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The ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy is the third trilogy of the main ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
'' franchise, an American
space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soc ...
created by
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the '' Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as c ...
. It is produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It h ...
. The trilogy consists of episodes ''VII'' through ''IX'', chronologically following the
prequel trilogy The ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy, colloquially referred to as the prequels, is a series of epic space-opera films written and directed by George Lucas. It was produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The trilogy was rel ...
(''Episodes I''–''III''; 1999–2005) and the
original trilogy The original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, formerly marketed as the ''Star Wars'' Trilogy (and colloquially referred to as the 'original trilogy'), is the first set of three films produced in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, an American space opera crea ...
(''Episodes IV''–''VI''; 1977–1983), serving as the final act of the "
Skywalker saga The '' Star Wars'' franchise involves multiple live-action and animated films. The film series started with a trilogy set ''in medias res'' which was later expanded to a trilogy of trilogies, known as the " Skywalker Saga". The 1977 self-ti ...
". Lucas had planned a sequel trilogy as early as 1976, but canceled it by 1981. He produced only the first six episodes, and for a time described these as comprising the complete story. The sequel trilogy concept was revived when
the Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
entered negotiations to acquire Lucasfilm in 2011. Lucas produced new story treatments, but these were largely discarded. Both the acquisition and plans to produce the trilogy were announced in late 2012. The first installment, ''
The Force Awakens ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens'') is a 2015 American epic space opera film produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. The sequel to '' Return of the Jedi'' (198 ...
'', was released on December 18, 2015, after a 10-year hiatus between the prequel and sequel trilogies. It was directed by J. J. Abrams who the screenplay with
Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the '' Star Wars'' films '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), '' Return of the Jedi'' (1983), '' The Force Awakens'' (2015), and '' Solo: A Star Wars ...
and
Michael Arndt Michael Arndt is an American screenwriter. He is best known as the writer of the films ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), ''Toy Story 3'' (2010), and '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015). Arndt won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenpl ...
. Original trilogy cast members including
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
,
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...
, and Carrie Fisher reprised their roles, alongside franchise newcomers
Daisy Ridley Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley (born 10 April 1992) is an English actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Rey in the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy: '' The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last Jedi'' (2017), and '' The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019 ...
, John Boyega,
Adam Driver Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award; making him one of few performers nominated ...
, and
Oscar Isaac Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is a Guatemalan-born American actor. Known for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Latino characters in Hollywood. He was named the best actor of his gene ...
. The second installment, '' The Last Jedi'', was released on December 15, 2017, with
Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transitio ...
as screenwriter and director, and most of the cast returning. The final installment, ''
The Rise of Skywalker ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker'') is a 2019 American epic space opera film produced, , and directed by J. J. Abrams. Produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams' productio ...
'', was released on December 20, 2019. It was directed by Abrams, who it with Chris Terrio. The trilogy follows a 19-year-old woman named
Rey Rey may refer to: *Rey (given name), a given name *Rey (surname), a surname * Rey (''Star Wars''), a character in the ''Star Wars'' films *Rey, Iran, a city in Iran * Ray County, in Tehran Province of Iran * ''Rey'' (film), a 2015 Indian film *The ...
, and the plight of the Resistance against the
First Order In mathematics and other formal sciences, first-order or first order most often means either: * "linear" (a polynomial of degree at most one), as in first-order approximation and other calculus uses, where it is contrasted with "polynomials of hi ...
, which has risen from the fallen
Galactic Empire Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fantasy and science fiction, particularly in works known as 'space operas'. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background or written about the growth and/or decline of ...
. Rey learns the ways of the Force under Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa while searching for her parents (who mysteriously abandoned her as a child), and confronts Kylo Ren—the son of Leia and
Han Solo Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
, nephew of Luke, and grandson of
Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator Geor ...
—who has fallen to the dark side. The first two films received positive reviews from critics, while the third received mixed reviews. The trilogy grossed over $4.4 billion at the box office worldwide, with each film surpassing $1 billion worldwide.


Background


Early development

According to
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...
, who plays Luke Skywalker, ''Star Wars'' creator
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the '' Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as c ...
told him in 1976 that he planned three or four ''Star Wars'' trilogies. Lucas suggested that Hamill could have a cameo role in ''Episode IX'', which he imagined filming by 2011. A ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine story in March 1978, quoting Lucas, stated there would be ten ''Star Wars'' films after ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a stor ...
''. Gary Kurtz, the producer of the first two films, was aware of proposed story elements for ''Episode VII'' to ''Episode IX'' before 1980. At the time of the release of ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), Lucas said there were seven further ''Star Wars'' films he wanted to make. He said he had "twelve-page outlines" for those films. In an interview with
Jim Steranko James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator. His most famous comic book work was with the 1960s superspy feature " ...
in ''Prevue'' magazine published in late 1980, Lucas described how the expansive scope of ''Star Wars'' had started with an overlong screenplay: By the time of ''Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back''s release, Lucas had written story treatments for all nine ''Star Wars'' episodes. In 1999, Kurtz revealed a brief outline of these treatments: * ''Episode I'' would have explored the methodology of the
Jedi Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi ...
. * ''Episode II'' would have developed the backstory of
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinness. In the later-released prequel trilogy, ...
. * ''Episode III'' would explain the rise of Darth Vader. * ''Episode IV'' had already seen Luke decide to become a Jedi and Obi-Wan's final confrontation with Vader. * ''Episode V'' was filmed essentially as written. * ''Episode VI'' was to feature Leia as an isolated monarch, Han's death, and Luke showing down with Vader before exiling himself. Luke and Leia were not related. * ''Episode VII'' was to be the first part of a trilogy continuing the story of Luke as a Jedi. * ''Episode VIII'' would have featured Luke's sister (distinct from Leia). * ''Episode IX'' would introduce the Emperor and depict Luke's ultimate battle with him. In late 1980, Lucas stated that he had "titles and ten-page story outlines for each of" the nine episodes. In an interview the same magazine, Gary Kurtz explained that the total number of films or their content might change as they were produced. Lucas similarly stated in an interview with ''
Starlog ''Starlog'' was a monthly science fiction magazine that was created in 1976 and focused primarily on ''Star Trek'' at its inception. Kerry O'Quinn and Norman Jacobs were its creators and it was published by Starlog Group, Inc. in August 1976. ' ...
'' magazine in September 1981 that he had the nine-film series plotted, but: As part of his biographical research on George Lucas in the early 1980s, Lucas allowed author
Dale Pollock Dale M. Pollock (born 1950) is an American film producer, writer and film professor. A journalist whose works have been published in a number of magazines and newspapers, Pollock is also the author of a biography of George Lucas. Pollock has ...
to read the plot outlines of a 12-film saga on the condition of signing a confidentiality agreement. Pollock said these sequel trilogy drafts would "involve Luke Skywalker in his 30s and 40s" and that they would be "The three most exciting stories ... They had propulsive action, really interesting new worlds, new characters." Lucas's plans were drastically changed after ''The Empire Strikes Back'' was released, owing to the stress of producing the first three films as well as pressure from his wife, Marcia, to step back from this kind of filmmaking. By 1981, Lucas had decided to make only one ''Star Wars'' trilogy.


Cancellation period

According to Gary Kurtz, details of elements from the discarded sequel trilogy which were incorporated into ''Return of the Jedi'' include: * Luke Skywalker becomes a full-fledged Jedi knight. * Luke's sister, who was originally meant to be a new character, was revealed to be Leia. * The Emperor would first appear and Luke would confront him. Through the 1980s, Lucas variously hinted at plot elements from his abandoned sequel trilogy, which he said would have revolved around moral and philosophical problems, including distinguishing right from wrong, justice, confrontation, and passing on what you have learned. Ideas which seem to have been used in Disney's sequel trilogy include: *''Episode VII'' would begin 20–40 years after the end of ''Return of the Jedi'' (Lucas in 1980 and 1982)."Visionary filmmaker Lucas invents fantasy phenomenon". ''The Yuma Daily Sun'', May 2, 1982. * R2-D2 and
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise who appears in the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Built by Anakin Skywalker, was designed as a protocol droid intended to assis ...
would be the only characters to appear in all nine films (Lucas in 1980, 1981, and 1983). * The key actors, Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Ford as
Han Solo Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
, and Fisher as Princess Leia, would appear in their 60s or 70s (Lucas in 1983). * Lucas stated in 1980 that "what happens to Luke ... is much more ethereal. I have a tiny notebook full of notes on that." Hamill said in 1983 that if his character were to return again, it would be "on another plane of existence, or not the same character." Ideas that were apparently not retained in Disney's sequel trilogy include: * The trilogy would deal with the rebuilding of the
Republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...
(Lucas in 1980). * Luke would have a romantic relationship with a female partner (Lucas in 1988). Timothy Zahn, who wrote the ''Legends'' non-canonical Thrawn trilogy of novels, was interviewed about the sequel trilogy after its development by Disney was announced in 2012. He confirmed that it was never meant to be based on his Thrawn trilogy nor the rest of the Expanded Universe, and said that he had been briefed years before on Lucas's plans for the sequels:
The original idea as I understood it—and Lucas changes his mind off and on, so it may not be what he's thinking right now—but it was going to be three generations. You'd have the original trilogy, then go back to Luke's father and find out what happened to him, and if there was another seventh, eighth, or ninth film, it would be Luke's children.
In 1992, Lucas announced his intentions to produce a
prequel trilogy The ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy, colloquially referred to as the prequels, is a series of epic space-opera films written and directed by George Lucas. It was produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The trilogy was rel ...
. When asked, he would frequently repeat that he had no plans to make the sequel trilogy and that he would not allow other directors to make it. At a press conference for the 1997 Special Edition of the original trilogy, Lucas stated, "I don't have scripts or the sequel trilogy The only notion on that was, wouldn't it be fun to get all the actors to come back when they're 60 or 70 years old and make three more about them as old people." Also in 1997, he said: "The whole story has six episodes.... If I ever went beyond that, it would be something that was made up. I really don't have any notion other than, 'Gee, it would be interesting to do Luke Skywalker later on.' It wouldn't be part of the main story, but a sequel to this thing." He further stated, "When you see it in six parts, you'll understand. It really ends at part six." On the possibility of someone else making ''Star Wars'' films, Lucas said, "Probably not, it's my thing." In August 1999, at a press conference to discuss ''
The Phantom Menace ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', Lucas described the "nine-year commitment" required to make a ''Star Wars'' trilogy. In 2002, he said: "Basically what I said as a joke was, 'Maybe when Harrison and Carrie are in their 70s, we'll come back and do another version.' The thing I didn't realize then, and that I do realize now very clearly, is that not only would they be in their 70s, but ''I'' would be in my 70s too." He reiterated, "Ultimately, the saga will be six films, a 12-hour story. Then people can watch all six films together as they were intended to be seen." In 2007, Lucas described making the films at that age as "an idea that seemed amusing at the time, but doesn't seem realistic now", and suggested that "off-the-cuff" comments he had made in earlier years had been misconstrued as absolute statements. In 2008, after all six films had been released, Lucas said: "The movies were the story of Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, and when Luke saves the galaxy and redeems his father, that's where that story ends." In another 2008 interview, Lucas ruled out anybody else making ''Star Wars'' films, and added that the Expanded Universe did not line up with his vision. Asked if he wanted new ''Star Wars'' films to be made after his death, he said: "I've left pretty explicit instructions for there not to be any more features. There will definitely be no ''Episodes VII''–''IX''. That's because there isn't any story. ... The ''Star Wars'' story is really the tragedy of Darth Vader. That is the story."


Renewed development

In May 2011, Lucas was in
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
, to celebrate the opening of
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is an attraction located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Set in the '' Star Wars'' universe, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue takes passengers on ...
at
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...
. He was invited to breakfast by Disney CEO
Bob Iger Robert Allen Iger (; born February 10, 1951) is an American businessman who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company. He previously served as the President of ABC Television between 1994 and 1995 and the President and C ...
, who asked Lucas if he would be willing to sell his company to Disney. Lucas had begun to consider retiring, but was not ready to do so at that time. Lucas considered directing ''Episode VII'' for a May 2015 release and then selling his company, but decided to leave the franchise in the hands of other filmmakers, announcing in January 2012 that he would step away from making blockbuster films. In early 2012, after being disappointed by the weak performance of '' Red Tails'', Lucas announced to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' that he was planning to retire. While he was in New York, he asked Kathleen Kennedy to lunch. He asked if she would be a at Lucasfilm with him, with the intention of transferring leadership entirely to her after about a year. She began working for him on June 1, 2012; Lucas soon proposed that they work together on the sequel trilogy. They brought in
Michael Arndt Michael Arndt is an American screenwriter. He is best known as the writer of the films ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), ''Toy Story 3'' (2010), and '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015). Arndt won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenpl ...
to write a draft of ''Episode VII'' based on Lucas's synopsis. ''Star Wars'' screenwriting veteran
Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the '' Star Wars'' films '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), '' Return of the Jedi'' (1983), '' The Force Awakens'' (2015), and '' Solo: A Star Wars ...
was hired to support Arndt. After making an appearance at ''Star Wars'' Celebration VI in late August, Lucas took Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher to lunch and asked if they would be willing to reprise their roles for the new films. They agreed, as did
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
after being promised that Han Solo would be given meaningful closure. Details of his sequel trilogy treatments included the conclusion of the
Skywalker family The Skywalker family is a fictional legendary human family in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are presented as a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force and sometimes ...
's story, with its third generation being portrayed in their twenties. Lucas hoped to explain concepts he had imagined when he originally drafted his saga in the 1970s. Most specifically he revealed the "symbiotic relationships" between the Jedi, the Force, midi-chlorians (microscopic lifeforms, first mentioned onscreen in 1999's ''
The Phantom Menace ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
''), and the Whills (all-powerful creatures first mentioned in the title of the original outline of ''Star Wars'', ''Journal of the Whills''):
he next three ''Star Wars'' filmswere going to get into a microbiotic world. But there's this world of creatures that operate differently than we do. I call them the Whills. And the Whills are the ones who actually control the universe. They feed off the Force. Back in the day, I used to say ultimately what this means is we were just cars, vehicles, for the Whills to travel around in. We're vessels for them. And the conduit is the midi-chlorians. The midi-chlorians are the ones that communicate with the Whills. The Whills, in a general sense, they are the Force. ... But it's about symbiotic relationships. I think, personally, one of the core values we should have in the world, and kids should be taught, is ecology, to understand that we all are connected. (Lucas, 2018)
By June 2012, Lucas had agreed to sell his company, provided that Kennedy would replace him as president of Lucasfilm. Iger agreed, while insisting that Disney would have final say over future movies. Lucas's final stipulations before the sale in late 2012 were that his story treatments would be used and that the number of Disney employees who could read them would be limited. Lucas gave Kennedy the final draft of his story treatments during the October 2012 sale. The same month, the Disney sale and production of the sequel trilogy, as well as a 2015 release date for a new film, were announced to the public. Lucas stated, "I always said I wasn't going to do any more, and that's true, because I'm not going to do any more. But that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathy to do more." Both plot outlines, the one written in the 1980s and the one written in the early 2010s, were given to Iger around the time that Disney acquired Lucasfilm. In January 2013, Lucas held the first story briefing about the as-yet untitled ''Episode VII'' at Skywalker Ranch. Related concepts stemming from these early briefings include the following story elements: *A 14-year-old female Jedi Padawan named Taryn. Lucas also considered Thea and Winkie as potential names for the character. The female Padawan was retained as the 19-year-old
Rey Rey may refer to: *Rey (given name), a given name *Rey (surname), a surname * Rey (''Star Wars''), a character in the ''Star Wars'' films *Rey, Iran, a city in Iran * Ray County, in Tehran Province of Iran * ''Rey'' (film), a 2015 Indian film *The ...
. *Another teenager named Skylar who befriends the protagonist and carries a blaster. He ultimately became the stormtrooper character, Finn. In at least one conception, Skylar was the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, and ultimately fell to the Dark Side of the Force (these plot developments were retained for the backstory of Ben Solo/Kylo Ren in the final iteration). However, in some drafts, this character was not anyone's son, and in others it was not decided whose son he was. * The older Luke Skywalker would have exiled himself to a remote planet where the first Jedi temple was located. Luke would have started off reluctant to train the female Padawan, but eventually have a change of heart and agree to train her. Lucas planned for Luke to die in ''Episode VIII''. Conversely, in 2018, Hamill said that Lucas' original vision for the ending of ''Episode IX'' was to have Luke die then instead of making a simple cameo, leaving his sister Leia as a Jedi. Luke was going to appear with dialogue in the first film. * One of the antagonists would be a character named Darth Talon (later revealed to be the female Sith lord from the '' Star Wars: Legacy'' comic book series), who served a powerful master (codenamed "Uber" by the production team) and was responsible (in some versions of the story) for turning the son of Han and Leia to the Dark Side of the Force. Talon's role in the story was eventually subsumed into the role of Kylo Ren, and "Uber" became Supreme Leader Snoke. *Darth Vader's castle, which Lucas had been developing since the preproduction phase of ''The Empire Strikes Back'', would have been involved. In an interview published in 2020, Lucas says he decided not to work on the trilogy because he was "about to have a daughter" at the time and decided to "enjoy life for a while." He also detailed more of his story treatments: * The trilogy would start a few years after the events of ''Return of the Jedi''. According to Lucas, "we establish pretty quickly that there's this underworld, there are these offshoot stormtroopers who started their own planets, and that Luke is trying to restart the Jedi." * Darth Maul would return with robotic legs (as had been established in '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'') and train the female Darth Talon as his apprentice. According to Lucas, "She was the new Darth Vader and most of the action was with her. So these were the two main villains of the trilogy." Maul would become "the godfather of crime in the universe because, as the Empire falls, he takes over." * Leia is trying to rebuild the Republic and "get it under control from the gangsters." Lucas stated that "That was the main story." * Luke "puts the word out, so out of 100,000 Jedi, maybe 50 or 100 are left. The Jedi have to grow again from scratch, so Luke has to find two- and three-year-olds, and train them. It'll be 20 years before you have a new generation of Jedi. By the end of the trilogy, Luke would have rebuilt much of the Jedi, and we would have the renewal of the New Republic, with Leia, Senator Organa, becoming the Supreme Chancellor in charge of everything. So she ended up being the Chosen One." In April 2014, it was announced that "In order to give maximum creative freedom to the filmmakers and also preserve an element of surprise and discovery for the audience, Star Wars Episodes VII-IX will not tell the same story told in the post-Return of the Jedi Expanded Universe." The announcement stated that the only existing Star Wars material that would be considered part of the new canon, would be ''Episodes I–VI'' along with ''The Clone Wars'' animated film and series. In 2015, Lucas revealed (to his disappointment) that his outlines had been discarded in order to "make something for the fans". ''Episode VII'' writer and director J. J. Abrams later revealed that the same year, Disney had given him a mandate to discard Lucas's story and "start from scratch". '' Episode VII: The Force Awakens'' was written by Lucasfilm veteran Lawrence Kasdan, along with J. J. Abrams and Michael Arndt. Bob Iger's memoirs, published in 2019, recount that Lucas was upset after hearing the plot of ''The Force Awakens'' in meetings, specifically about elements that were derivative of the original 1977 film. Lucas felt betrayed by Iger and Abrams because they discarded some of his sequel trilogy ideas. '' Episode VIII: The Last Jedi'' writer and director
Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transitio ...
's initial response to the script of ''The Force Awakens'' included the suggestion of minor adjustments to the ending. According to Abrams, these improved the movie and made it line up more with ''The Last Jedi''. Abrams intended for BB-8 to help Rey search for Luke, which Johnson changed to R2-D2 (due to his being Luke's droid, as well as BB-8 belonging to Poe and not knowing Luke). Additionally, Abrams' ending featured Rey finding Luke lifting rocks with the Force, which was changed due to Johnson's plot of Luke having disconnected himself from the Force. Johnson implied that his portrayal of the Force in ''The Last Jedi'' was influenced by the "Mortis trilogy" of episodes from ''The Clone Wars'', which he had rewatched early in the writing process on the advice of ''The Clone Wars'' supervising director
Dave Filoni David Filoni (born June 7, 1974) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor. He has worked on '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'', '' The Mandalorian'', and on the theatrical film and television series of '' Star Wars: The Clon ...
. He also stated that he considered including Lando Calrissian in the film, possibly giving him the role of new character DJ (
Benicio del Toro Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rican actor and producer. He has garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen ...
), but did not because it would have meant Lando betraying the characters without redemption. Abrams credited ''The Last Jedi'' with influencing him to be more daring on ''The Rise of Skywalker''. Some reports indicate that, contrary to popular belief, some plot points across the trilogy were planned in advance. The idea of Luke Skywalker living on an island following his failure to stop the murder of his Jedi students and then training an apprentice who would help him overcome his self-doubt was first pitched by George Lucas in 2013 during creative meetings between himself and Lucasfilm as part of story discussions for ''Episode VII'' (these ideas would later be used in ''The Last Jedi''). Several plot points of ''The Rise of Skywalker'' were pitched in an early 2014 story meeting between Lucasfilm executives (including Dave Filoni, Pablo Hidalgo, Doug Chiang,
John Knoll John Knoll (born October 6, 1962) is an American visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer (CCO) at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). One of the original creators of Adobe Photoshop (along with his brother, Thomas Knoll), he has also ...
, and Kiri Hart) after the plot of ''The Force Awakens'' had been finalized, including the notion of Leia as a mentor figure to Rey, Leia breaking through to her son Ben Solo (Kylo Ren), and the notion of Rey as "the Skywalker" of the trilogy by metaphor rather than blood connection. The return of Emperor Palpatine in ''Episode IX'' was planned as far back as the earliest development phase of the trilogy. Similarly, Abrams hinted that Palpatine being Rey's grandfather was an early idea he and Lawrence Kasdan had while working on ''The Force Awakens'', although Daisy Ridley later claimed that ideas for Rey's lineage changed throughout filming of ''
The Rise of Skywalker ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker'') is a 2019 American epic space opera film produced, , and directed by J. J. Abrams. Produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams' productio ...
''.


Films

Unlike the previous two trilogies, whose films were released approximately three years apart ahead of
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
weekend, the sequel films were released two years apart from each other in December. ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' was released on December 18, 2015, and introduces the 19-year-old orphan, Rey, who is drawn into the conflict between the Resistance and the
First Order In mathematics and other formal sciences, first-order or first order most often means either: * "linear" (a polynomial of degree at most one), as in first-order approximation and other calculus uses, where it is contrasted with "polynomials of hi ...
, a ruthless military faction commanded by Kylo Ren—the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo. In ''The Last Jedi'', released on December 15, 2017, Rey is trained by Luke Skywalker, the last living Jedi, while again facing Ren and the First Order. ''The Rise of Skywalker'' was released on December 20, 2019, and features the conclusion of the age-old conflict between the Jedi and Sith, with Rey confronting the resurrected Emperor
Palpatine Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) ...
.


''Star Wars: The Force Awakens''

About 30 years after the destruction of the second Death Star, Luke Skywalker has vanished. The remnants of the
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
have become the First Order, which seeks to destroy Luke and the New Republic. The First Order is opposed by the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa. On the planet
Jakku Jakku is a fictional desert planet in the '' Star Wars'' universe, first featured in the 2015 film ''The Force Awakens''. Remote, lawless, and inhospitable, it is the homeworld of sequel trilogy protagonist Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, and ''Aft ...
, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron obtains a map to Luke's location, but he is captured by First Order commander Kylo Ren—the son of Leia and Han Solo. Poe's droid escapes with the map and encounters a scavenger named Rey. Rey and team up with a defecting
stormtrooper Stormtrooper or storm trooper may refer to: Military *Stormtroopers (Imperial Germany), specialist soldier of the German Army in World War I *''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) or Storm Detachment, a paramilitary organization of the German Nazi Party *8th In ...
, Finn, along with Han Solo and Chewbacca, to deliver the map to the Resistance. ''Episode VII'' began pre-production on October 30, 2012. The screenplay for the film was originally set to be written by Michael Arndt, but time management and creative differences contributed to his departure from the project. On January 25, 2013, J. J. Abrams was officially announced as ''Episode VII''s director and producer, along with producer Bryan Burk and Bad Robot Productions. John Williams was hired to compose the music for the entire sequel trilogy. In October, it was announced that writing duties would be taken over by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, co-writer of ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi''. George Lucas was set to provide Abrams with advice as a creative consultant; however, Lucas had no involvement, with his representative stating that he "ideally would love not to see any footage until he walks into the theater next December. He has never been able to be surprised by a ''Star Wars'' film before and he said he was looking forward to it." Production began in April 2014; it was released on December 18, 2015. In the US, the film received a PG-13 rating "for sci-fi action violence" and an M rating In Australia, the second ''Star Wars'' film to receive that classification after ''
Episode III – Revenge of the Sith An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption. The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek term ''epeisodion'' (), meaning t ...
''. The film broke
opening weekend The following is a list of the highest-grossing opening weekends for films. The list is dominated by recent films due to inflation, steadily increasing production and marketing budgets, and modern films opening on more screens. Biggest worldwide o ...
box office records in North America with $248 million ($39 million more than previous record holder ''
Jurassic World ''Jurassic World'' is a 2015 American science fiction action film directed by Colin Trevorrow, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Derek Connolly from a story by Jaffa and Silver. It is the first installment in the ...
'') and totals of $529 million worldwide, the largest opening ever. The film set another new record by becoming the first movie to break the $1 billion mark in box office sales in just 12 days. It is currently the highest-grossing film of all time in North America and the fourth highest-grossing film worldwide, unadjusted for inflation.


''Star Wars: The Last Jedi''

After finding Luke Skywalker in self-imposed exile, Rey attempts to convince him to teach her the ways of the Force. She also seeks answers about her past and the conflict between Luke and his nephew Ben Solo (now Kylo Ren). Unbeknownst to Luke, Rey starts using the Force to communicate with Kylo. Meanwhile, Leia leads the Resistance as they are pursued by the First Order, led by Supreme Leader Snoke. Rey leaves Luke in an attempt to redeem Kylo and achieve peace. After Kylo kills Snoke, Rey is forced to choose between ruling the galaxy with him, or helping the outnumbered Resistance survive. On November 20, 2012, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that Lawrence Kasdan and
Simon Kinberg Simon David Kinberg (born August 2, 1973) is a British-born American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film franchise, and has also written such films as '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' and '' Sherlock Holmes''. H ...
would write and produce Episodes ''VIII'' and ''IX'', but were later confirmed to be writing standalone films. On June 20, 2014, '' Looper'' director Rian Johnson was announced as the writer and director of ''Episode VIII''; he confirmed in August that he would direct. On March 12, 2015, Lucasfilm announced that Johnson would direct ''Episode VIII'' with
Ram Bergman Ram Bergman ( he, רם ברגמן) is an Israeli film producer. He is known for producing ''Brick'' (2005), ''The Brothers Bloom'' (2008), '' Looper'' (2012), '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (2017), and ''Knives Out'' (2019), all of which were writ ...
as producer. In March 2015, Oscar Isaac confirmed he would reprise his role as Poe Dameron in ''Episode VIII''. In July, it was reported that Benicio del Toro was being considered for a villain; he later confirmed that he had been cast. In September, it was reported that Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tatiana Maslany, Gina Rodriguez, Olivia Cooke, and Bel Powley were on the shortlist for two separate parts. Jimmy Vee was cast as R2-D2, succeeding Kenny Baker, who would die the next year. Some pre-production filming took place in September 2015 on the island of Skellig Michael, Ireland to take advantage of better weather conditions. Abrams revealed that the film's script was completed in a November 2015 interview with ''Wired''. In December, Hamill, Isaac, Christie, and Boyega were confirmed to reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron, Captain Phasma, and Finn, respectively. Kennedy announced at the December 17 London premiere of ''The Force Awakens'' that most of its cast would return for ''Episode VIII''. On January 20, 2016,
Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the '' Star Wars'' and ...
and
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
announced that the release of the film would be delayed from May to December 2017. Three days later, the release date of December 15, 2017 was confirmed, as well as the title ''Star Wars: The Last Jedi''. Principal photography began in February 2016; additional filming took place in
Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranea ...
from March 9 to March 16, as well as in Ireland in May. Principal photography wrapped in July 2016. Carrie Fisher died on December 27, 2016, but had completed filming her role as Leia. Much of the filming took place at
Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...
near
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. Kathleen Kennedy and
Ram Bergman Ram Bergman ( he, רם ברגמן) is an Israeli film producer. He is known for producing ''Brick'' (2005), ''The Brothers Bloom'' (2008), '' Looper'' (2012), '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (2017), and ''Knives Out'' (2019), all of which were writ ...
were the producers and J. J. Abrams executive produced.


''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker''

''The Rise of Skywalker'' is the final film of the Skywalker saga, featuring a climactic clash between the Resistance and the First Order, and the Jedi and the Sith. The film is set a year following ''The Last Jedi'' and depicts the return of Palpatine, who has been secretly controlling the First Order from the Sith planet Exegol. Palpatine orders Kylo Ren to find and kill Rey, who is revealed to be Palpatine's granddaughter. Palpatine unveils an armada of Star Destroyers to reclaim the galaxy. Rey and the Resistance learn of Palpatine's return and embark on a quest to find him. They eventually locate Exegol; Rey confronts Palpatine, while the Resistance attack Palpatine's fleet. In June 2014, Johnson was announced as writing a story treatment for ''Episode IX'', but later stated he had not been involved with writing the film. In August 2015,
Colin Trevorrow Colin Trevorrow (;) is an American filmmaker. He made his feature directorial debut with the science fiction comedy '' Safety Not Guaranteed'' (2012) to critical and commercial success. Trevorrow achieved mainstream recognition for his work on th ...
was announced as the director of ''Episode IX,'' and he, with
Derek Connolly Derek Connolly (born c. 1976 in Miami, Florida) is an American screenwriter and film producer, mostly known for his collaborations with director Colin Trevorrow on the films '' Safety Not Guaranteed'', ''Jurassic World,'' and '' Jurassic World: ...
, began writing a script draft secretly titled '' Star Wars: Duel of the Fates''. Many elements from that draft survived into the actual film. In February 2016, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that pre-production of ''Episode IX'' had begun. Following the death of Carrie Fisher in late December 2016, media outlets speculated on whether her role would be recast for ''Episode IX'' and whether the absence of her character would affect the film's plot. A few weeks later, Lucasfilm stated that they would not digitally recreate Fisher's performance for the film. In April 2017, Kathleen Kennedy stated that Fisher would not be in ''Episode IX'', but it was later announced that Fisher would in fact appear using unreleased footage from ''The Force Awakens''. In August, it was reported that Jack Thorne would rewrite the script. In September 2017, Lucasfilm announced that Trevorrow had stepped down as director, and a week later, it was announced that J. J. Abrams would return to direct ''Episode IX''. He the script with Chris Terrio, in addition to producing the film through Bad Robot Productions with Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan. Disney had originally scheduled the film's release for December 2019, in keeping with the previous two sequel trilogy films, but then moved it up to May 24, a time of the year more common to the first six ''Star Wars'' episodes. However, after Abrams' return, its release date was moved back to December. On January 10, 2018, it was reported that
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
will return to compose and conduct the music for ''Episode IX''. The next month, Williams announced that it would be the last ''Star Wars'' film music he would compose. On July 6, 2018, it was reported that Keri Russell was in early talks for a role in ''Episode IX''. On July 9, ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' reported that
Billy Dee Williams William December Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American actor. He appeared as Lando Calrissian in the '' Star Wars'' franchise, first in the early 1980s for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), and thir ...
was confirmed to reprise the role of Lando Calrissian. On July 27, the official casting announcement was made, including the return of Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac,
Lupita Nyong'o Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (, ; ; born 1 March 1983) is a Kenyan-Mexican actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. The daughter of Kenyan politi ...
,
Domhnall Gleeson Domhnall Gleeson (; born 12 May 1983) is an Irish actor and screenwriter. He is the son of actor Brendan Gleeson, with whom he has appeared in a number of films and theatre projects. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts from Dublin Ins ...
,
Kelly Marie Tran Kelly Marie Tran (born Loan Tran, January 17, 1989) is an American actress. She began acting in 2011, with most of her roles being in short film and television. She came to global prominence for her role as Rose Tico in the ''Star Wars'' sequ ...
,
Joonas Suotamo Joonas Viljami Suotamo (; born 3 October 1986) is a Finnish actor and former professional basketball player. He is best known for his role as Chewbacca in the '' Star Wars'' saga, taking over the role from Peter Mayhew, first as a body double, w ...
,
Billie Lourd Billie Catherine Lourd (born July 17, 1992) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Chanel #3 in the Fox horror comedy series '' Scream Queens'' (2015–2016) and for her roles in the FX horror anthology series '' American Horror ...
, Mark Hamill, and
Anthony Daniels Anthony Daniels ( ; born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and mime artist, best known for playing in 10 '' Star Wars'' films. He is the only actor to have either appeared in or been involved with all theatrical films in the series, and ...
, with
Naomi Ackie Naomi Ackie (born 22 August 1991) is an English actress. She made her television debut as Jen in the ''Doctor Who'' episode "Face the Raven" (2015). For her role as Bonnie on the television dark comedy-drama series ''The End of the F***ing World' ...
and
Richard E. Grant Richard E. Grant (born Richard Grant Esterhuysen; 5 May 1957) is a Swazi-English actor and presenter. He made his film debut as Withnail in the comedy ''Withnail and I'' (1987). Grant received critical acclaim for his role as Jack Hock in Mar ...
joining the cast. The same announcement confirmed Williams' return and that Carrie Fisher would posthumously portray Leia Organa using unreleased footage from ''The Force Awakens''. Lucasfilm also initially had plans to include unseen footage of Fisher from ''The Last Jedi'', but it was ultimately not used in the film. It was announced later the same day that Russell had joined the cast. On April 12, at the 2019 Star Wars Celebration, the title for ''Episode IX'' was confirmed to be ''The Rise of Skywalker.'' Principal photography began on August 1, 2018, and wrapped on February 15, 2019. ''The Rise of Skywalker'' was released in the United States on December 20, 2019.


Themes

According to J. J. Abrams and Chris Terrio, the trilogy's core theme is about learning from the previous generation, akin to the Americans in the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...
, who preserved what was fought for in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. On the inspiration for the First Order formed "from the ashes of the Empire", Abrams spoke of conversations the writers had about how the
Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...
could have escaped to Argentina after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
and "started working together again." ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two ...
'' considers that ''The Last Jedi''s portrayal of Luke Skywalker as a
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campai ...
Jedi master reflects the Jedi's beliefs as being inspired by the
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
religion due to the character's inner conflict towards using a lightsaber and seeing it as a weapon of destruction. ''The Last Jedi'' features scenes recalling
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...
's ''
Rashomon is a 1950 Jidaigeki psychological thriller/ crime film directed and written by Akira Kurosawa, working in close collaboration with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura as v ...
'' (1950), utilizing the Rashomon effect when Luke tells Rey that he considered murdering his nephew, Ben Solo, due to sensing his inevitable fall to the dark side. Later, Kylo recounts his perspective, which prompts Luke to tell a third, combined perspective of the event. According to Adam Driver, Kylo Ren is "morally justified in doing what he thinks is right". ''The Rise of Skywalker'' depicts Kylo Ren having his helmet repaired following its destruction in ''The Last Jedi''. Abrams compared the fractured mask to '' Kintsugi'', a Japanese ceramic art of repairing broken pottery which accentuates the breakage. While the helmet obscures his vulnerabilities in ''The Force Awakens'', its fractured form in ''The Rise of Skywalker'' instead communicates the fractured nature of his character. Kylo overcomes and kills his father in ''The Force Awakens'' before reconciling with his memory of him in ''The Rise of Skywalker''; according to Terrio, this reconciliation represents the "Atonement with the Father" stage of the hero's journey, which the ''Star Wars'' films are heavily patterned on. Rey's journey mirrors that of Anakin and Luke in the prequel and original trilogies. The final scene of ''The Last Jedi'' depicts servant children playing with a toy of Luke, with one boy using the Force to grab a broom. According to ''
Inverse Inverse or invert may refer to: Science and mathematics * Inverse (logic), a type of conditional sentence which is an immediate inference made from another conditional sentence * Additive inverse (negation), the inverse of a number that, when a ...
'', this symbolizes that "the Force can be found in people with humble beginnings." A writer for the same website interprets the end of ''The Rise of Skywalker'' as seeing Rey "bury the past" and rejecting "any power her grandfather held over her" in a completion of the hero's journey.


Reception


Box office performance

Unlike the previous trilogies, the sequel trilogy experienced diminishing box office returns with each succeeding film. Nevertheless, it is the highest-grossing trilogy overall, with ''The Force Awakens'' ranking as the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time.


Response from ''Star Wars'' filmmakers

George Lucas agreed with critics who considered ''The Force Awakens'' too derivative of the original trilogy. In an interview with
Charlie Rose Charles Peete Rose Jr. (born January 5, 1942) is an American former television journalist and talk show host. From 1991 to 2017, he was the host and executive producer of the talk show '' Charlie Rose'' on PBS and Bloomberg LP. Rose also co- ...
, Lucas likened his decision to sell Lucasfilm to Disney to a divorce, and outlined the creative differences between him and the producers of ''The Force Awakens''. Lucas described the previous six ''Star Wars'' films as his "children" and defended his vision for them, while criticizing ''The Force Awakens'' for having a "retro feel", saying: "I worked very hard to make them completely different, with different planets, with different spaceships ... to make it new." Lucas also likened Disney to "white slavers", which drew some criticism. He subsequently apologized for this remark. In 2016, responding to the complaints of derivativeness, Abrams said, "What was important for me was introducing brand new characters using relationships that were embracing the history that we know to tell a story that is new – to go backwards to go forwards". The same year, the Disney-produced ''Star Wars'' anthology film '' Rogue One'' was released, and it was reported that Lucas liked it more than ''The Force Awakens''. In 2017, Lucas described the sequel ''The Last Jedi'' as "beautifully made". Marcia Lucas, George Lucas's ex-wife, who was an editor of all three original films and won an Oscar for her work on the first, criticized the Disney sequels in an interview with
J. W. Rinzler Jonathan W. Rinzler (August 17, 1962July 28, 2021) was a film historian and writer, known for publishing books about the behind the scenes of blockbuster movies such as '' Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones''. Rinzler also wrote the novel ''Indiana ...
for his posthumous final book, '' Howard Kazanjian: A Producer's Life''. She stated that Kennedy and Abrams "don't get" the franchise, particularly criticizing the deaths of Han and Luke, as well as the lack of an explanation for Rey's powers.


Critical and public response

The sequel trilogy has received a generally positive reception from critics, being collectively lauded for its emotional weight, lead performances, and
visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...
(including the focus on
practical effects A practical effect is a special effect produced physically, without computer-generated imagery or other post-production techniques. In some contexts, "special effect" is used as a synonym of "practical effect", in contrast to "visual effects" ...
). * * * However, several have criticized it for being derivative of the original trilogy. Individually, praise has been directed at ''The Force Awakens'' for embracing the spirit of the original trilogy, and ''The Last Jedi'' for its direction and willingness to take risks. In contrast, ''The Rise of Skywalker'' received criticism for its perceived retconning of the plot, characterization, and themes of ''The Last Jedi'', attributed to appeasing a segment of the fanbase to which the film had proved controversial. Retrospectively, critics and publications have labelled the fan response to the sequel trilogy as divisive, particularly as a result of the final two installments. Some have commented on the apparent lack of planning for the trilogy's overarching story, feeling that the films appear inconsistent and contradictory from the differing visions of directors J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson; the latter was alleged to have been given complete creative control for ''The Last Jedi''. ''
CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk s ...
'' and '' Paste Magazine'' disagreed with the decision not to use a
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...
to helm the trilogy. Several publications described the result as a "mess".


Accolades


Academy Awards


Tie-in media

In addition to a vast campaign of tie-in media including adaptations and the Journey to ''Star Wars'' publishing campaign (released in anticipation of each film), a number of other spin-offs have been released, altogether fleshing out characters and story elements from the trilogy (including some which were cut from it) and tying into earlier eras. Some sources have pointed out that streaming series ''
The Mandalorian ''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, beginning five years after the events of '' Retur ...
'' and its spin-offs will likely set up the events of the sequel trilogy. In November 2021, Kathleen Kennedy revealed that Lucasfilm creatives had been having conversations regarding the future of the trilogy's characters.


Notes


References


Works cited

* * * * * * *


External links


''Star Wars'' official site
* {{Star Wars American sequel films Bad Robot Productions films American film series Lucasfilm films
Sequel trilogy The ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy is the third trilogy of the main '' Star Wars'' franchise, an American space opera created by George Lucas. It is produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The trilogy ...
Trilogies Film series introduced in 2015 Films produced by Kathleen Kennedy