Star Wars: Episode VIII will begin where Episode VII ended
At the 2016 Star Wars Celebration in London, director Rian Johnson revealed several details about the upcoming Episode VIII. Johnson most notably revealed that his film will pick up immediately after the events of The Force Awakens.
Oh yeah… in case you haven’t seen last year’s biggest blockbuster yet, SPOILERS lie ahead!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens concluded with Rey confronting Luke Skywalker at a Jedi temple. As Rey presented Luke’s lightsaber to the legendary Jedi, the film closed on a pitch perfect cliffhanger.
According to the Future Filmmaker Panel, Episode: VII will waste no time cutting to the chase.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Johnson was eager to reveal what happens between Luke and Rey. “That final scene in VII, I want to see what happens next,” he stated.
Although Episode VIII begins right after Episode VII ended, a pivotal moment will apparently take place between these two films. At the convention, Carrie Fisher accidentally suggested that Han Solo’s funeral would occur between The Force Awakens and Episode VIII.
Warwick Davis asked his fellow Star Wars star, “What do you know of the period between the end of Return of the Jedi and the beginning of The Force Awakens?” Fisher responded, “Han’s Funeral.”
Fisher then corrected herself, stating, “The old one, oh. Han and I have a very volatile relationship obviously, which leads to space divorce. No, I don’t think we are divorced, we’re just estranged.”
This slip of the tongue has lead some people to believe that Han’s funeral will occur between films. We certainly hope this major plot point isn’t just glanced over, though. After dying so tragically in The Force Awakens, one of the galaxy’s greatest heroes deserves a proper sendoff.
Star Wars: Episode VIII hits theaters on December 15, 2017.