Yesterday StarWars.com announced the cast of Episode IX, providing us with our first real bit of official news about the film. Many of the actors came as no surprise: with sequel trilogy veterans Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, and Anthony Daniels all returning. Mark Hamill will also be back - a foreseeable addition, given Jedi mentors' habits of reappearing long after their deaths.
A little more surprising was the announcement that Leia Organa would once again be played by the late Carrie Fisher, using previously unreleased footage from The Force Awakens. There's already a lot of online chatter about this choice - but, as per usual, I'm going to wait and see how her inclusion turns out before jumping to any conclusions. While it could prove a stumbling block for the filmmakers, there's also the chance that they'll pull it off with a great deal of taste and respect - providing our Princess with the fitting end she deserves.
Perhaps the most exciting part of yesterday's announcement was the confirmation (after months of rumours and speculation) that Billie Dee Williams will also be returning to reprise his iconic role as Lando Calrissian. This is fantastic news, and an announcement that many fans - including myself - had been hoping for ever since the sequel trilogy was first announced in 2012. I had the good fortune to meet Williams back in 2007, and will be rapt to see him on the big screen again. Williams will be joined by several other new additions to the sequel trilogy including Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, and Keri Russell.
One particularly interesting tidbit buried within the casting announcement was the comment that this will be the "the final installment of the Skywalker saga". It's important to take this with a grain of salt, of course; there's been at least two occasions in the past when those very same words have been uttered. If, however, this is a clear statement of Disney's intent for the future, then it's one that I welcome with open arms.
Don't get me wrong - I've loved the sequel trilogy. And I genuinely feel that the story so far has been a natural and fitting progression of the saga I grew up with. That being said, I don't want to see new sequels produced ad infinitum. With Rogue One, Solo, and Star Wars: Rebels, Lucasfilm and Disney have shown a remarkable ability to create wonderful stories outside of the core Skywalker saga. More Star Wars is always good - but going forward, I'd prefer to see more content focussing elsewhere in the galaxy, and not just on one particular Force-sensitive family. With Rian Johnson's new trilogy, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss's films, and Jon Favreau's live-action television series already in the works, it seems that this is precisely the direction that Disney is taking - and I, for one, couldn't be happier.
What are your thoughts on this announcement? Be sure to let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!
What are your thoughts on this announcement? Be sure to let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!
