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Star Wars Episode VIII Production Thread (Principal Photography Complete)
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I'm actually more interested in how they keep Poe and BB-8 in the main story. They were MacGuffin vehicles in TFA, not sure how they'll tie into Finn and Rey's story.
Finn and Poe are going to be pilot bros, and BB-8 is Poe's droid along for the ride.
I'm actually hoping that's the case, but then Poe won't be in an X-Wing (unless Finn gets his own), since Rey has the Falcon.
Am I the only one not especially interested in the whole "who is Rey?" question? It's one of the major set ups for the next film(s), but it's among the topics I'm least interested in. Much more interested in things like the time skip between films, how far Rey and Kylo's training is taken, how Snoke is handled, etc. There are a few reasons I hope she's not a Skywalker, but outside of that, I'm just not that keen on family ties being a big story driver (again).
Finn, Poe and BB8 will probably fly around the galaxy trying to recruit systems and ships for the Republic/Resistance fleet. Meanwhile Luke, Rey, Chewie and R2 will be trying to learn more about the Force and how to defeat Snoke.
I think it's because the question has been run to the ground at this point.
Oh definitely. But personally, I came out of TFA with lots of questions but was never really invested in who Rey's family is to begin with. I'm curious and a little hesitant about where they're going with it, but far more interested in every other aspect of where the story is going.
Liquidsnake
Banned
Why hesitant?
This question has been, and continues to bother me. i have ran several scenarios through my head, and I can't think of one where I would be very disappointed, unless she is some no name family's daughter.
1) I'm weary of family connections at this point - I thought Kylo Ren was done well and is the only one we need for this story. I think any more will feel forced. (No pun intended.)
2) I'd be a bit disappointed with some of the possibilities we've discussed if they do go that route.
3) As I said, I am very invested in the characters and story in TFA, but the question of Rey's origin just isn't one of them. I think it's the least important of the dangling plot threads from the film. I never walked out of the theater thinking, oh boy I can't wait to find out who her family is!
MHWilliams
Member
I was wondering this as well, considering that Poe was supposed to die in earlier drafts.
I honestly think Finn's arc will intersect with the Force in some fashion, but Poe's story is completely open for Johnson to play around with.
Liquidsnake
Banned
#3 is interesting to me that you feel that way, because her entire fate could rest upon who her parents are, as well as if she ultimately ends up light or dark. I walked out of the theater every time wondering who her parents are.
Its interesting to see who walks away with what.
LegendofLex
Member
I agree with you about family connections probably feeling forced. The main protagonist and the main antagonist being family is a dynamic that's already been played out in Star Wars.
But there are a couple "family" dynamics that haven't been played out in Star Wars, and they're:
- What would have happened had Luke not been able to redeem Vader (Rey vs. Ren?)
- What would have happened had Vader not turned out to be Luke's father in the first place, and really was Luke's father's murderer? (Remember, it's Luke's belief in the good in his father that leads him to reject a final fight to the death; with Rey, you'd get the "you really really killed my father" setup whether Han's her literal father or a surrogate)
Her belief that she has a family out there somewhere is literally the first thing she ever vocalizes about herself in the film.
You may not have thought it was especially important, and it's not really what I'm most interested in going into VIII either, but it's definitely something the story considers important.
I want Finn and Poe to go on a road trip adventure being chased by Phasma Smokey and the Bandit style.
And then it can be revealed that some how that Poe... is a clone! It totally fills-in the awkward return gap and pays tribute to the fact his character wasn't even supposed to survive the opening of the first movie. Maybe Poe doesn't even know himself until something happens and it hits him like a ton of bricks.
Yup, that's the twist. Rey can be predictable Skywalker kid on her quest to face the ultimate evil. Finn heros up and learns the force...but Poe? Poe is just a blue print for an army of carbon copies and has an existential crisis. Maybe he's not even the original Poe. Maybe Benecio Del Toro is Poe prime? How crazy would that be? Clones are the only major prequel thing brought back up in TFA and The Republic needs a new army pretty damn quick after the first one got nuked.
I would freak out, just sayin'
And then it can be revealed that some how that Poe... is a clone! It totally fills-in the awkward return gap and pays tribute to the fact his character wasn't even supposed to survive the opening of the first movie. Maybe Poe doesn't even know himself until something happens and it hits him like a ton of bricks.
Yup, that's the twist. Rey can be predictable Skywalker kid on her quest to face the ultimate evil. Finn heros up and learns the force...but Poe? Poe is just a blue print for an army of carbon copies and has an existential crisis. Maybe he's not even the original Poe. Maybe Benecio Del Toro is Poe prime? How crazy would that be? Clones are the only major prequel thing brought back up in TFA and The Republic needs a new army pretty damn quick after the first one got nuked.
I would freak out, just sayin'
crooked spin
Member
Loving the real set designs. The lack of CGI is making me happy.
How exactly can you tell there's not CGI on the set?
I agree. The Skywalker family component feels played out.
MHWilliams
Member
Like it. And it does sound like the weird shit that Rian Johnson would do.
I think they need to keep the Kylo Ren base design for the mask.
I feel like it's got potential in terms iconography.
Sibersk Esto
Banned
It'll be the same mask with a slash through it
Disagree. I think there is a lot to tell about Luke as a character. He's much more complex than Anakin ever was.
Yeah, there's a lot of potential in terms of digging into Luke at this time.
Unlike Yoda or Obi-Wan, who both went into seclusion since it was "part of the plan," Luke has outright turned his back on it (so Solo says, at least). There's plenty of things to explore from that. In fact, in the art book, one idea they wanted explore in the early stages was a Luke who "just didn't care anymore."
Unlike Yoda or Obi-Wan, who both went into seclusion since it was "part of the plan," Luke has outright turned his back on it (so Solo says, at least). There's plenty of things to explore from that. In fact, in the art book, one idea they wanted explore in the early stages was a Luke who "just didn't care anymore."
That's actually why I'm apprehensive about it being important. I really like the idea of Rey being self-made, capable person who doesn't need family ties to justify becoming who she was by the end of TFA. To me, such ties would undercut her arc rather than improve upon it. (It's also why I'm on team #reyisnoone)
He was the character I thought of when the reason for the re-writes was rumored to be expanding the role for returning characters. Finn, Rey and Kylo were clearly central characters, but since Poe was never central to the story (and brought back from the dead late in the writing process), he probably didn't have a big role in the Ep. VIII script. But with both he and BB-8 becoming fan favorites, I wonder if they embiggened their roles.
LegendofLex
Member
tbh, that line of thought could still hold true even if she does actually have family ties. Who's to say she's going to actually adhere to any kind of familial legacy, even if she's Luke's kid?
Not to mention that quote from JJ or Kennedy, I can't remember which about how Star Wars and the force isn't just about one family or who your parents are. Paraphrasing, I can't remember the actual quote but it seemed to support the idea that Rey's parentage doesn't matter.
"Oh, she's a Skywalker. That's why she's force sensitive," would be the explanation for her abilities if they go that route. Anakin was who he was because of George's space Jesus idea. Luke was defined in large part by being Anakin's kid.
I'd really like Rey to just be Rey, rather than oh, she can do what she does because she's Luke's kid. They spent a lot of time establishing her as someone strong and independent, not in need of help, in TFA. I just feel like that goes out the window if the reason she was that capable is explained by being a descendant of space Jesus. It's okay if she's just that awesome.
It was JJ, and yeah, that's what I'm hoping for.
And now I've filled a page with posts about something I said I didn't care that much about. I think I'm more worried about it than I wanted to admit. :lol
LegendofLex
Member
I mean, personally I don't really care why and how she has Force powers. Ultimately I care about why and how she uses them. That's not something that's dependent at all on whether or not she has ties to any established characters.
edit: And even if she's Luke's kid, I don't think we'll ever get a scenario where her being "that capable" is down just to blood. It'll be down to the reasons she has for being in the fight and her more spiritual/intuitive/"call on it on your time of need" approach to using the Force. After all, she went up against another Skywalker descendant and emerged victorious. That's all her.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
I would definitely say I'm more interested in the question of "Why was Rey dumped off in the middle of no where?" than "Who is Rey?". Honestly, I think that's going to become the real focus anyway, which is actually a reason why I think she is a Skywalker. Her being a Skywalker would be both obvious and easy to digest, so I think leaving the question open for now is more of a misdirection, with the big revelation being something else entirely. The reveal of her lineage would just be used as the segue into that.
Personally, my theory is that Rey is Luke's daughter, but Luke didn't hide her to protect her from Snoke/Kylo. I think he's genuinely scared of her potential, so he attempted to send her off far away from the conflict to keep her from ever realizing her potential. Which I think ties in nicely to a lot of what is seemingly established by TFA. The way I see it, Rey seems set up for a fall to the dark side, what with her very rapid accumulation of powers and her extremely aggressively fight against Kylo (that seemed like it would have ended with a kill shot had the land not separated - something somewhat backed up by the novelization, IIRC).
I think they're also setting up for Kylo "falling" to the light side in VIII, what with his struggle keeping to the Dark Side, so the two will trade places (I'm thinking during VIII), but Rey will still remain the focal point of the series. All of which I feel opens up for a lot of interesting possibilities.
Gotta buy stuff somehow, they trade in the rawest of uncut space diamonds
*Ethically sourced
MistressMoitie
Member
Resistance base? Interesting machines on the walls
Got some The Witness puzzles there on the right of the door. I'd never make it inside.
LegendofJoe
Member
It isn't necessary for Rey to be Luke's daughter in order for them to have had a prior relationship. She could have simply been a pupil at his academy that either Luke or someone else (Max Von Sydow) managed to save and bring to Jakku. It would tie their back stories together without having to resort to the predictable she's really Luke's daughter reveal. If they want to personalize their relationship more all they have to do is get Hamill to say that she was his favorite pupil and that he left her on Jakku because he was afraid of failing her like he did with Kylo. At that point who her parents are/were won't matter. Luke is a father figure to her without having to be her actual father.
Edit: Her having been a Jedi trainee when she was younger would also make the rapid development of her powers in Force Awakens more believable.
Edit: Her having been a Jedi trainee when she was younger would also make the rapid development of her powers in Force Awakens more believable.
Resistance base? Interesting machines on the walls
I'm getting super strong Naboo vibes from this one.
Just like Jakku had strong Tatooine vibes.
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
I think Poe is a goner. His character wasn't initially intended to survive the first film anyway.
If Phasma and Benecio del Toro are both supposedly bad guys, at least one of them would have to do something wicked to be legitimized. With Kylo doing his killing and Hux doing his genocide, I'm not sure Poe stands much of a chance- including Snoke, that's a lot of bad guys!
beaides, love triangles usually end poorly for someone... And I can't see that being Finn or Rey.
If Phasma and Benecio del Toro are both supposedly bad guys, at least one of them would have to do something wicked to be legitimized. With Kylo doing his killing and Hux doing his genocide, I'm not sure Poe stands much of a chance- including Snoke, that's a lot of bad guys!
beaides, love triangles usually end poorly for someone... And I can't see that being Finn or Rey.
Liquidsnake
Banned
Well as I have said before my personal largest intrigue is who is Rey's parents,
I can't think of anything worse Lucasfilm could to piss away why Rey resonated with so many than to try and explain away her abilities. If they do the "oh she was trained" or "oh, she's a Skywalker" when TFA was 100% sufficient to explain how she does what she does...good lord. I'd be fuming. It's my biggest worry about the next films.
I think this is a new pic of Luke on location in Ireland? From this article.
EDIT: Actually, I think I can see JJ in that pic standing behind the guy holding the boom pole, so it's probably not a pic from VIII. Still haven't seen the pic before.
EDIT: Actually, I think I can see JJ in that pic standing behind the guy holding the boom pole, so it's probably not a pic from VIII. Still haven't seen the pic before.
I thought his mask was off for that entire fight?
His mask was lost on the causeway post Han, so I imagine he'll have a new even more vader-inspired mask come VIII, and full on poser-vadey by IX.
FriendlyGoat
Member
And, of course, a new helmet (and maybe lightsaber) to brand and differentiate merchandise. New movie, new kylo, new toys. I suspect a future box set with three kylos on three covers.
Though I think a scarred maskless Kylo would be more interesting. Hopefully they go with that
I think you could still craft a very interesting story in Rey being a Skywalker. Primarily: are Skywalker's failures? To be honest, most of the victories the Skywalkers ever had were kind of hollow. Luke destroying the first Death Star is probably the most significant thing a Skywalker has done on the side of good (the most significant thing a Skywalker has done on the bad side of things was exterminate the Jedi, leading to the rise of the Empire).
If Rey is a Skywalker, I can see her wrestling with what that means. Kylo thinks being a Skywalker is one thing. Luke and Leia think being a Skywalker is another. Rey can easily be in the middle, being pulled in both directions, and ultimately deciding for herself what her legacy is going to be. I can also see her outright rejecting the Skywalker "legacy," a and going her own way. She could easily take a more flexible, Qui Gonn Jinn view of the Force and applying it, which could put her at odds with Luke, Leia, Kylo, and any other Force sensitive she encounters. And no, not in a "Rey goes to the Dark Side" way, but a "Rey is going to do what's best for Rey and those she loves way," regardless of tue black and white viewpoints of everyone around her.
We haven't really seen a Skywalker carrying the burden of the name in the movies yet. Ben is a broken Skywalker/Solo. Skywalkers aren't solely good, nor are they solely evil. They are human, but I think they've forgotten that over time, and especially given their importance to history, for good or bad. The name cast a long shadow, and I wonder how Rey would escape it. That's part of why I'm hoping she's a Skywalker, besides the obvious being that it keeps the narrative simple, and we wouldn't have to dwell on her past pre-TFA for unnecessary amounts of screen time if she is one. We can focus on her just moving forward from that point on.
If Rey is a Skywalker, I can see her wrestling with what that means. Kylo thinks being a Skywalker is one thing. Luke and Leia think being a Skywalker is another. Rey can easily be in the middle, being pulled in both directions, and ultimately deciding for herself what her legacy is going to be. I can also see her outright rejecting the Skywalker "legacy," a and going her own way. She could easily take a more flexible, Qui Gonn Jinn view of the Force and applying it, which could put her at odds with Luke, Leia, Kylo, and any other Force sensitive she encounters. And no, not in a "Rey goes to the Dark Side" way, but a "Rey is going to do what's best for Rey and those she loves way," regardless of tue black and white viewpoints of everyone around her.
We haven't really seen a Skywalker carrying the burden of the name in the movies yet. Ben is a broken Skywalker/Solo. Skywalkers aren't solely good, nor are they solely evil. They are human, but I think they've forgotten that over time, and especially given their importance to history, for good or bad. The name cast a long shadow, and I wonder how Rey would escape it. That's part of why I'm hoping she's a Skywalker, besides the obvious being that it keeps the narrative simple, and we wouldn't have to dwell on her past pre-TFA for unnecessary amounts of screen time if she is one. We can focus on her just moving forward from that point on.
Jacksinthe
Banned
That's not JJ. JJ has dark curly hair. That guy has ashy brown straight hair.I think this is a new pic of Luke on location in Ireland? From this article.
EDIT: Actually, I think I can see JJ in that pic standing behind the guy holding the boom pole, so it's probably not a pic from VIII. Still haven't seen the pic before.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
Could be JJ, but obviously it's hard to be positive with just one side of the back of his head, haha.
He's still executive producing and he's already said he's sad he didn't decide to direct VIII, so I imagine he'll want to be present for at least some of production. Wouldn't be surprising for him to be there at the very least.
He's still executive producing and he's already said he's sad he didn't decide to direct VIII, so I imagine he'll want to be present for at least some of production. Wouldn't be surprising for him to be there at the very least.