RETURN OF LUKE SKYWALKER
THE LAST JEDI SEES MARK HAMILL REPRISE HIS ICONIC ROLE
Back in 1977, Star Wars premiered in cinemas, but no-one thought it would take off. Forty years and nine films later, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is about to hit the big screen.
In the wake of its anniversary, the latest instalment of the hit franchise will see the much-loved Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) return – and fans are eager to discover what happened to him.
Last time we saw Luke, he was celebrating the Rebels’ victory over The Empire with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). You might expect that he went on to meet a girl and live happily ever after. But in The Force Awakens, we discovered that was not the case.
Luke was missing and The Resistance was desperate to find his whereabouts. Then, in a literal and metaphorical cliffhanger, Rey (Daisy Ridley) discovers a cloaked figure on an isolated cliff who reveals himself to be Luke – and that is exactly where The Last Jedi will pick up.
Mark reveals that slipping back into the character after 34 years wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be.
‘I lost roughly 50 pounds [22.7kg] in weight,’ he told the The Times of his preparation. ‘It was torture.’
But that hard work has certainly paid off. The cast and crew are remaining tight-lipped on the details, but writer and director Rian Johnson revealed to Vanity Fair that The Last Jedi ‘shows a very different side of the Luke character’.
Of course, Episode VIII will also see the return of the new kids on the block – Resistance members Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) prepare for battle against the First Order, while Rey is developing her Jedi abilities with the help of Jedi Master Luke.
But, fans everywhere are wondering if this movie will answer one burning question – who are Rey’s parents?
Rey was undoubtedly the hero of Episode VII, but much of her past is still a mystery. And it didn’t take long for theories to start swirling around the internet. Is she Han and Leia’s daughter, Luke’s daughter, or even the female clone of Luke himself ?
While some theories are more outlandish than others, fans might not have to wait too long to find out.
‘This whole saga is about family,’ Rian hinted on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Despite fans’ excitement for The Last Jedi, it is also
bittersweet. This will be Carrie Fisher’s last appearance in the franchise, after her untimely death last December. Carrie has been an integral part of Star Wars and she will be greatly missed following this instalment.
‘She’s irreplaceable. It’s like every fan was dreaming of the day the Beatles would reunite, and then we lost John [Lennon]. It’s just unbearably sad,’ Mark told Reuters.
‘ Star Wars is about great triumph and great tragedy, and I can’t think of a greater tragedy than missing our Leia.’