Star Wars sequel trilogy

Background

Early development

According to Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, Star Wars creator George Lucas told him in 1976 that he planned three or four Star Wars trilogies. Lucas suggested that Hamill could have a cameo appearance role in Episode IX, which he imagined filming by 2011. A Time magazine story in March 1978, quoting Lucas, stated there would be ten Star Wars films after The Empire Strikes Back. 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 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 Backs 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.
• Episode II would have developed the backstory of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
• 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 with 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 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 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 one has 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).
• R2-D2 and C-3PO 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, 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 (Lucas in 1980).
• Luke might have had 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. 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 [for 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."

On the possibility of someone else making Star Wars films, Lucas said, "Probably not, it's my thing." 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."

Sale of Lucasfilm to the Walt Disney Company & Renewed development

In May 2011, Lucas was in Orlando, Florida, to celebrate the opening of Star Tours – The Adventures Continue at Walt Disney World. He was invited to breakfast by Disney CEO Bob Iger, 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 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 co-chair 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 to write a draft of Episode VII based on Lucas's synopsis. Star Wars screenwriting veteran Lawrence Kasdan 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 after being promised that Han Solo would be given meaningful closure.

Details of his sequel trilogy treatments included the conclusion of the Skywalker family'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), and the Whills (all-powerful creatures first mentioned in the title of the original outline of Star Wars, Journal of the Whills):

[The next three Star Wars films] were 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.
• 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'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. He also stated that he considered including Lando Calrissian in the film, possibly giving him the role of new character DJ (Benicio del Toro), 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 apprentices 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 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. Adam Driver claimed that back when shooting The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren was not meant to be redeemed by the end of the trilogy, which was the character arc Abrams had in mind at that moment, with Ren starting insecure about his commitment to the dark side before becoming the one most committed by the end of the trilogy in reversal to his grandfather Darth Vader's arc in the original trilogy, noting that Johnson took that planned direction in consideration when shooting The Last Jedi even though he took other decisions.

Films

Unlike the previous two trilogies, whose films were released approximately three years apart ahead of Memorial Day 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, 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.

''Star Wars: The Force Awakens''

Main article: 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 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, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron obtains a map to Luke's location, but he is captured by First Order enforcer Kylo Ren—the son of Leia and Han Solo. Poe's droid BB-8 escapes with the map and encounters a scavenger named Rey. Rey and BB-8 team up with a defecting stormtrooper, Finn, along with Han Solo and Chewbacca, to deliver the map to the Resistance.

Episode VII began development 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 VIIs director and producer, along with producer Bryan Burk and Bad Robot. 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 the equivalent M rating in Australia, the second Star Wars film to receive that classification after Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

The film broke opening weekend box office records in North America with $248 million ($39 million more than previous record holder Jurassic World) 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''

Main article: 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 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 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 and Disney 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 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 near London. Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman were the producers and J. J. Abrams executive produced.

''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker''

Main article: 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 the Final Order, a Sith 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 the Sith fleet.

In June 2014, Johnson was announced as writing a story treatment for Episode IX, In August 2015, Colin Trevorrow was announced as the director of Episode IX, and he, with Derek Connolly, 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 co-wrote the script with Chris Terrio, in addition to producing the film through Bad Robot 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 would 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 reported that Billy Dee Williams 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, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Mark Hamill, and Anthony Daniels, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant 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, who preserved what was fought for in the American Revolutionary War. 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 could have escaped to Argentina after World War II and "started working together again."

Polygon considers that The Last Jedis portrayal of Luke Skywalker as a pacifist Jedi master reflects the Jedi's beliefs as being inspired by the Buddhist 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's Rashomon (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, 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

The sequel trilogy experienced diminishing box office returns with each succeeding film. Nevertheless, it is the highest-grossing trilogy of the franchise overall, with The Force Awakens ranking as the sixth-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, 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 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,Multiple sources:

• lead performances,Multiple sources:
• and visual effects (including the focus on practical effects).
• However, several have criticized it for being derivative of the original trilogy.Multiple sources:
• Individually, praise has been directed at The Force Awakens for embracing the spirit of the original trilogy,Multiple sources:
• and The Last Jedi for its direction and willingness to take risks.Multiple sources:
• 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 whom the film had proved controversial.Multiple sources:

Retrospectively, critics and publications have labelled the fan response to the sequel trilogy as divisive, particularly as a result of the final two installments.Multiple sources:

• 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 and Paste Magazine criticized the decision not to use a showrunner to helm the trilogy.

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 also pointed out that streaming series The Mandalorian 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. At Star Wars Celebration Europe IV in 2023, a new film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was announced that will follow Rey as she attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Ridley is set to reprise her role as Rey. Kennedy also hinted at the possibility of other Sequel Trilogy characters coming back.

Notes

References

Works cited

References

1. Chitwood, Scott. (September 10, 2004). "Mark Hamill Talks Star Wars Epis. 7, 8, & 9".
2. Steranko, Jim. (September–October 1980). "Gary Kurtz".
3. Gore, Chris. (March 5, 2000). "Gary Kurtz Interview: The Original ''Star Wars'' Producer Speaks". [[Film Threat]].
4. Worrell, Denise. (October 2020). "Icons: Intimate Portraits". Atlantic Monthly.
5. "Visionary filmmaker Lucas invents fantasy phenomenon". ''The Yuma Daily Sun'', May 2, 1982.
6. Quinn, Kerry. (July 1981). "The George Lucas Saga Chapter 1: 'A New View{{'"}}".
7. Kempley, Rita. (May 27, 1983). "A Triumphal 'Return of the Jedi'". [[The Washington Post]].
8. Rinzler, J.W.. (October 30, 2012). "The Long, Winding, and Shapeshifting Trail to Episodes VII, VIII & IX". StarWars.com.
9. (7 February 2017). "Watch Mark Hamill Promote 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi' Without Knowing the Ending". Yahoo! Entertainment.
10. Britt, Ryan. (August 31, 2019). "'Rise of Skywalker': Will It Come Close to George Lucas' Original Plan?".
11. Clarke, Gerald. (May 19, 1980). "The Empire Strikes Back!".
12. Warren, Bill. (February 1988). "George Lucas: Father of the Force".
13. Breznican, Anthony. (November 2, 2012). "'Star Wars' sequel author Timothy Zahn weighs in on new movie plans – EXCLUSIVE".
14. link. (March 3, 2014, December 1997. Retrieved September 15, 2012.)
15. (January 6, 1999). "No ''Star Wars'' sequels, says Lucas". [[BBC]].
16. Spelling, Ian. (August 1999). "The Man Behind Menace".
17. Spelling, Ian. (July 2002). "Building A Better Empire".
18. Giles, Darrell. (May 11, 2002). "Beyond Star Wars". [[The Mercury (Hobart)]].
19. Goldman, Eric. (March 5, 2007). "George Lucas on the Future of ''Star Wars''".
20. Boucher, Geoff. (May 7, 2008). "George Lucas: 'Star Wars' won't go beyond Darth Vader". Los Angeles Times.
21. Wakeman, Gregory. (December 4, 2014). "George Lucas Was Terrible at Predicting The Future Of Star Wars".
22. Jagernauth, Kevin. (January 13, 2015). "George Lucas Had Originally Planned To Direct 'Star Wars 7' For A May 2015 Release".
23. Sarkar, Samit. (January 13, 2015). "George Lucas was planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 and then sell Lucasfilm".
24. (January 17, 2012). "George Lucas Done With 'Star Wars' Fanboys, Talks 'Red Tails'".
25. Maytum, Matt. (November 1, 2012). "Mark Hamill talks Star Wars: Episode VII, VIII and IX".
26. Barone, Matt. (17 April 2015). "George Lucas Brought "The Force" to Stephen Colbert & TFF 2015 for a Candid Tribeca Talks Event". [[Tribeca Film Festival]].
27. (21 April 2015). "George Lucas Speaks on 'The Force Awakens'". Tribeca Film Festival.
28. Arrant, Chris. (14 June 2018). "Fans Buzzing Over George Lucas' Purported Plans for Star Wars Episodes 7-9". [[Space.com]].
29. (2018). "James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction". Insight Editions.
30. Leonard, Devin. (7 March 2013). "How Disney Bought Lucasfilm—and Its Plans for 'Star Wars'". [[Bloomberg Businessweek]].
31. (30 October 2012). "George Lucas & Kathleen Kennedy Discuss Disney and the Future of Star Wars". Lucasfilm.
32. Serpe, Gina. (October 30, 2012). "New Star Wars Film Coming in 2015!".
33. (October 30, 2012). "New Video Series: A Discussion About the Future of Star Wars". StarWars.com.
34. Kemp, Ella. (October 15, 2020). "Star Wars: Rey was originally called Winkie in George Lucas' sequel treatment".
35. Goslin, Austen. (December 10, 2019). "Everything George Lucas has said about his theoretical Star Wars sequel trilogy".
36. Davis, Grant. (January 4, 2018). "Pablo Hidalgo Sheds More Light On George Lucas's Influence On The Sequel Trilogy". Star Wars News Net.
37. (November 21, 2018). "Christian Alzmann on Instagram: "My first image I made for Star Wars : The Force Awakens. This was January of 2013. Luke was being described as a Col. Kurtz type hiding..."".
38. (December 21, 2017). "So, the late-2012 idea of a Luke Skywalker haunted by the betrayal of one of his students, in self-imposed exile & spiritually in "a dark place", not only precedes Rian Johnson's involvement in Star Wars but J.J. Abrams', as well. #TheLastJedi 3/3 (I lied)".
39. Russell, Steve. (2020-10-14). "Star Wars: Even George Lucas' Episode VIII Would Have Killed Luke Skywalker".
40. Mithaiwala, Mansoor. (December 22, 2017). "George Lucas' Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Story Revealed".
41. Skrebels, Joe. (March 26, 2018). "Mark Hamill Reveals Ending to George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode 9".
42. Rayne, Elizabeth. (January 5, 2018). "Report: Parts of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi Really Were George Lucas' Ideas".
43. Russell, Bradley. (2020-11-10). "George Lucas finally reveals his ideas for a Star Wars sequel trilogy – and why he never made it".
44. Eclarinal, Aeron Mer. (2020-11-10). "Star Wars: George Lucas Had Big Plans For Darth Maul & Others in Sequel Movies".
45. Brigden, Charlie. (2020-11-10). "Darth Maul's sequel role and 9 other Star Wars tidbits from Taschen's new prequel book".
46. (April 25, 2014). "The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns A New Page". StarWars.com.
47. (2015). "How George Lucas' Star Wars 7 Ideas Were Used By Disney". Cinema Blend.
48. Breznican, Anthony. (20 November 2015). "George Lucas on 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens': 'They weren't keen to have me involved'".
49. Sciretta, Peter. "Interview: J.J. Abrams Talks About Abandoning George Lucas' Treatments and Lessons of the Star Wars Prequels". Slashfilm.
50. (December 6, 2019). "Disney Disturbs the Force: Pleasing Star Wars Fans Complicates Saga". [[The Wall Street Journal]].
51. "Star Trek (2009)".
52. (November 27, 2018). "The Wrath of Khan director wasn't impressed by Star Trek Into Darkness".
53. McCreesh, Louise. (September 24, 2019). "Star Wars creator George Lucas felt "betrayed" by new trilogy plans, Disney boss admits". Digital Spy.
54. Breznican, Anthony. (May 4, 2017). "''Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' director asked for a droid swap in ''The Force Awakens''".
55. Weiss, Josh. (October 3, 2019). "Star Wars: J.J. Abrams wasn't sure Episode VIII would go when he made The Force Awakens".
56. Grebey, James. (January 11, 2018). "Why Luke's Big 'Force Awakens' Moment Had to Be Changed for 'Last Jedi'".
57. (November 26, 2020). "The Last Jedi Understood the Force Better Than the Other Star Wars Sequels (Because of Clone Wars)".
58. "I rewatched these eps (on @dave_filoni's advice) early in the writing process, they're so gorgeous and boundary pushing.".
59. (December 20, 2017). "Yes, Lando Was Almost in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'".
60. Sharf, Zack. (2019-11-11). "J.J. Abrams Says New 'Star Wars' Won't Play It Safe Like 'Force Awakens,' Thanks to Rian Johnson".
61. Evangelista, Chris. (November 27, 2018). "Pre-'Force Awakens' Luke Skywalker Art Reveals 'The Last Jedi' Story Was Always Going to Happen".
62. (March 16, 2018). "Star Wars: How George Lucas' Episode VII Outline Became The Last Jedi".
63. (November 25, 2019). "J.J. Abrams Says Palpatine's Return Was Planned Since 'The Force Awakens'". Collider.
64. (November 25, 2019). "J.J. Abrams On 'The Rise Of Skywalker' And The Return Of Palpatine (And, Yes, Maclunkey)".
65. (September 9, 2020). "Daisy Ridley Says Star Wars Almost Revealed Rey Was Obi-Wan's Relative".
66. (December 12, 2023). "Star Wars: Adam Driver Claims Ben Solo Redemption Arc Wasn't Part of Original Plan".
67. (February 1, 2016). "Rey, Kylo Ren, and More Await You in ''Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded'' – First Look".
68. Robinson, Joanna. (May 22, 2019). "Everything New Revealed in Vanity Fair's The Rise of Skywalker Cover Story".
69. (2015). "[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]". [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]].
70. Graser, Marc. (October 30, 2012). "Disney Buys LucasFilm, New ''Star Wars'' Planned".
71. (October 30, 2012). "What a New ''Star Wars'' Movie Might Look Like (Analysis)".
72. Enk, Bryan. (October 30, 2012). "What The?! New ''Star Wars'' Movie In the Works?".
73. "Michael Arndt to write screenplay for Star Wars: episode VII". Star Wars.
74. Dyer, James. (December 18, 2015). "Star Wars: The Force Awakens – The Complete History, Part I".
75. Gallagher, Brian. (December 21, 2015). "Original Star Wars: The Force Awakens Script Used Luke Very Differently".
76. Breznican, Anthony. (December 20, 2015). "Star Wars The Force Awakens: J.J. Abrams explains R2-D2's closing scene".
77. Conover, Stuart. (November 11, 2013). "J.J. Abrams Opens Up About Replacing Writer Michael Arndt On 'Star Wars Episode VII'".
78. Kit, Borys. (October 24, 2013). "Writer Michael Arndt Exits 'Star Wars: Episode VII'".
79. Goldberg, Matt. (December 20, 2015). "'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Writers Talk about Previous Versions of the Script".
80. Holslin, Peter. (October 25, 2013). "Decoding the 'Star Wars' Writers' Drama".
81. Tach, Dave. (April 12, 2019). "How Star Wars Episode VII's failures might explain the Death Star in Episode IX's trailer".
82. Crouse, Megan. (October 22, 2019). "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Final Trailer Breakdown and Analysis".
83. Szostak, Phil. (2020). "The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker". Abrams.
84. (January 25, 2013). "Star Wars Is Being Kick-Started with Dynamite J.J. Abrams to Direct Star Wars: Episode VII". Star Wars.
85. Peat, Calvin. (August 3, 2013). "John Williams Confirmed to Score Star Wars Episodes VII-IX". Shadowlocked.
86. (October 24, 2013). "MASTER FILMMAKING TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR STAR WARS: EPISODE VII". Star Wars.
87. Rothman, Michael. (December 14, 2014). "Why George Lucas Hasn't Seen 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Trailer". [[ABC News (United States).
88. Lewis, Hillary. (January 19, 2015). "George Lucas Weighs in on 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter.
89. (January 21, 2014). "Report: Mark, Carrie & Harrison To Begin Working On Episode VII In March/April". starwarsunderground.com.
90. Appelo, Tim. (April 5, 2014). "Disney Chief Reveals 'Star Wars: VII' Casting Almost Complete, Says Film Is Already Shooting (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter.
91. McNary, Dave. (April 17, 2013). "Star Wars Movies Coming in 2015, 2017 and 2019". [[Variety (magazine).
92. "Search Results".
93. Lussier, Germain. (November 26, 2015). "Star Wars: The Force Awakens is Rated PG-13, Which Is Kind Of A Surprise".
94. Pallotta, Frank. (December 27, 2015). "'Stars Wars: The Force Awakens' makes $1 billion in a record 12 days". CNNMoney.
95. "All Time Domestic Box Office Results".
96. (2017). "[[Star Wars: The Last Jedi]]". [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]].
97. Kit, Borys. (November 20, 2012). "Sources: Lawrence Kasdan, Simon Kinberg Lock Deals to Write and Produce 'Star Wars' Installments".
98. McMillan, Graeme. (August 18, 2014). "Rian Johnson Says Next 'Star Wars' Will Have Less CGI, More Practical Effects".
99. (June 20, 2014). "'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Sets Director". The Hollywood Reporter.
100. Fleming, Mike Jr.. (June 20, 2014). "UPDATED: 'Star Wars' Bombshell! Rian Johnson To Write, Direct Next Two Films". Deadline.
101. "ROGUE ONE IS THE FIRST STAR WARS STAND-ALONE FILM, RIAN JOHNSON TO WRITE AND DIRECT STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII". StarWars.com.
102. (March 19, 2015). "Oscar Isaac Talks 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and Going After X-Men's Apocalypse (EXCLUSIVE)".
103. McGloin, Mark. (September 3, 2015). "Benicio Del Toro Confirms Star Wars Episode VIII".
104. Crossan, Ashley. (September 14, 2015). "Benicio Del Toro's 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Character Might Not Be What You Think". Entertainment Tonight.
105. Sneider, Jeff. (July 20, 2015). "'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Eyes Benicio Del Toro To Play Villain (Exclusive)".
106. Seemayer, Zack. (August 13, 2015). "Benicio Del Toro Says 'Star Wars' Role 'Looks Like It's Gonna Happen'".
107. Auty, Dan. (September 7, 2017). "Star Wars Episode 8's Villain to Be Played by Benicio Del Toro". GameSpot.com.
108. Snieder, Jeff. (September 1, 2015). "'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Shortlist Includes Gina Rodriguez, Tatiana Maslany, Olivia Cooke (Exclusive)". The Wrap.
109. (January 8, 2016). "Star Wars News, Disney's Upcoming Slate and More! – Meet The Movie Press (January 8th, 2016)".
110. cameronkmcewan. (November 16, 2015). "Doctor Who actor Jimmy Vee is the new R2-D2 in Star Wars Episode 8 – Metro News". Metro.
111. (September 16, 2015). "Little actor Jimmy Vee is Artoo-Detoo in Star Wars: Episode VIII?". Making Star Wars.
112. Breznican, Anthony. (September 9, 2015). "CORRECTED: Star Wars: Episode VIII will shoot in Ireland this month". ([[Entertainment Weekly]]).
113. Dadich, Scott. (November 8, 2015). "Lucky VII".
114. Vejvoda, Jim. (September 15, 2015). "Mark Hamill Reports to Set of Star Wars: Episode VIII". IGN.
115. (March 19, 2015). "Oscar Isaac Talks 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and Going After X-Men's Apocalypse (EXCLUSIVE)".
116. (December 4, 2015). "Star Wars: Episode VIII: Captain Phasma to Return". Collider.
117. Siegel, Lucas. (December 14, 2015). "Two More Actors Confirmed to Return for Star Wars Episode VIII". ComicBook.com.
118. Ruby, Jennifer. (December 17, 2015). "Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy confirms that entire cast will return for eighth film". [[London Evening Standard]].
119. McClintock, Pamela. (January 20, 2016). "'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Gets New Release". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
120. (January 23, 2017). "The Official Title for ''Star Wars: Episode VIII'' Revealed".
121. Stolworthy, Jacob. (December 14, 2016). "Star Wars 8: Adam Driver doesn't think there should be a trailer". Independent.
122. (February 15, 2016). "STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII NOW FILMING". StarWars.com.
123. (March 8, 2016). "Star Wars Episode VIII Starts Shooting in Dubrovnik This Week".
124. Harris, David. (March 26, 2016). "Star Wars: Episode VIII Filming Update: Luke in a Casino, Poe takes Charge". Dork Side of the Force.
125. Barrett, David. (March 20, 2016). "Star Wars Episode VIII returns to new locations in Ireland". The Telegraph.
126. Nevets, Stephen. (July 11, 2016). "'Star Wars 8' wraps production, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels turn to Twitter as Star Wars Celebration 2016 nears".
127. Trivedi, Sachin. (July 12, 2016). "'Star Wars: Episode 8' production update: Filming wraps; Big party in London with cast and crew".
128. Romano, Nick. (July 22, 2016). "''Star Wars: Episode VIII'' director Rian Johnson announces end of production".
129. Blankstein, Andrew. (December 27, 2016). "'Star Wars' Actress Carrie Fisher Dies at 60 After Suffering Heart Attack". NBC News.
130. Rahman, Abid. (May 4, 2015). "'Star Wars: Episode VIII' to Shoot at U.K.'s Pinewood". ([[Prometheus Global Media]]).
131. Ashurst, Sam. (October 16, 2014). "ILM London Launch: Updates on Star Wars Episode VII & Avengers: Age of Ultron". [[IGN]].
132. Colburn, Randall. (April 15, 2019). "J.J. Abrams defends "provocative" new Star Wars title".
133. McWhertor, Michael. (April 12, 2019). "Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker's first trailer is here".
134. Robinson, Joanna. (May 22, 2019). "Everything New Revealed in Vanity Fair's The Rise of Skywalker Cover Story".
135. Schoellkopf, Christina. (December 17, 2019). "Emperor Palpatine actor was done with 'Star Wars'. Then J.J. Abrams called". Los Angeles Times.
136. McCluskey, Megan. (December 20, 2019). "Breaking Down That Shocking Rey Reveal in ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker''".
137. (2019). "[[Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker]]". [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]].
138. Johnson, Rian. (April 24, 2017). "That's old info, I haven't been involved in writing ''IX''.".
139. (September 12, 2017). "J.J. Abrams to Write and Direct ''Star Wars'': Episode IX". StarWars.com.
140. (January 16, 2020). "Full Breakdown of Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars: Episode IX Story".
141. (January 24, 2020). "Star Wars: Colin Trevorrow confirms Episode 9 script leak is real but corrects one plot point".
142. (February 10, 2020). "'Rise of Skywalker': Leaked Trevorrow script would have fixed a major Knights of Ren plot hole".
143. (February 19, 2020). "Every Rise of Skywalker Moment in Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars 9 Script".
144. (March 31, 2020). "The many versions of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker we didn't see".
145. Littleton, Cynthia. (December 27, 2016). "Carrie Fisher Completed Work on 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Before Her Death". [[Variety (magazine).
146. Maresca, Rachel. (December 27, 2016). "Carrie Fisher Wrapped Filming on 'Star Wars: Episode VIII': What Does Her Death Mean for 'Episode IX'?". [[Entertainment Tonight]].
147. (December 28, 2016). "How will Carrie Fisher's death affect the Star Wars franchise and will they recast Princess Leia?". Telegraph.
148. (January 14, 2017). "Lucasfilm: Carrie Fisher won't be digitally recreated". [[BBC News]].
149. Truitt, Brian. (April 14, 2017). "Kathleen Kennedy confirms Carrie Fisher won't be in 'Star Wars: Episode IX'". USA Today.
150. Kreps, Daniel. (July 27, 2018). "'Star Wars: Episode IX' to Feature Unused Footage of Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa".
151. Kit, Borys. (August 1, 2017). "'Star Wars: Episode IX' Gets a New Writer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
152. (September 5, 2017). "A Statement Regarding ''Star Wars'': Episode IX". StarWars.com.
153. (September 5, 2017). "Colin Trevorrow Out as 'Star Wars: Episode IX' director". The Hollywood Reporter.
154. (September 12, 2017). "J.J. Abrams To Write And Direct Star Wars: Episode IX".
155. Kroll, Justin. (September 12, 2017). "J.J. Abrams to Replace Colin Trevorrow as Director of 'Star Wars: Episode IX'". [[Variety (magazine).
156. Kroll, Justin. (April 25, 2017). "'Star Wars: Episode IX' Gets Release Date". [[Variety (magazine).
157. Parker, Ryan. (September 12, 2017). "J.J. Abrams to Replace Colin Trevorrow as 'Star Wars: Episode IX' Writer and Director". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
158. Tambini, Joe. (December 19, 2017). "Star Wars Episode 9: When is the next Star Wars film coming out?". Express.
159. Weiss, Josh. (January 10, 2018). "John Williams Says He's Scoring Star Wars: Episode IX For J.J. Abrams". Syfy Wire.
160. Jones, Jordan. (January 11, 2018). "John Williams will be returning for Star Wars: Episode IX". Flickering Myth.
161. Hughes, William. (March 3, 2018). "John Williams says he's only got one more of these damn Star Wars movies in him". AVClub.
162. Kroll, Justin. (July 6, 2018). "''Star Wars: Episode IX'' Eyes Keri Russell (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
163. Borys, Kit. (July 9, 2018). "'Star Wars': Billy Dee Williams Reprising Role as Lando Calrissian". The Hollywood Reporter.
164. Kroll, Justin. (July 27, 2018). "'Star Wars: Episode IX' Announces Cast; Carrie Fisher to Be Featured". Variety.
165. Couch, Aaron. (July 27, 2018). "Carrie Fisher to Appear in 'Star Wars: Episode IX'". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
166. Breznican, Anthony. (July 27, 2018). "Leia and Lando return: Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams will appear in Star Wars: Episode IX".
167. Agar, Chris. (August 3, 2018). "Star Wars 9 Will Use The Last Jedi Footage of Leia". ScreenRant.
168. Perry, Spencer. (December 5, 2019). "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Doesn't Use Any Carrie Fisher Footage From The Last Jedi". Comicbook.
169. Hipes, Patrick. (July 27, 2018). "Keri Russell Is In 'Star Wars: Episode IX' After All". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
170. Perry, Spencer. (July 27, 2018). "BREAKING: Star Wars: Episode IX Cast Officially Announced!". ComingSoon.net.
171. Truitt, Brian. (December 16, 2019). "'This was not small stakes for us': J.J. Abrams brings 'Star Wars' saga to a close with 'Rise of Skywalker'".
172. Dyer, James. (2015). "JJ Abrams Spills Details On Kylo Ren". Empireonline.com.
173. (December 13, 2019). "The Last Jedi dared to put the philosophy of Star Wars in the foreground". [[Polygon (website).
174. (January 7, 2020). "The Rise of Skywalker leaves the Jedi in a state of confusion". [[Polygon (website).
175. Young, Bryan. (January 31, 2018). "How The Last Jedi Got Luke Skywalker Right". SYFY WIRE.
176. Idato, Michael. (December 11, 2015). "Adam Driver's Kylo Ren unmasked as real star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens".
177. (October 1, 2019). "J.J. Abrams Has Confirmed a Big Kylo Ren Fan Theory About ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker''". [[Esquire (magazine).
178. Davids, Bryan. (December 30, 2019). "'Star Wars' Co-Writer Chris Terrio Sets Record Straight on Perceived 'Last Jedi' Jabs". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
179. Moyers, Bill. (April 26, 1999). "Of Myth And Men". [[Time Magazine.
180. Young, Bryan. (March 13, 2018). "In The Last Jedi, Rey's Journey in the Mirror Cave Echoes a Star Wars Cycle".
181. Grebey, James. (December 27, 2017). "Who the Heck Was the Broom Kid at the End of 'The Last Jedi'?".
182. (January 8, 2020). "This storytelling theory proves Rey surpassed Luke in 'Rise of Skywalker'". Inverse.
183. "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens".
184. "Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens (2015)". Nash Information Services, LLC.
185. Reid, Caroline. (February 27, 2023). "'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Becomes The Most Expensive Movie Ever Made".
186. "Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi".
187. "Star Wars Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)". Nash Information Services, LLC.
188. "Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker".
189. "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)". Nash Information Services, LLC.
190. (31 December 2015). "Attack of the moans: George Lucas hits out at 'retro' Star Wars: The Force Awakens". [[The Guardian]].
191. (7 January 2016). "George Lucas elaborates on his reaction to 'The Force Awakens'". [[Deseret News]].
192. McMillan, Graeme. (January 8, 2016). "J.J. Abrams Responds to "Rip-Off" Criticism About 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'". The Hollywood Reporter.
193. Hall, Jason. (January 9, 2017). "J.J. Abrams Says He's Done With the Remake/Reboot Business".
194. Eddy, Cheryl. (December 5, 2016). "George Lucas Likes Rogue One More Than Force Awakens, and Other Fun Facts We Learned This Weekend".
195. Dumaraog, Ana. (December 12, 2017). "George Lucas Says Star Wars: The Last Jedi Was 'Beautifully Made'". ScreenRant.
196. Parker, Ryan. (December 12, 2017). "George Lucas Thinks 'The Last Jedi' Was 'Beautifully Made'". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
197. Sharf, Zack. (2021-09-20). "'Star Wars' Editor Marcia Lucas Slams Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams: 'They Don't Have a Clue'".
198. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens}}".
199. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".
200. Fowler, Matt. (December 21, 2019). "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker Receives Lowest CinemaScore of Sequel Trilogy".
201. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (December 17, 2017). "Did Audiences Enjoy 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'? Deciphering Online User Reviews From Exit Polls".
202. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi}}".
203. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi".
204. "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker}}".
205. "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker".
206. Freer, Ian. (December 12, 2017). "Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review".
207. Edelstein, David. (December 12, 2017). "Star Wars: The Last Jedi Is Shockingly Good".
208. Travis, Ben. (May 4, 2020). "Star Wars: Why The Sequel Trilogy Is My Favourite Era".
209. Gargiulo, Joseph. (December 21, 2015). "'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is better than the prequels in every way except one".
210. Mendelson, Scott. (December 19, 2020). "Disney's 'Star Wars' Has Been Swallowed Whole By Nostalgia".
211. Zoller Seitz, Matt. (December 18, 2015). "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens".
212. Roberts, Samuel. (December 21, 2019). "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is reheated nostalgia and little more".
213. O'Brien, Chris. (December 18, 2019). "The Rise of Skywalker: Star Wars fan service, recycled plots, and nostalgia are strong with this one".
214. Acuna, Kirsten. (December 27, 2019). "'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' undoes a few big moments from 'The Last Jedi' and it hints at the larger difficulty of making a cohesive sequel trilogy".
215. Baxter, Joseph. (September 21, 2021). "Why Star Wars Trilogy Editor Marcia Lucas Hates the Sequels".
216. Child, Ben. (November 12, 2020). "Would George Lucas's Star Wars sequels have been better than Disney's?".
217. Edwards, Chris. (January 11, 2020). "There's one important thing the Star Wars prequels did better than the sequels".
218. Child, Ben. (September 2, 2022). "The Star Wars sequel trilogy was a galactic mess. Who should take the blame?".
219. Whitten, Sarah. (December 24, 2019). "4 things Disney should keep in mind when making the next Star Wars trilogy".
220. Morrow, Brendan. (December 20, 2019). "The Star Wars sequel trilogy needed a roadmap".
221. Vorel, Jim. (December 21, 2019). "It Was a Total Lack of Planning That Finally Killed Star Wars".
222. McGuire, Liam. (2021-08-25). "Star Wars: Darth Vader's Sith Assassin Was His Deadliest Sidekick".
223. Bradley, Ryan. (2020-11-12). "Star Wars: Darth Vader Met Rise of Skywalker's CREEPIEST Unused Monster".
224. Britt, Ryan. (2021-02-02). "'Mandalorian' Season 3 might fix the Star Wars sequels, Favreau hints".
225. Travis, Ben. (2021-11-22). "Kathleen Kennedy Talks 'Emotional' Obi-Wan Reunion, Suggests Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Characters Could Return – Exclusive".
226. (2023-04-07). "Daisy Ridley to Reprise Role as Rey in New 'Star Wars' Film".
227. Ross, Dalton. (2023-04-09). "The Star Wars crawl is coming back, says Kathleen Kennedy".
228. Leonard, Devin. (March 7, 2013). "How Disney Bought Lucasfilm—and Its Plans for 'Star Wars'". Bloomberg Businessweek.
229. (September 10, 2004). "Mark Hamill talks ''Star Wars'' 7, 8 and 9!". [[MovieWeb]].
230. (May 26, 1999). "Gary Kurtz Reveals Original Plans for Episodes 1–9".
231. (November 11, 2002). "An Interview with Gary Kurtz".
232. Breznican, Anthony. (February 10, 2016). "''Star Wars: Episode VIII'' has started filming".
233. ''Star Wars Insider'' #35, Winter 1997.
234. Steranko, Jim. (September–October 1980). "George Lucas".
235. Vallely, Jean. (June 12, 1980). "The Empire Strikes Back".
236. Quinn, Kerry. (September 1981). "The George Lucas Saga Chapter 3: 'The Revenge of the Box Office{{'"}}.".
237. Warren, Bill. (April 1997). "Maker of Myths". Starlog.
238. (August 15, 2015). "'Star Wars: Episode IX' Sets 'Jurassic World' Director Colin Trevorrow to Helm". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
239. McMillan, Graeme. (August 18, 2014). "Rian Johnson Says Next 'Star Wars' Will Have Less CGI, More Practical Effects". The Hollywood Reporter.
240. (May 23, 1983). "I've Got to Get My Life Back Again".
241. (March 6, 1978). "George Lucas' Galactic Empire".
242. Waxman, Sharon. (October 30, 2012). "'Star Wars' 7, 8 and 9 Are 'The Most Exciting,' Says George Lucas Biographer (Exclusive)".
243. "Star Wars Han Solo, Boba Fett Spinoff Movies Get New Details". GameSpot.