The Force was strong at D23 as director Rian Johnson took fans behind the scenes.
Though no trailer debuted, the new footage is the first since the film’s teaser trailer debuted at April’s Star Wars Celebration. The film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Kelly Marie Tran.
“Rian has written a story that is unexpected but right. Some of the stuff that happens, people are going to go, ‘oh my God,'” said Ridley in the featurette, which showed her fight training and battling about four people. Added Hamill, “Even though I think I know it all, they threw things at me story-wise I couldn’t have imagined.”
Earlier, Johnson welcomed Hamill, Ridley, Boyega, and Gwendoline Christie to the stage. “I already backstage tried to milk some Game of Thrones spoilers out of Gwen, and she was having none of it,” said Johnson, who also introduced series newcomers including Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro.
Johnson promised that despite Boyega’s Finn being unconscious in the first trailer, he does indeed get up. Boyega seconded that. “Finn is about to have a fight with a formidable opponent,” teased Boyega — giving a stern stare to Christie, who plays the villainous Captain Phasma.
Which word do you find more provocative: “Jedi” or… “Last”? #TheLastJedi #StarWars pic.twitter.com/5VnYB3dXSz
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) July 15, 2017
It’s that time of the year pic.twitter.com/ly9GwDDxWh
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) July 15, 2017
Johnson told an endearing story about how Dern literally said “pew” when she fired her blaster on set. The actress joked she forgot you don’t have to make the sounds you would do when you are eight when you are actually in the movie.
Del Toro said he saw the 1977 film when he was ten. “When you called me up and mentioned hte title alone, I was like, ‘lets go,’ ” Del Toro told Johnson.
The General. #TheLastJedi pic.twitter.com/rCvQPT8kog
— Star Wars (@starwars) July 15, 2017
Earlier, Disney’s Alan Horn introduced the portion of the D23 presentation, and remembered late star Fisher. “She’s a very, very special person,” said Horn. “We all miss her dearly. I know it seems hard to imagine you could love her than you already do, but you will really, really appreciate her performance in this film.”
The Last Jedi opens Dec. 15.
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