We are getting very close to the end of filming for Star Wars: Episode IX, as we’ve heard of actors wrapping up their filming responsibilities. Within the last week, we’ve officially heard of Richard E. Grant and Anthony Daniels wrapping up their roles, and we can now add Brian Herring to that list.
Herring, the puppeteer for BB-8, tweeted that Friday was his last day as the beloved droid.
As you can tell by the images he included in his tweet, he has done more than just BB-8 (including porgs and fathiers!), but the droid is his best-known role. And as his tweet indicates, it really is the end of a magnificent ride. It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years already, but in these years we’ve received two fantastic additions to the Skywalker saga and are sure to get a third this December. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of BB-8, but it will remain to be seen whether Herring actually works as the puppeteer for the droid any longer or not. It’s really remarkable to watch Herring work, and if you haven’t seen him in action then I’d suggest checking out the documentary on the making of The Force Awakens to see how he and the rest of the crew bring the droid to life. It’s pretty cool.
Anyway, the main takeaway is that BB-8 has now wrapped for Episode IX. We don’t yet know how much screentime C-3PO or Richard Grant’s character will get in the film, but it is a safe guess that BB-8 will have a considerable amount. So in many ways this is the biggest indication yet that filming as a whole may be winding down soon. I hope that we’ll get some sort of a clearer picture of when it does wrap, and I know many people are hoping that it will be accompanied by a title announcement. But either way, it’s a bit bittersweet to think of this sequel trilogy era coming to a close soon, though the excitement for Episode IX will only continue to build the more we see and hear about it! I already can’t wait!
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