We are officially one month away from the release ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerand Lucasfilm decided to bring the goods to honor the occasion. A batch of eight new images from the movie has made its way online, previewing the oncoming battle between the Resistance and the First Order for the fate of the galaxy. The images, though not too revealing, give us a look at some of the returning favorites from the sequel trilogy, as well as some new faces.
First off, we haveRey doing Jedi trainingagainst a remote, reminiscent of what we see Luke doing inA New Hopeon the Millennium Falcon. Rey is in a forested area somewhere. Whatever planet this may be, it’s been previewed in the trailers as well. We then see Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, mask off, rocking his big scar with a host of blurry stormtroopers in the background. Here, he’s billed as “First Order Supreme Leader Kylo Ren,” which is significant, given what happened to Snoke inThe Last Jedi. It’s also worth pointing out that the man formerly known as Ben Solo is looking particularly moody. What precisely is responsible for his mood remains to be seen.
Next up, we’ve got a shot of John Boyega’s Finn and newcomerJannah, played by Naomi Ackie. They’re in a grassy field on an unidentified planet looking nervously at something off in the distance. Aside from giving us another look at Jannah’s costume, the image doesn’t help unravel the mystery surrounding her character. We then have a shot of the Resistance allies gathered around the Falcon, with Finn, Oscar Isaac’s Poe and Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose front-and-center. Poe, particularly, looks in command of the situation and ready to do what needs to be done. We also have a new shot of Allegiant General Pryde, played by Richard E. Grant, another newcomer to the saga for Episode IX. Pryde is looking sternly at someone, or something, off-screen.
One of the more intriguing shots features a group ofFirst Order stormtroopers, as well as snowtroopers, marching with purpose to an unknown location. This does tease that we’ll see some action in the snow, which could be good news for fans ofThe Empire Strikes Back. Lastly, we’ve got a dark shot of Finn, Chewbacca, Rey and Poe facing off against an unseen threat. Rey has her lightsaber extended and at the ready and they all look extremely on guard.
Lastly, we’ve got a trio of covers from the upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly that showcase the casts of each respective trilogy. One for the prequels, one for theoriginal Star Wars trilogyand one for the sequel trilogy. So there’s one for every brand of Star Wars fan to enjoy.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkeris set to arrive in theaters on December 20. Be sure to check out the new images fromEntertainment Weeklyfor yourself.
