Well, Luke who’s coming to theaters
The Jedi-like patience of “Star Wars” fans has been rewarded.
The final chapter in the franchise’s latest trilogy will be titled “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” the first teaser for the highly anticipated movie revealed.
The approximately twominute promo released Friday shows Daisy Ridley’s Rey gearing up for a showdown as Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker intones wise words.
“We’ve passed on all we know,” he says. “A thousand generations live in you now, but this is your fight.”
The teaser also features a look at Billy Dee Williams’ return as Lando Calrissian, marking his first appearance in the current trilogy. Williams portrayed the smooth-talking character in “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Return of the Jedi” (1983).
New shots of John Boyega’s Finn, Adam Driver’s villainous Kylo Ren and Carrie Fisher’s iconic Leia appear in the teaser as well.
But the most surprising part of the promo comes at the very end. Ominous laughter very reminiscent of Emperor Palp Latine’s creepy cackle closes out the clip, sparking speculation about the fate of the evil character played by Ian McDiarmid.
Palpatine appeared to meet his demise at the end of “Return of the Jedi” when his longtime pupil Darth Vader threw him down a pit to save Luke Skywalker.
On Friday, immediately after the teaser premiered at the “Star Wars Celebration” event in Chicago, McDiarmid appeared onstage and said, in character, “Roll it again.”
The laugh comes right after Hamill says, “No one’s ever really gone.”
The movie also known as “Star Wars: Episode IX” hits theaters Dec. 20.
It serves as the third and final chapter of the first “Star Wars” trilogy since Disney acquired the franchise in 2012. The first film, “The Force Awakens,” premiered in 2015, and was followed by “The Last Jedi” in 2017.
J.J. Abrams, who directed “The Force Awakens,” returns to helm “The Rise of Skywalker.”