It’s here. The final trailer for J. J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker has finally arrived and it teases lots of new footage without sacrificing the movie’s secrecy. It’s amazing how well the trailer is edited in that it doesn’t manage to give any of the major plot details away while still getting you excited for the final chapter in the Skywalker Saga. Have a look.
The trailer is heavy on what look poised to become iconic moments while still holding the mystery of the story close to its chest. There’s the new alien creature Babu Frik tweaking C-3PO, perhaps to be used as some form of infiltration device, signaling his end. There are multiple sequences of Rey and Ren fighting against each other, and yet there’s one shot where they’re fighting together as in The Last Jedi. And there’s some Return of the Jedi vibes from the massive battle, only executed a lot more seriously than Episode VI.
Disney is doing a commendable job with marketing its Marvel and Lucasfilm properties. Even with this year’s other blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, the Mouse House agreed to take in a restrained approach with its trailers, largely ending up revealing scenes from the first 20-30 minutes of the film with a few exceptions. While The Rise of Skywalker looks like it’s showing scenes scattered from throughout the narrative, they’re connected in a cryptic manner that to the casual viewer doesn’t make sense, which is great. It’s unlike the approach taken by movies at the other end, such as the recently released Vin Diesel film Bloodshot trailer which pretty much gave away the entire plot in 2 and a half minutes.
With the trailer, tickets for the film have also gone on sale on Fandango and other major US ticketing sites. Tickets in other territories such as the UK, Brazil and India are more likely to begin selling as the movie nears closer to its release, which typically is anywhere from a week to a month away.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20, 2019. It will be directed by J. J. Abrams from a script by him and writer Chris Terrio and stars Daisey Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Kellie Marie Tran, Naomie Ackie, Lupita Nyong’o, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Ian McDiarmid.