It’s a tradition as key to Star Wars Skywalker Saga films as trailers and speculation: Vanity Fair’s feature on the new film, with photos shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz, was released today, and the internet is naturally screaming about how fantastic the photos look and all the goodies present in the article. We’re running down all sixteen images, from looks at old friends to glimpses of new ones and, of course, a tease for a fantastic lightsaber battle.
Your first look at #StarWars: The Rise of Skywalker is here! Let Vanity Fair introduce you to the final chapter in the Skywalker saga. Photographs by Annie Leibovitz. Story by Lev Grossman. https://t.co/ER4XSJmZ8k pic.twitter.com/OyQKDN69eR
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
The cover stars are Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), looking like polar opposites in their Jedi and Sith getups. We also get a look at the pair continuing their battle in a watery setting. Could it be the rainy planet Rey saw in her Force vision in The Force Awakens, or are they dueling on the remains of the Death Star we saw in the trailer?
And what, exactly, is going on with with Kylo and Rey in #StarWars and #TheRiseOfSkywalker? Details here. https://t.co/1QTsOGpSvL
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
Finn (John Boyega) gets his time to shine, too (though I’d have loved for him and Poe to also be cover stars). He and Jannah (Naomi Ackie) are seen riding horse-like animals called orbaks into battle, with Finn wielding a huge blaster as Jannah takes aim with a bow. My new favorite character hanging out with my forever favorite character? Yes please. I really hope that Finn gets a more full, well-handled arc and that Jannah doesn’t become another casualty of Star Wars’ love of fridging women.
Three familiar faces take to the skies in the Falcon: dashing Poe (Oscar Isaac), loyal Chewie (Joonas Suotamo), and charming Lando (Billy Dee Williams). As someone who’s waited a long time for Poe to fly the Falcon and be involved with the main plot of Rey and Finn’s adventures, this is a dream come true. It’s great to see Lando again, and I’d better not have to watch him die, J.J. Abrams.
#StarWars: The Rise of Skywalker features at least one historic reunion: Billy Dee Williams’s iconic Lando Calrissian retakes the helm of the Millennium Falcon pic.twitter.com/4doSNSPEPQ
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
Other new faces include Zorri Bliss (Keri Russell) looking resplendent in purple and gold, and Allegiant General Pryde (Richard E. Grant) looking like Hux’s disappointed dad. Zorri is a rogue, while Pryde’s role is somewhat mysterious. Could Zorri be on the hunt for a MacGuffin that could win the war? Is Pryde part of the remnants of the Empire, tied to the mysterious Palpatine cackle we heard in the trailer?
#StarWars: The Rise of Skywalker features many new characters, including Keri Russell as Zorri Bliss and Richard E. Grant as Allegiant General Pryde. Get your first look right here. https://t.co/ER4XSJmZ8k pic.twitter.com/vtykcfUEjP
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
One photo teases a group long theorized to be joining the onscreen characters: the Knights of Ren. Also only glimpsed briefly in The Force Awakens, the mysterious group that Kylo leads has been absent from the action, until now. We finally get a look at the menacing crew, and boy do they look dangerous. Rey, Finn, and Poe will have their work cut out for them.
V.F. can exclusively confirm that the mysterious Knights of Ren—first seen in #StarWars: The Force Awakens—are back in #TheRiseofSkywalker https://t.co/ER4XSJmZ8k pic.twitter.com/cBrdAOrqSv
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
Finally, no one is ever really gone. Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) appears alongside R2-D2. Is he a ghost? Has a Force resurrection happened? It’s no spoiler that he’s returning, though we’re probably going to be speculating over what capacity he appears in until the theater lights dim.
LUKE SKYWALKER #TheRiseOfSkywalker pic.twitter.com/AtkoSLveIh
— Star Wars Legacy (@starwarsIegacy) May 22, 2019
There are some mysteries left, including why Rose wasn’t included in the main lineup of photos if she’s a key Resistance fighter, but overall, these are great teases for one of the most anticipated films of the year. Which was your favorite photo?
Are you more hyped than ever for the film? Let us know in the comments!
(image: Lucasfilm)
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