The annual Disney shareholders meeting was today, and that included updates on the massive year ahead for the company, including several blockbuster films that are highly anticipated by fans.
That, of course, includes Star Wars: Episode IX, coming this December. Bob Iger explained that while filming has finished they’re currently editing the film, but J.J. Abrams put together some footage anyway.
Unfortunately, that footage was only shown in the room for the shareholders, and I don’t expect it to be released publicly. We have assumed all along that the first public footage will come at Celebration, and there’s no reason to think otherwise currently. But while this footage was only shown for those shareholders in attendance, some people who were there have been kind enough to fill us in on what the footage depicted. The footage was a combination of behind-the-scenes stuff as well as actual footage from the film. Most of this information comes to us courtesy of Scott Ladewig, who has been incredible in describing what was seen with fans on Twitter:
- “We saw a blockade runner in an abandoned looking hangar. An explosion knocking Stormtroopers in a starship hangar bay. Kylo Ren in a white room looking at the Vader helmet. Rey, Finn, Poe in Falcon cockpit.” (source: Scott Ladewig)
- “Lando briefly. Rey with Chewie’s bowcastet. Finn in some abandoned looking ship interior.” (source: Scott Ladewig)
- “So @dizparks just reminded me that we saw a marketplace (?) scene with Rey walking through and some aliens.” (source: Scott Ladewig)
- Regarding if there was any dialogue in the footage: “Almost none, just some saying we go together or in this together from Rey, Poe, Finn.” (source: @dizparks)
- Regarding the room Kylo is in: “He was in a room like in the rebel Blockade runner style, that bright white. And he’s looking down as a box or container opens to reveal the charred Vader helmet.” (source: Scott Ladewig)
- Even more about the look of the room Kylo is in: “Kind of looked like the interior of the Rebel Blockade runner. That bright white look.” (source: Scott Ladewig)
- Kylo is not wearing his mask in this footage. (source: Scott Ladewig)
- Regarding who is in the cockpit of the Falcon: “There was a fourth but I didn’t get a good look as Poe walked in to cockpit.” (source: Scott Ladewig)
- More on the Falcon shot: “Poe walked into the cockpit to join the others; Rey was in the pilot seat.” (source: Scott Ladewig)
- On a behind-the-scenes moment that stood out: “A really cool clip of Daisy doing wire work, jumping and turning a somersault high up in the air with a lightsaber.” (source: Scott Ladewig)
That all sounds pretty great, and again, major thanks to Scott Ladewig for taking the time to answer many questions that fans have asked about the footage that was shown. I want to point out a few things about all of this, giving some speculation at times about things that may fit with rumors and reports we’ve heard (so if you don’t want to know any of that, don’t read any further):
- The heroes together! One of the main shots, it seems, was a brief glimpse of our heroes all together in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. I know that many people have been hoping to see Rey, Poe, and Finn together on-screen in this one, and it sounds like we’re definitely going to get that – and in the cockpit of the iconic ship, no less! Rey is piloting the ship, which seems about right, though I would also love to see Poe fly it with her. So that scene is sure to be a heartwarming one, though it sounds like there was actually a fourth person there as well. I’m assuming that if it were Chewbacca it’d be quite obvious, so I’m guessing it was someone else. The most logical guess otherwise would be Rose, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
- Rey with Chewbacca’s bowcaster. There is apparently a shot of Rey with Chewie’s bowcaster, which has caused some people online to worry about the Wookiee’s fate. Additionally, a report by Making Star Wars previously had suggested that C-3PO is wearing Chewbacca’s bandolier while holding his bowcaster and Rey’s staff. But I’ll just say this: The Force Awakens already established the precedent of someone else using the bowcaster (in that case, Han Solo), so it could just be as simple as that for Rey. But definitely an interesting shot.
- Lando! No details about what was shown of Lando or what his outfit looked like, but it’s just really cool to think about the fact that we’ll be getting more of Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian this December!
- Blockade runner! Apparently there is a blockade runner in an abandoned hanger. If you don’t remember, a Rebel blockade runner (named the Tantive IV) is the very first ship we were ever introduced to in the Star Wars universe as it fled Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer, so it would be pretty cool to bring a blockade runner into the final film of the saga as well. I think there are plenty of ways that it could work. We already know that the Resistance has been using older model ships than the New Republic, and with the Resistance continually trying to grow their numbers I think it’d be plausible that Leia would turn to some old Rebellion-era ships and attempt to refurbish them.
- Kylo, a ship, and Vader’s mask! The thing that seemed to prompt the most questions were the shots of Kylo Ren. Basically, an unmasked Kylo Ren is in a bright white room and opens a container that reveals Vader’s helmet. Ladewig suggested that the interior of the location looked like the interior of a blockade runner, while a user suggested it could be the interior of Vader’s meditation chamber and Ladewig said it could have been. But I think the most likely scenario is that this is a new ship, and after hearing the description, Ladewig said, “That sure sounds like it.” In a recent report from Making Star Wars, they said that Kylo Ren has a new white ship in which Vader’s helmet is stored. So the description of this footage would very much match that: a white ship in which Kylo looks at Vader’s helmet. If I had to guess, I’d be pretty sure that this location seen in the footage is actually Kylo’s new ship.
- Daisy Ridley’s stunt work. The one behind-the-scenes thing that seemed to stand out is that there was a shot of Daisy Ridley doing wire-work and jumping and somersaulting mid-air with a lightsaber. That’s pretty exciting to think about, and a recent report from Making Star Wars may give us a clue as to what it’s for. Apparently, there’s a big battle sequence at the end of the film that takes place in zero gravity. That’s just really, really cool to imagine: what if the last major battle we see in the Skywalker saga takes place in zero gravity? That’d be pretty awesome. I can’t help but wonder whether this stunt work was in preparation for that scene.
This footage sounds pretty great, and be encouraged: in just over a month, we should be getting our first look at Episode IX as well with a legit trailer! I can’t wait!
Star Wars Thoughts 