After fans didn’t get one single sneak peek ofMark Hamillduring the production ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens, or in any of the footage, we finally got to see the Jedi master at the very end of this adventure, when he comes face-to-face withReyat the remote Jedi temple. After a brief close-up of Luke himself, the final aerial shot looked down at both Rey and Luke. And while many fans were certainly hoping to see more of Luke Skywalker in the movie, it turns out we may have seen even less of him. Producer Ben Rosenblatt revealed toThe Hollywood Reporterthat the final shot almost didn’t feature Luke at all.
The producer says that the final aerial shot, looking down on Rey andLuke Skywalker, was shot from a helicopter, but directorJ.J. Abramswas conflicted about using that shot or ending the movie with a close-up of Rey. He added that the decision was driven byJohn Williams' score. It’s believed that the director wanted to originally end the movie with a Rey close-up because the force was “awakening” inside of her. Here’s what Ben Rosenblatt had to say about the ending, and how the look of the film was an homage toGeorge Lucas.
“(It) left you with this sweeping emotional epic [feel], and you’re going to see a lot of that inStar Wars: Episode VIII. It was J.J., but J.J. was honoring George’s original vision. But J.J. brought his own visual language to the film.”
LucasFilm announced last week that production is under way onStar Wars: Episode VIII, sharing a new video from the set that featured Luke Skywalker. Last fall, directorRian Johnsonshot scenes at Skellig Michael Island in Ireland, long before principal photography got under way, because they only had a certain amount of time they were allowed to shoot on the island, which served as the seclued hideaway where Luke Skywalker put himself into exile. The video LucasFilm released last week to mark the start of principal photography appeared to be taken on the island, so it could be footage that was shot several months ago.
Star Wars: Episode VIIIis written and directed byRian Johnson. Thishighly anticipated sequelcontinues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens Coming back are cast membersMark Hamill,Carrie Fisher,Adam Driver,Daisy Ridley,John Boyega,Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels,Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. New cast members will include Academy Award winnerBenicio Del Toro, Academy Award nomineeLaura Dern, and talented newcomerKelly Marie Tran.
Last month, we reported thatStar Wars: The Force Awakenswill arrive onBlu-ray and DVDApril 5, but that date has still not been confirmed by LucasFilm. The studio hasn’t announced any bonus features yet, so it’s possible that this alternate final shot may be included in deleted scenes, although that hasn’t been confirmed. Do you thinkJ.J. Abramsmade the right choice by endingStar Wars: The Force Awakenswith an aerial shot of Rey and Luke?
