After the release of the secondStar Wars: The Last Jeditrailer earlier this month, fans are hungry for more, which we have in the form of an intriguing new image. Earlier today, LucasFilm released a newLast Jedi behind-the-scenes videothat offered plenty of new footage, but this photo of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) may also get fans talking, since it shows a number of “ancient tomes” that could be Luke’s Journal of the Whills. While director Rian Johnson wouldn’t confirm any details about the books, he did have this to say, about how fans will fully realize why Luke went into exile as this story unfolds.
“It would be funny if you zoom in on that bookshelf and it’s all Robert Ludlum thrillers. So when you see it in totality you’re like, ‘Oh, OK, this is why the galaxy’s greatest optimist and hero would be doing this.’ (Hamill’s) always been handsome and he’s just in this place now where he’s got so much gravity: You point a camera at his face and you feel depth and wisdom. He’s seen some stuff.”
Fans first got a glimpse at this bookshelf when the first trailer was released duringStar Wars Celebration. Since Ahch-To is the site of an ancient Jedi temple, many fans have theorized that these books could be the Journal of the Whills. The early drafts of George Lucas' script for the very firstStar Warsmovie mentioned the Journal as ancient scriptures that were being dictated to him, but the Journal has a much different meaning now. The Whills were ancient beings that helped create The Force, who also kept a collection of stories that told the entire history of the galaxy, known as the Journal of the Whills, with Keepers of the Whills adding new information to the journals. For instance, one Keeper was told the story that comprised the original trilogy and the prequels byR2-D2, 100 years after the Battle of Endor inReturn of the Jedi.
The Keepers of the Whills are not to be confused with the Guardians of the Whills, who Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) and Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang) were revealed to be inRogue One: A Star Wars Story, who protected the Temple of Kyber on Jedha. If these texts are in fact the Journal of the Whills, it will mark their first appearance in anyStar Warsmovie. As forLuke Skywalker, Rian Johnson has said in previous interviews that his first task when it came to writing the script was to figure out why Luke Skywalker has fled to this hidden planet of Ahch-To.
With justtwo months until Star Wars 8hits theaters, many fans have wondered if any additional footage will be released, and given how secretive Disney and LucasFilm have been with keeping plot details under wraps, it wouldn’t be surprising if no more footage is released. Still, it’s possible that we may get some new photos, like the one below fromUSA Today, or even some new posters. While we wait for more fromStar Wars: The Last Jedi, take a look at the new photo of Luke Skywalker below.
