"The final installment of the Skywalker saga.”
That was what the initial press release for Star Wars: Episode IX said last year, and you'd be forgiven for thinking it a load of crap. The Star Wars franchise was built on the Skywalker Saga, and we've been following it since George Lucas' original trilogy began in 1977, and then again in the prequels, and billions of dollars worth of material ever since. But with nine months until the film finally drops, star Oscar Isaac is lending some credence to that initial claim.
Isaac appeared on "Today" and when asked about Episode IX, here is what he had to say...
“It is the end of the entire Skywalker saga. Nine stories. This is the culmination of the entire thing. What J.J. has done, and the entire Lucasfilm team, is incredibly fulfilling. It’s also special for us because you get to learn a lot more things about these characters.”
Each trilogy has focused on a different facet of the Skywalker clan. The original followed Luke Skywalker, the prequel focused on his father Anakin Skywalker who would eventually become Darth Vader, and this current one centers on Kylo Ren, another Skywalker who has turned to the Dark Side. If what Isaac says is true, then it seems J.J. Abrams may not be rehashing old stories like so many feared after The Last Jedi.
This story can't be completed without the return of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, and previously-shot footage of Carrie Fisher will be used to finish out her role as Leia. In regards to the late Carrie Fisher, Isaac said...
“We’ve thought about her so much. Her spirit is there [in the film]. Her daughter, Billie Lourd, came back to play a part. Her spirit was there with us and we’re missing her.”
Star Wars: Episode IX opens December 20th.
