have to extinguish fires.

While it apparently won't be possible to completely fail the mission, different outcomes are possible. You'll even be able to see the damage that you've done. With numerous possibilities for the ride, the re-rideability of the attraction looks to be quite high, even if you weren't simply looking to fly the Falcon again and again, although who wouldn't want to do that?

Rise Of The Resistance

The other major attraction at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge is an attraction that will put you in the middle of a battle between The Resistance and the First Order. Rise of the Resistance will see guests become members of the Resistance and go on a mission on their behalf before being captured by a First Order Star Destroyer. Then guests get into trackless ride vehicles for an escape that promises to be one of the biggest and most exciting rides of any theme park ever.

Rise of the Resistance is the marquee attraction of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. It's biggest selling point may be that the attraction is simply massive. Based on the description the experience will have multiple segments that will see guests both walking and riding between them. A resistance flight deck with full-sized X-Wings will be in one area. While full size First Order AT-ATs will be in another.

In addition to the awesome set pieces, guests will also feel like they're part of the Star Wars universe because several characters from the current trilogy will also be part of Rise of the Resistance. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver have all recorded scenes that will be part of it all.

The Food

One of the highlights of any Disney vacation is all the great food the park has on offer and we can be sure that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge will not be an exception. It has been confirmed that blue milk will be on offer, as well as countless other delicacies of the galaxy far, far away. Black Spire Station will also have a cantina available. There will also be a table service restaurant as well as a separate quick serve-type establishment. This is likely going to be a tough reservation to get, as many will surely want to eat in the galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will also bring what may be the single biggest change to Disneyland in its entire history as it will be the first place alcohol has ever been available to the general public. Star Wars themed cocktails as well as a selection of wine and beer made exclusively for Galaxy's Edge will be available at Oga's Cantina. You can bet finding a seat will be tough there, in fact, the word is the layout has been designed mostly for standing room for simply that reason, so that more people will be able to fit in the space. If nothing else, you'll be able to listen to some solid music as RX-24, or R3X, the original Star Tours pilot, has found a new job as a DJ.

Docking Bay 7 will be the table service restaurant at Black Spire Station. Recognizable by the transport ship on the roof, Docking Bay 7 is the home of Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs, who honed his craft at the castle of one Maz Kanata before taking his show on the road and finding himself on Batuu.

Ronto Roasters will be the quick service food location, providing roasted meat that's been cooked on what used to be a pod racing engine. Considering that the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ restaurant used to be on the location of Galaxy's Edge, it's a nice way to pay homage to the popular spot that we no longer have.

There are a couple of other places to grab a bite or something to drink. Kat Saka's Kettle will offer a variety of flavored popcorn. There will also be a Milk Stand allowing you to try the popular blue or green milk from the Star Wars universe. These beverages will actually be fruit flavored smoothie's when you find them on Batuu.

The Merchandise

Nobody knows how to sell stuff quite like Disney and no place is the company better at it than inside the theme parks. However, merchandise is where one of the more interesting aspects of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge comes in. Rather than being full of t-shirts and ball caps with the Star Wars logo like you might expect, none of that will actually be available inside the new land. Instead, the shops will be part of the lands theming, containing only the sorts of items you might expect to find in an alien marketplace. There will certainly be plenty of clothes and toys, but only items designed to look like they came from Batuu.

The highlight of the cool stuff on display is likely the shop that will let you buld your own lightsaber. This is going to be serious business as you'll need to schedule a time for your lightsaber build. There will be many different options to choose from that will let you build a blade in your own special way. Expect to pay something around $100 just for the hilt, and $50 more if you actually want to be able to attach a blade. But it sounds like the final product will look like something you see in the movies, so that will likely make things worth it.

A droid building shop will be available, allowing you to build your own remote controlled R2 or BB unit, and who doesn't want of those.

There will be a toy shop, run by a Toydarian, because why not. It will house plush dolls that look like your favorite Star Wars characters, because they've become famous throughout the galaxy,

There will also be clothing shops so that you can dress like a member of either the Resistance or the First Order. There will actually be different shops depending on which side you want to join, because, again, the storytelling is even built into the shopping.

The Technology

While we know a little about the big things that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge has planned, what Disney Parks are better than anybody at is the small stuff, the little details that help flesh out the world so it feels real. Quite a few of those little details are hinted at in the form of patents that Disney has filed for in recent months. We've seen one that could create the look of blaster fire, and another that could create holograms in an attraction. Based on descriptions, it sounds like both of these will be used as part of the Rise of the Resistance ride.

However, what may be even more interesting is the way Disney is going to use your smartphone to create an even more immersive Star Wars experience. Via the existing Play Disney Parks app, a whole host of new experiences will be available to guests.

One game will let you use your phone to "hack" surveillance boxes set up around Black Spire Station by the First Order. Once hacked, you can either deactivate them, to help the Resistance or reactivate them to help the First Order.

You'll also be able to use the app to translate Aurebesh writing found throughout Batuu, a lot of things won't be in English, since nobody on Batuu speaks the language.

You'll also be able to use the app to pick up and complete odd jobs. These can also be handled in different ways and the decisions you make will help dictate whether you end up joining the First Order or the Resistance.

In addition, the events of some of the attractions will also carry over into other aspects of the land. If you bring the Millennium Falcon back in less than ideal condition from Smuggler's Run, then a bartender might make reference to that when you visit the cantina.

The Hotel

One thing that won't be opening in the late fall of 2019 at Walt Disney World, but is on its way, is a special Star Wars-themed hotel that will be attached to Galaxy's Edge. More than simply being a place to keep your stuff while you're in the park, the hotel is set to be an attraction unto itself, where guests check in for a set number of days for an all-inclusive, completely immersive, Star Wars experience. You'll be able to dress the part and interact with other guests and staff as if you were on board a starship flying through the galaxy, far, far away. It sounds like nothing anybody has ever experienced and we can't wait to check in.

Needless to say, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is promising a lot. With Disney's history, there's a good chance it will be successful in pretty much everything it wants to do. The only real question is, just how insane will the crowds be when it opens and how much of a problem will those crowds be in trying to enjoy the immersive Star Wars world. We'll find out later this year.

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Star Wars Exec Shoots Down Latest Rumor About Han Solo And Rey

Star Wars Exec Shoots Down Latest Rumor About Han Solo And Rey

The Star Wars franchise has been going strong for decades, accruing generations of fans in the process. And once Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the galaxy was expanded through the sequel trilogy, standalone films, and small screen adventures. J.J. Abrams kickstarted the property back up with The Force Awakens, and returned to the director's chair for The Rise of Skywalker, which will be the cumulation of the nine film narrative of the main franchise.

All eyes are on what J.J. Abrams will do with Episode IX, and if he will retcon any of the plot twists Rian Johnson brought with The Rise of Skywalker. One of the biggest twists was that Rey's parents were revealed to be nobodies, but a new rumor claims her father might have actually been Han Solo himself. Now Star Wars exec Pablo Hidalgo has shut down this fan theory, saying:

That doesn’t fit with the timeline. Han and Leia were together up until about 5 years before TFA when it all went to hell, and Rey is 19.

Well, that was easy. While Pablo Hidalgo obviously is privy to the future of the Star Wars franchise and what to expect with The Rise of Skywalker, it looks like he just used simple math to shoot down the rumor about Han Solo being Rey's actual father. And Han, Leia, and Ben were a happy family until a few years before audiences met Daisy Ridley's new hero in The Force Awakens.

Pablo Hidalgo made this revelation on his personal Twitter account. Hidalgo regularly communicates directly with the fandom in this way, helping to squash rumors and drum up excitement for each new Star Wars release. And he's intimately involved in the process, helping to craft the story from an executive level as Lucasfilm. So he's a trusted source of information.

It turns out that the fans should stop worrying about a possible connection between Han Solo and Rey, as he didn't have the time to run off and have an affair in order to be her father. But while that rumor has been shut down, the conversation about Rey's parentage will likely continue until The Rise of Skywalker finally hits theaters this December.

Related: All The Major Theories About Rey's Parents

After the release of The Force Awakens, there were countless theories about who Rey's parents might have been. They ranged from Luke Skywalker to Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Rian Johnson threw the fandom for a loop during The Last Jedi's third act. Kylo Ren revealed that Rey came from nobody, a child of smugglers who sold her off and abandoned her in Jakku.

It was a narrative choice that subverted fan expectations, just like Rian Johnson killed off Snoke before we learned of his backstory. But with J.J. Abrams back in the driver's seat for The Rise of Skywalker, the fandom is wondering whether or not he changes some of the plot twists from the previous movie.

All will be revealed when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Star Wars: Everything You Need To Know About Emperor Palpatine

Star Wars: Everything You Need To Know About Emperor Palpatine

In the canon of Star Wars history, there’s one villain who looms above any and all others that have been featured. His shadow is a dark, vast legacy that even Supreme Leader Snoke couldn’t eclipse, and it’s by his hand that the entire cinematic franchise became what it is today. You may know him as Emperor Palpatine, but he wasn’t always the all-powerful, all controlling figure he was when he died in 1983’s Return of the Jedi.

The road to Palpatine’s reign was the result of a long game that saw Sheev Palpatine go from a seemingly kind politician with aspirations for higher office to the most powerful man in the galaxy. His life, aside from the lives of the Skywalker family, is probably the most important to Star Wars history, and his potential resurrection in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it seems like a good time to go over the man’s history.

He Was A Respected Senator Of The Republic

In the first episode of the Star Wars cinematic universe, The Phantom Menace, we’re introduced to Sheev Palpatine as a kindly senator from the lush planet of Naboo. A representative of the planet that, at the time, was dealing with some rather aggressive trade negotiations, Palpatine also took a rather keen interest in Jedi politics.

Most importantly, he befriended a young Anakin Skywalker, promising the Republic would watch his career with great interest after seizing power of the Republic senate. It was these twin passions that would see Sheev rise to power and amass the means to keep it.

Palpatine Overthrew The Government By Playing By Its Own Rules

As it turns out, Senator Palpatine didn’t overthrow the Galactic Republic by any sort of armed coup, at least not in the beginning with his role in The Phantom Menace. Rather, the shrewd politician used an interesting tactic to install himself as the Supreme Chancelor of the Galactic Republic: he triggered a no confidence vote.

He manipulated Queen Amidala, as well as the rest of the Senate, to cast doubt on then Supreme Chancellor Valorum, by painting him as a leader that was ineffectual during the blockade of Naboo by the Trade Federation. The vote ousted Valorum, with Palpatine being elected into the position he would eventually abuse to the fullest extent.

Palpatine’s Hand In Political Turmoil

We saw his opening gambits towards galactic chaos in The Phantom Menace, but Sheev Palpatine had been working behind the scenes under another name: Darth Sidious. To create the conditions to bring himself to power, Palpatine engineered not only the Trade Federation blockade scenario, he also spurred Count Dooku and his confederates to create the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Operating as a separatist movement that looked to leave the Galactic Republic, this rogue body would eventually become the other half of the Clone Wars conflict that weakened the republic to a state where anyone who was smart enough could collapse it. And Sheev was not only smart, he was the Sith Lord who put it all into play.

The Last Supreme Chancellor Of The Republic

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine’s reign extends from the end of The Phantom Menace to a decade later in Attack of the Clones, thanks to some more political wrangling. Eventually, he was able to weaken the Galactic Republic’s government to the point where he could grant himself a longer than usual term, as well as find himself granted some emergency powers. And all he had to do was get the Senate to approve of the measures he saw fit, which was easy considering his charming demeanor, as well as the fact that junior representative Jar Jar Binks helped convince the Senate to grant him said emergency powers.

What did Palpatine do with those powers? Why, he ordered the creation of a clone army, of course. While the Grand Army of The Republic was supposed to fight the supposed threat of the Separatist Army, but in time would be used to execute the most infamous executive order in Star Wars history.

Emperor Palpatine Manipulated Anakin Skywalker, Turning Him To The Dark Side

Throughout his political climb, Sheev Palpatine had been interested in one person’s parallel rise to power: Anakin Skywalker's. Brought into the Jedi Order as a Padawan under Qui-Gon Jinn and eventually becoming an apprentice/partner to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin would fight valiantly as a member of the Jedi Order during the eventual Clone Wars.

But during that time, he would not only find himself falling in love with childhood crush Padme Amidalla, he’d also become embittered about being denied a seat on the Jedi Council. Also denied the rank of Jedi Master, Anakin had one person that he really felt saw his potential: Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Feeding on the young man’s fears and insecurities, Palpatine convinced him to betray the Jedi Order and become his right hand man, Darth Vader.

He’s Really Anakin’s Father

While Palpatine was particularly focused on Anakin Skywalker as his Sith apprentice, there was another reason that he was interested in the young man’s well being. According to recent comic lore, it was Darth Sidious who was the father of Anakin “Darth Vader” Skywalker.

As shown in issue 25 of Darth Vader, the canon now supports the theory that Palpatine/Sidious manipulated Midi-chlorians and created Anakin as a child of virgin conception in his mother, Shmi. This tracks with Palpatine’s big speech at the opera in Revenge of the Sith, in which he describes his Sith Lord master, Darth Plageuis, as a man that could control Midi-chlorians and create life itself.

Palpatine Nearly Exterminated The Jedi, Installing Himself As The Emperor of the Galactic Empire

Perhaps the biggest blow to the freedom of the galaxy in Star Wars was the fact that Sheev Palpatine eventually made himself the Emperor of what eventually became the Galactic Empire. It was in this position of authority that he executed an order that he had built into his legion of Clone Troopers: Order 66. Once granted, this order saw the clones that were sworn to fight for galactic peace commanded to turn on the Jedi and purge them from the galaxy. All but a scarce number of Jedi died that day, with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda being the most notable survivors.

Both went into hiding after they were clued into a potential hope for the galaxy, but at this point in time, it appeared that Emperor Palpatine crushed the Jedi. Moving on to dissolving the Imperial Senate, the only measures Palpatine thought he needed to take to keep the universe to himself was the Death Star in his arsenal, and Darth Vader by his side.

Emperor Palpatine Was Looking For A Way To Cheat Death

The animated series Star Wars Rebels saw Emperor Palpatine searching for something that could grant him even more Force powers than he already had. Located on the planet Lothal, a local Jedi temple had an opening to a sort of pocket universe. Though once a person entered this pocket universe, they could manipulate events throughout time and space, which was exhibited in a moral quandry faced by Rebels’ protagonist Ezra Bridger.

Eventually, Palpatine attempted to seduce Bridger to the Dark Side, much like he did with young Anakin Skywalker, but this attempt failed. Bridger destroyed the temple that housed the portal to this universe of unlimited power, with Palpatine trying to kill him as a result. An important detail to note is that Palpatine names this very portal as, “a conduit between the living and the dead.” So, if someone really wanted to avoid the finality of morality, this would be the way to do it.

Darth Vader Killed Emperor Palpatine, Sacrificing Himself In The Process

Flash forward to the Original Trilogy era of Star Wars, and we see Emperor Palpatine seemingly high on the hog. The Death Star works perfectly, despite some pesky Rebels blowing one up; and Darth Vader just might bring his son, Luke Skywalker, over to the Dark Side of the Force.

But during a climactic confrontation on the second Death Star, The Emperor was betrayed by his apprentice and thrown down an energy shaft that supposedly incinerated him. Darth Vader, in his final moments with his son, felt more like Anakin Skywalker again, and would eventually appear as his younger self in his Force Ghost form. We’re left with the sense that Palpatine is dead, and peace will now ring out through the Galaxy.

But as we see, or rather hear, in the trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Emperor Sheev Palpatine, dark lord of the Sith, may not be as dead as we thought. He may have found his loophole between the worlds of the living and the dead, and merely bided his time until he knew the conditions would be optimal for another bite at the galactic apple. There were plenty of Jedi temples out there, and any one of them could have a portal similar to the one on Lothal. It wouldn’t be that much of a surprise, and honestly, it’s better than the clones that the previous Expanded Universe canon used to keep the character in the picture.

For the moment though, this is everything you need to know about Emperor Palpatine, and with that knowledge, let the speculation begin! Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker finishes the Skywalker Saga on December 20.

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Star Wars Episode IX's Title Has Been Revealed, And It's Epic

Star Wars Episode IX's Title Has Been Revealed, And It's Epic

There is arguably no film franchise quite as beloved as Star Wars. George Lucas' colorful galaxy has delighted moviegoers for decades, resulting in generations of hardcore fans. And with Disney acquiring Lucasfilm, the past few years have come with new releases, expanding the space opera through spinoffs and main installments. The latter have considerably higher stakes, and J.J. Abrams will end the current trilogy and overall Skywalker Saga with his mysterious Episode IX.

The movie might be coming this December, but Star Wars has been keeping its cards close to the chest regarding the film's contents. Furthermore, we haven't even been privy to its title or any footage. But that changed with this week's annual Star Wars Celebration, which debuted the Episode IX's official title (and first teaser). It is called The Rise Of Skywalker.

Does anyone else have chills? Tons of potential titles have been thrown around in the year and chance since The Last Jedi arrived in theaters to subvert fan expectations. Given the high stakes Episode IX, it seemed like just about any potential title could come to fruition-- especially as Disney and Lucasfilm kept their secrets from the general public.

But the most popular theorized titles for Episode IX did not include The Rise of Skywalker, giving the epic space opera to get yet another surprise over on the rabid fanbase. Considering Luke's fate in The Last Jedi, no one really expected him to be name checked in the next movie. Luke seemingly perished after Force Projecting to Crait for the final battle. While we expected him to return as a Force Ghost in The Rise of Skywalker, the title may tease an even meatier role for the franchise hero.

Of course, The Rise of Skywalker might not only reference Luke. The movie will end the Skywalker Saga forever, which (timeline wise) started when we met a young Anakin in Phantom Menace. The first trailer teased a strong connection to the franchise's past, as it ended on The Emperor's iconic laugh. So it doesn't seem out of question that both Anakin, Luke, Leia, and perhaps even more characters are being referenced in the film's recently revealed title.

You can check out the first teaser for Star War: The Rise of Skywalker below. Prepare for goosebumps.

Overall, it looks like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be going new places for the current trilogy, and has an ambitious scope as the finale in a nine-film narrative. The trailer and title were debuted in the final moments of the Episode IX panel at Star Wars Celebration, and the cast and crew revealed plenty juicy bits of information. J.J. Abrams teased a time jump since the events of The Last Jedi, allowing the characters to get both their bearings and some new duds for the battle to come. Furthermore, it looks like The Rise of Skywalker will keep the current cast largely together, rather than separating their stories across various locations like the last two installments.

As for Luke's role, your guess is as good as mine. But clearly Mark Hamill's character and his lineage will have a part of play in the highly anticipated blockbuster. The Rise of Skywalker will end the story we've been following for decades, so the pressure is on.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Star Wars: Episode IX Is Really Aiming To Please Fans Of The Original Trilogy, And It's Working

Star Wars: Episode IX Is Really Aiming To Please Fans Of The Original Trilogy, And It's Working

Say what you will about most other entries in the Star Wars saga, but that original trilogy of films is still the strongest bedrock that the franchise has ever had to call its base. While the series needs to appeal to the fans it’s won in the more recent years, there’s always going to be that fanbase that came to the dance starting with 1977’s initial offering.

I became a Star Wars fan while growing up through the Original Trilogy and a smattering of now de-canonized Expanded Universe material. But I’d always heard that story of that fabled first and third trilogy to round off the saga, and longed for the day they’d exist.

Now, we see the close of the third trilogy coming with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and it looks like director J.J. Abrams and all involved are looking to please those dyed-in-the-wool fans. Here some reasons why that not only feels like the approach that’s being executed, but also why I think it’s working out rather well.

It Promises The End Of The Skywalker Saga

As I mentioned before, one of the biggest sticking points in Star Wars lore was the fact that George Lucas has allegedly planned out three trilogies in the Skywalker Saga. The prequel trilogy scratched the itch fans had for seeing Anakin Skywalker’s origins as Darth Vader, and for a little while, it felt like the last three episodes of the entire nine-part saga would never come.

Even with Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ big reveal, it wasn’t certain that we’d see the end of the line, as George Lucas was out of the process altogether, and episode numbers were eventually dropped.

Why It Works: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker being the definitive end of the Skywalker clan's story frees the series for new ideas to take root. But more importantly, it brings that storied end to the legacy of the very family that started the Star Wars franchise, fulfilling a promise from long ago.

Leia Will Finish Out Her Role In The Star Wars Universe

Due to the untimely passing of Carrie Fisher, another big question was whether or not General Leia Organa would be brought back in some shape or form to close out her own story. After a period of long thought and deliberation, it was confirmed that Fisher’s General Leia would return in previously filmed outtakes from the last two Star Wars films, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

The context of her place in the story, and how much shooting around the footage that was available will affect that is yet to be seen, but this decision is just as important as the one that allowed Luke Skywalker to return.

Why It Works: Seeing our first look at Leia’s return in this final film is pretty convincing stuff. While how the pre-existing story will work with what specific footage they have of Carrie Fisher’s previous performance is definitely a bit of a challenge, it’s good to see the General back for one last adventure. And if the Skywalker Saga is about to end, both of Anakin and Padme’s twins deserve proper closure.

It Looks Like We’re Going Back To A Familiar Desert

The trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker shows a lot of one particular element that’s always been important to the saga’s storytelling environment: sand. With Rey’s big lightsaber flip and some action between Finn and Poe being showcased in the recent teaser, there’s a lot of the rough stuff primed and ready for action.

Which means we’re probably going back to one of two places. Either Jakku or Tatooine are in the mix for the ninth episode of the Skywalker Saga, but either way, this is a pretty big deal when it comes to wrapping up the story started in the Original Trilogy.

Why It Works: Much like the Original Trilogy’s story, bringing our heroes back to where the action started is a classic move of resolution. Anakin and Luke had to return to Tatooine before becoming the men they set off to be, and Rey will more than likely be heading back to Jakku in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. More powerful than when she left, this new Force user will more than likely learn some important knowledge about her origins, before setting off on whatever big battle she’s marching towards.

Lando Calrissian Is Back And Flying The Millennium Falcon Again

One of the most criminally underused characters in the Star Wars galaxy has to be Lando Calrissian. A dashing charmer with a criminal past, Billy Dee Williams’ iconic supporting player is one of those figures that has always been brought up when questioning what moves the next Star Wars films would take to connect the future of the franchise to its historical past.

With so much room for his character to be expanded and enhanced upon in the brand new canon, especially after the discarding of the now-reclassified Legends line of Expanded Universe material, it was a pleasant given that the decision to reinstate Lando would be made.

Why It Works: If there’s a character whose legacy has positively loomed larger than his actual screen time in the Star Wars saga, it’s Mr. Calrissian. While the return of some characters seems more like an exercise in fan service than in storytelling (C-3PO, we’re looking in your direction), having Lando return is a smart way to close the story in the absence of Han Solo. Not to mention, there’s always a spot reserved for a roguish smuggler in the Star Wars universe.

The Series Is About To Go On Hiatus After The Rise Of Skywalker

Some Original Trilogy fans have been worried that the Star Wars franchise of films has overextended its reach a little bit. While Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was a hit and seemed to do pretty well overall, the reaction to Solo was way more tepid than usual. Even Disney CEO Bob Iger realized that the pace of the series was unsustainable, which lead him to announce that the series would go into hibernation after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Why It Works: Fans are always going to show up for the Skywalker Saga entries in Star Wars’ cinematic universe. That said, it’s going to take some time and tweaking to realize just what the fans will want out of the series outside of that now-ending run. It’s nice to see the studio management to realize that, and learn the lesson if you want to keep your fanbase happy, sometimes absence makes the Force grow stronger.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will define the legacy and its storytelling approach for some, while proving whether it adheres to the rules that the Original Trilogy played by for so long. As long as the rest of the decisions made in telling this story match up to the quality of those listed above, there should be a good chance that fans of the Original Trilogy will be very pleased with the finished product.

That’s an investment that should pay off long after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20. Though, that doesn’t mean the Star Wars fun has to end, as Disney+ will undoubtedly keep the fires stoked as The Mandalorian debuts on the platform’s launch date of November 12.

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