[ARCHIVE] SW Sequel Trilogy Spoilers/Rumors

Plot A would progress in this order
Luke tells Rey what happened during the fall of his academy.
Kylo Ren is growing in power. He possesses a skill for manipulating the force that has never been seen. Snoke senses this and aims to replace Kylo with Rey, and plans to use Kylo to do it.
Luke trains Rey in the ways of the Force.
Rey confronts the spiritual test of the darkness within herself.
Kylo murders Snoke, having known all along Snoke was aiming to replace him before he grew powerful enough to overtake him, and declares himself ruler of the First Order. There is a slight rift among the troopers in whether they will follow Kylo or Hux.
Rey leaves against Luke’s wishes to confront Kylo. The B plot of the story is what drives her out.
Kylo Ren and Rey fight again. There is an underlying sense of attraction between the two. Kylo Ren is much, much stronger than he was in their last fight. He beats Rey and reveals he spared her life in the temple purge and left her on Jakku. He again beckons her to join him. This time, the result of that offer is left up in the air.

Plot B progresses in this manner
Captain Phasma has placed a substantial bounty on Finn’s head.
She and Hux are relentlessly searching the Galaxy for the Resistance.
They find the Resistance base and decimate it with an impressive land assault.
Finn and Poe meet a refugee and the three of them spend most of the story evading bounty hunters and the First Order.
Finn falls for the refugee. Head over heels.
On a planet that’s essentially the Las Vegas of the Galaxy, the refugee turns on Finn and Poe and collects the bounty on their heads.
They are captured and tortured on this planet.
It’s here that Rey and Kylo fight.
Finn manages an escape but Poe is captured and sent to what is essentially maximum security for the First Order.
That’s the first treatment.

Other tidbits include the mention that the Galaxy is absolutely war torn right now with no leadership and many systems just fending for themselves.
Del Toro will play a bounty hunter.
Luke refuses to join the fight on either side. This upsets Leia
Kylo Ren will kill an officer for mentioning the scar on his face.

Again, early treatment, but expect it to unfold fairly close.

esident in Europe, and I'm in the U.S. I'm just sharing as much as I can remember.
Some of the rumours listed below have already been reported/speculated about. It's not a lot at the moment, might become more later.
Some of these are to be considered spoilers, but like I said, they're rumours so it's up to you.
Here it is:
The film does NOT have an official title as of yet.
This film will "feel" more like the prequels in terms of world-building, including several new planets.
Expect to see more strange creatures and droids than in any previous film in the saga.
Kylo Ren is unmasked, unclear if he'll have a new mask at some point. Also, he has a rebuilt lightsaber similiar to the one in Episode VII.
LOTS of concept arts of large-scale battles between The Resistance and The First Order.
General Hux has the same outfit as in Episode VII. Might only have a very small role.
Luke has the same outfit as in Episode VII. Doubtful that he will leave the planet of Ach-To in this film.
Rey's new primary weapon is Luke's old lightsaber.
Yoda has an appearance in the film(on-screen).
Captain Phasma is seen standing amongst a large group of dead soldiers(probably resistance fighters).
Snoke is much smaller in stature without the hologram. Heavy rumours suggest that Snoke has an underlying weakness, making him incapable to leave his location.
Kelly Marie Tran's character is seen with Finn in several concept arts.
Laura Dern's character is a high-rank Resistance officer. Heavy rumours suggest that she's a "dislikable" character determined to do what it takes to take down the First Order(all this has been recently reported/speculated about).
Concept arts shows Luke learning Rey some sort of force power never seen before. General feeling is that Luke is VERY powerful.
Pretty much no info on Benicio Del Toro's character at the moment.
Edit: Thanks for the comments so far, again I'll be happy to answer both the positive and negative ones. And just to clarify why it's not so much right now, he didn't want to say "too much". Besides, he's a concept artist, obviously they don't have as much insight as let's say the main cast or the director.
Edit 2: Will update with more stuff later today(March 21).
Edit 3: Updated!

But these sources quoted below are coming at this from a different angle and it is truly puzzling:

None of the heroes… the kids… are Solos or Skywalkers.

The story possibilities are interesting if it was to turn out that Rey and Kylo have no blood connection. It has been suggested to me that the interrogation sequence between Kylo and Rey has ramifications for the sequel. The possibilities…

Finally a source near the recent scoring sessions would not say much but said:

We have not seen anything to make us think the girl is the daughter… yet.

I got a very brief update for Star Wars: Episode VIII today. But I found the things mentioned to be really fascinating, though brief and somewhat abstract.

The casino scene: There are lots of different aliens, like the bar (cantina) sequence in A New Hope but on a larger scale than we’ve seen before. (Note: We’re waiting on the details of their attire which will confirm Dubrovnik or not.)
Luke walks around the casino looking for someone (the players involved have no idea who).
Pick-up shots from the evacuation sequence with Laura Dern and Poe’s characters were done this week.
Lots of people evacuate into smaller ships.
If this is accurate, the fascinating thing is we can place Luke Skywalker at the casino now. The people involved we have had conversations with are not 100% positive the Dubrovnik exteriors are for the casino bits. More to come!

Whew! Even with all the superhero-on-superhero battles that we’re going to be inundated with from right now on Netflix through Captain America: Civil War in may, the Star Wars universe keeps on a-spinning. As the production on Star Wars: Episode VIII (Space Bear) finishes off its (fifth?) week, the photo leaks from Dubrovnik are still most of what we know about the plot. Well, that and it looks like the movie will pick up with Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill on Ach-To, pretty much where we left off. This week, I have something to contribute to what we might know about Space Bear. Unfortunately it’s kind of vague, but it is from the stuff being shot at Pinewood Studios, not the location things that we’re all getting peeks at. This information comes from a source that isn’t as nitpicky about specific details as I am, but it is new info nonetheless. There’s a stage setup like the interior of a starship. I don’t know what kind of starship, but it is large enough to have a crew and lots of droids manning it. The set has a bunch of practical effect robots and “hairy” alien creatures on it, and given that The First Order seems to be keeping up with the “humans only” hiring policy of The Empire, that suggests it is not a First Order ship to me. In one of the scenes shot in this stage, a rag-tag group of Resistance fighters have seen some battle. Cut and bruised, they and Poe Dameron are on this ship when Laura Dern, playing some sort of captain or officer. She tells the fighters that they are the last of the rebellion/resistance (I’m unclear on the exact phrasing of the line, so no capitalizing the Resistance) and that Princess Leia has been gravely injured and is receiving medical attention.

Oscar Isaac and Laura Dern have an antagonistic exchange of words and Dern’s character is blunt with Poe, like she has some sort of authority1 over him. Things must be tense between these two characters because another scene we’ve gotten wind of has Poe leading a group of Resistance fighters as they take over what is presumably Dern’s ship. The scene included fighters under Poe removing technicians from their computer stations and Poe pointing a blaster at Dern’s character.

“…and especially that moment, with me and Adam, when we were just doing that moment when we’re (gestures with her hands, the lightsabers locking) …beckoning…finding the Force or whatever. I shouldn’t say that. Or whatever. Yeah, finding the Force, because I don’t know how to describe it. And you can feel the light. And it is that…it is that amazing thing, that you’ve come to know these two colors as representing these two things…”

I’m surprised I haven’t seen many other people dig into this yet. Here are direct quotes taken from a past interview with Trevorrow (the director of Episode IX), which you can find on Screen Rant and ScreenCrush:
“I’ve seen all of the theories… What I do know is that we’re going to make sure that that answer is deeply and profoundly satisfying, because Rey is a character that is important in this universe, not just in the context of The Force Awakens but in the entire galaxy, and she deserves it. So we’ll make sure that that answer is something that feels like it was—it’s something that happened a long time ago [in a galaxy] far, far away, we’re just telling you what happened.”
“By the time we get to Episode IX, I look at that movie as one movie, as three movies, as six movies, and as nine movies. It’s something that needs to honor a story that has been told over a period of 40 years… Star Wars is a belief system, it’s not just a story and it’s not just a movie, and it’s something I take very seriously.”
Trevorrow also talks about the characters from the OT (Hamill, Fisher, etc.) and says he is excited to “find new places to take those characters,” adding:
T’hey are icons, but they’re also people that have suffered tremendous loss and challenge over the course of all these films. [Episode IX] is something that needs to honor a story that’s been told over a period of 40 years. I don’t want to ignore any of it, and I respect all of it. It’s something I think the fan base is going to embrace.”

I’m not sure how much I can say. I guess because I said that I’m solitary, that’s how I begin, that is probably a big clue as to what, um, what it is.

en the trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story dropped earlier this week, it inspired a slew of new fan theories, but the one that’s garnered the most attention is the connection between Felicity Jones’s Jyn Erso and Daisy Ridley’s Rey. Does the key to Rey’s parentage lie in rebel fighter Jyn? Or are they just two strong women who coincidentally share the same color hair?

According to Ridley, rumors of Jyn and Rey’s familial connection have been greatly exaggerated. “I’m not being funny you guys, but just because she’s white and got brown hair… it doesn’t mean she’s my mom,” Ridley told MTV’s Josh Horowitz backstage at the MTV Movie Awards.

And besides, Ridley already knows who Rey’s parents are — and she doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal. “I think the amazing thing about [Episode VII] is that Finn and Rey don’t come from anywhere, and they find a place,” Ridley, who’s currently filming Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII, said. “So to me, it’s funny that people think it’s so important because I don’t really think it is.”

It’s unclear if Episode VIII will delve into Rey’s backstory, but we do know the film will pick up right where The Force Awakens left off: with Rey handing over Luke’s lightsaber to the fallen Jedi on that island on Ahch-To. Ridley describes the film as “darker” than Episode VII, and when asked about Rey’s future as a Jedi, she gave this very intriguing response: “I don’t know if I am a Jedi… I don’t think I am.”

“We’ve had this debate as to whether Leia is because she uses her Force powers,” she continued. “Just because she’s not like, oh I’m going on an adventure like Luke doesn’t make her any less Forceful.”

It’s official: 2017 has never seemed further away.

4. He said that he knew he had to include legacy characters in this Star Wars because he had to create something that felt familiar, so that the new characters could pick up in a world that the audience was familiar with. He said that he knows he has been criticized for borrowing too much from A New Hope, but also felt like he didn’t have much of a choice. He said the scripts for Episodes VIII and IX follow this path of familiarity- which could mean in plot, in style, or both.  5. He said that he was very desperate to include the rest of the Ach-to scene at the end of the movie in Episode VII, but knew it had to be shifted to VIII for story purposes. So looks like Episode VIII will start off with a kick.

If you listen to one Star Wars podcast, make it Now This Is Podcasting! It’s highly entertaining, and it’s a particularly exciting listen because the people running it (the Making Star Wars team) essentially have the keys to the kingdom in terms of spoilers for the future films. They spoiled the whole plot of Episode VII well in advance, and are now starting to leak tantalising bits of information from VIII. On the latest NTIP (start around 23 minutes in), we have our first descriptions of what Rey and Luke will look like in Episode VIII and there is every reason to believe they are accurate.

While some people might construe the descriptions below as spoiler-y, I don’t think they warrant a cut (I have, however, tagged this with the usual spoiler tags). With that said, read on if you want to learn what Rey and Luke will look like in VIII!

The Rey costume is pretty much the same as what she’s wearing at the end of The Force Awakens, just without the vest. The shirt she has on underneath is like a white tunic, sort of a feminine version of the classic Luke Skywalker shirt from A New Hope. She still has her gun. Her hair is wild and flowing (i.e. she wears it loose).

Luke’s costume is like Count Dooku meets Luke from Return of the Jedi. He almost looks like a “homeless man”, and seems kind of haggard. It’s a darker outfit than we saw him in at the end of The Force Awakens.

They both look as if they have been wherever they are for a little while, and wherever they have been “does not have dry cleaning”.

That’s it for the costume info! This makes me really excited, and I love that Rey will literally be wearing her hair down. As much as I love the buns, I’m excited to see her with a fresh look.

To my followers: which one of you was it that called Rey’s hair being down in Episode VIII after I posted Death and the Maiden? I remember one of ya’ll doing it/making a comment about the hair but I can’t remember the specifics?

Rian [Johnson] is definitely going to places and investigating things that haven’t really been done in the Star Wars universe. For me, it’s so fun getting to explore different things that I wouldn’t have expected in this universe. In some ways it feels like we’re making an independent film. Certain things we get to play with—this kind of intimacy that we get to find—it’s special. It’s been really fun.

Is Rey a Skywalker?

[–]Watchmespoil[S] 0 points 1 day ago
She was originally meant to be in Arndt's version. She is not anymore. JJ changed her ancestry and quite frankly I think it makes for a better story.

[–]YrrateYraateHruWooki 1 point 1 day ago
Who left Rey on Jakku? And why?

[–]Watchmespoil[S] 1 point 1 day ago
Her mother. She was being hunted. My comment: this clown doesn't know that the voice that says 'sweetheart" was male.

[–]Kylrann 1 point 1 day ago
By?

[–]Watchmespoil[S] 1 point 1 day ago
This is the one area I won't delve in. It's too early for this spoiler to start circulating. I will tell you you will SEE that entire sequence of events and there will be no more mystery to Rey.

[–]xXDarth_JarJarXxMy Baby Girl 1 point 1 day ago
Are Rey and Kylo related at all?

[–]Watchmespoil[S] 0 points 1 day ago
They are not. Good thing too.

[–]Jesse__H 1 point 1 day ago
Romance forthcoming?

Since there are so many references to Rey's origin's in TFA, what is the significance of her origins? They obviously meant for the audience to be extremely invested in the question.

[–]Watchmespoil[S] 0 points 1 day ago
It's a pretty big reveal. One that won't even be lost on casual viewers.

Is it true Leia is injured really badly?

[–]Watchmespoil[S] 1 point 1 day ago
Leia does not survive Episode VIII.

Will the Jedi be back? Like, more than two.

[–]Watchmespoil[S] 0 points 1 day ago
Yes they will.

Who are the Knights of Ren?

[–]Watchmespoil[S] 0 points 1 day ago
Fallen Jedi apprentices of Luke's who followed Kylo Ren's belief that the original Jedi Dogma is the only true nature of the Force. That dogma was that Jedi were gifted with the Force by ancient Celestial beings with the purpose of ruling the Galaxy, not serving it.

Post #53

Next farm across to the Mahons (my fathers first cousin) who told me that the scene is just Rey and Stormtroopers apparently...

Darth Dingbat

the huts are in another location - the Ceann Sibéal one in Kerry. It has the "village" area, and another one some way off from the village, called the "walking and talking" area. Presumably the village is inhabited, as someone is observing something from a watchtower structure adjacent to the village area. I assume the person is observing the other two characters who are walking and talking and probably approaching the village.

This "Rey and the Stormtroopers" rumour is from another location, the Malin Head one in Donegal.

There are a lot of huts, making me think it’s intended for more than two actors. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else is on Ach-To with Rey and Luke.
It looks like they might be building a whole village.
The set is only atop the (narrow) plateau and not along the sloping hillside, so it doesn’t look like they’re preparing to film any sort of large battle scene here although sets can change over the course of a few weeks.
It seems very ceremonious, ancient and like a great place for a temple.

‘The Princes dressed up in full Stormtrooper gear and filmed a scene in which Rey and Finn infiltrate a secret base. The rebel characters are in a lift with Benicia del Toro’s character when a group of Stormtroopers enter – two of whom are William and Harry.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3555660/The-British-Empire-Strikes-William-Harry-secretly-film-Stormtrooper-roles-Pinewood-Star-Wars-epic-unlike-mock-helmets-on.html#ixzz46mah1F2I

The actor friend and connections I have with people in star wars kind of suggested to me that the vibe on set is that she's not a skywalker

Early rumors suggest they may be filming the heroes reaching the coast but at this point details are ambiguous. More to come soon!

Good. Bad. I’m the guy with the microfiber sham.”

I can’t believe we’re halfway through the shoot. (We’re halfway through the shoot!)

E! News (I know...) has a new report on what Princes William and Harry got up to on the Episode VIII set:

“When they visited the Star Wars set they [William and Harry] spent part of the day shooting a secret scene,” a source told E! News. “During what was meant to be a lunch break on the official schedule of the royal tour at Pinewood, they actually sneaked off to Wardrobe and were dressed up as Stormtroopers for a scene with Daisy, John and Benicio.”

“I know that one of the Stormtroopers, not sure if William or Harry, was required to pat Daisy’s bottom as he walked past her,” the source added.

So will Star Wars: Episode VIII feature two certified princes? The source told E! News they were unsure if William and Harry’s scene was filmed for the movie, another project, such as a charity campaign, or just for fun. They added the set was cleared for the occasion, with a skeleton crew enlisted for the job.

http://www.eonline.com/news/760917/prince-william-prince-harry-filmed-a-secret-naughty-star-wars-scene-with-daisy-ridley

A couple weeks ago I posted a little bit of info about Ach-To being confirmed as the location of the first Jedi Temple (specifically, the large hut they built at Kerry is "where the Jedi began"). I also mentioned a certain member of the First Order winds up at this location in EpVIII as well. That individual is Kylo Ren.
Here's the saucy bit: A few weeks ago they blew up-- specifically, blew apart-- an Ahch-To hut. According to my source, Kylo and Rey have a conversation that Luke does not like. Luke tries to stop them. Luke gets angry... and the whole hut they are in disintegrates (re: 'blows up'). My source did not specify as to the exact cause of the disintegration, but based on the info I believe Luke accidentally (or perhaps even purposely) does so using the Force.
Obviously this isn't going to be able to be confirmed until the movie drops barring another script leak or MSW or someone receiving similar info, but feel free to set a RemindMe! as always.
Next drop: A returning character from Ep7 will be receiving the "Skywalker Special"...

Q:What? So Kylo flies to ahch-to and talks to rey then luke sees them and, just because he can, explodes a hut, which is supposed to make sense because the force or something? Nope.

Bothan-Spy:
Three things:
1) never said it went down ANYTHING like that, and if you think I'm implying it is that simple/matter-of-fact in the finished script... nope
2) don't kill the messenger. i did not set up the sequence, i am just reporting on what was shot from someone who was there.
3) set a RemindMe if you are skeptical. We can even make a bet, with the loser having to donate to the charity of the winner's choice. I am 100% confident in my source, whether YOU choose to believe me or not at least something good can come of it.

Q:Sounds like Luke is going to the Dark Side then. A Jedi doesn't lose his temper, do they?

Bothan-Spy:
I think we have seen over the past seven movies that even Jedi are not perfect and they can give in to their baser emotions or allow their negative emotions to influence their actions in detrimental ways temporarily... I know nothing about Luke's "alignment" at any point during the film, but the way my source worded this scene implied it was sort of a momentary loss of his composure, perhaps to show the audience that he is extremely powerful and that if he were to "slip" he could be extremely dangerous to others, even if only temporarily. Perhaps that is even why he chose to exile himself in the middle of nowhere?
But that is 100% baseless speculation and has nothing to do with the actual info I was provided. All I know is there's a discussion between rey and kylo, luke gets angry, hut goes boom.

Q(Nonesuch):If true, this is really interesting! Did your source give you any sense of what Kylo and Rey were talking about? Did you get the impression that Kylo is meant to be there physically, or could it be some kind of weird Force chat?

Bothan-Spy:
No, just that that Luke tries to stop a conversation between Kylo and Rey. No mention of the context of said conversation, etc.

Q:What's a "Skywalker Special"?

Bothan-Spy
Severed hand

Q:I'm guessing it won't be Rey.


Q:There was a recent (plausible sounding) 4chan leak that suggested it would Poe who loses a hand, not an actual Skywalker. Be interesting to see if our OP here has heard something similar...

Bothan-Spy
I don't know if Poe loses a hand or not, but the character in question whom I know loses a hand is not Poe

Q:Can confirm this is fake. Bad fake, at that. Heated argument between Kylo and Rey while Luke watches on. lol.
If you're not sure, go ahead and tweet it to Pablo Hidalgo.

Bothan-Spy
NONE of that is anything like what I was told or what I reported. But okay. You are free to believe what you wish. But I ask please, out of respect for my source, do not tweet this at Pablo or anyone else official, as it could compromise my source. I do not want to risk anything happening to them. If you think it is fake, simply call me a liar and move on. Thanks.

Q:The sets in Kerry are still under construction; no filming has taken place there. So is this supposed to have happened in the Pinewood replica sets?

Bothan-Spy
I have no idea. That is what I assumed but I do not know for sure.

Q:You're saying that Kylo Ren goes to the island and gets in an argument with Rey that Luke tries to break up and gets pissed and blows up the hut with the force?
Sure, fake as sith. People posted this crap all the time for VII. Feel free to quote me in Dec 2017.

Bothan-Spy
Will do. Also not "argument", that is your words. "Conversation" was the word I used.

Q:I don't see any actors in frame, just two faceless stuntguys in protective gear. There's no way in hell a 64-year-old man and two young movie stars were on set for the building they're inside blowing up around them. The insurance costs would be astronomical to essentially no benefit.
The entire concept is stupid.

Bothan-Spy
I sincerely doubt any of the actors (or even stunt people) were inside the hut when it was blown up. Use your head here...

Bothan Spy
No idea if anything happens to Rey. Plenty of non-Skywalkers receive the Skywalker Special

I try not to pry too much. They are friends first, sources second. Plus I don't believe they have access to a script or anything, being a crewmember.

Q:I appreciate this, but it is not exactly news or a leak. Besides that, Rey had visions of Ach-to before she met Luke (whether she realized it or not) that Kylo had seen. When KR was interrogating Rey he saw the "Island in the ocean".
Your "leak" is not hard to extrapolate from existing information and the Skellig grounds being recreated at Kerry is news that has already made it out.

Bothan-Spy[S]
Yes, Rey/Kylo knew where Skywalker was based off the mind-delving exchange, but we as an audience weren't sure if he was still on his quest (and thus Rey would join him, perhaps in a race against time to find it before Snoke does) or if he had already found it. In addition, since Rey, even with her visions of Ach-to, still needed the piece of the map to reach the planet, it stands to reason the First Order may or may not have been able to locate it all on their own without the map piece as well. So you can consider this more of a confirmation, if you had already assumed both of those things would happen in this film.
I will post more details in the future about what I know happens at the site that I think will probably better qualify as a full-blown "leak". I do appreciate the feedback and from now on I'll try to make sure I only mention stuff that hasn't already been inferred or spoiled in the past.

Hey my baby girls,
dummy account I am using to protect my source who is a part of the production. This is sort of a 'who cares' spoiler but I figured I'd share it anyway:
For Episode 8 we all know that Finn still wears poe's jacket thanks to the set photos from earlier this month. What you may not know is the areas damaged during his duel with Kylo have been stapled back together (the red patch on his right shoulder and the slash across his back). The staples are weirdly-shaped, they're not like traditional real-world/fabric or office staples. They are uniquely "Star Wars", sort of hedron/diamond-shaped.
Stormtroopers will also have a new type of gun that "stuns" it's targets instead of injuring/killing them.
Don't care if you believe this or not, but feel free to set a RemindMe! for a year from now for when the first trailers/official images start to drop.

The staples are not red, they are metallic (like steel), and trust me, they are there along his back and on the red patch on the front of his jacket.

Yes, but by the same logic I'm sure most everybody is assuming Kylo will wear the same outfit and helmet since they are so iconic for him, even though those garments were also damaged heavily during Starkiller Base
Also it really does not look as bad as you think. At the risk of sounding cliche, it gives the jacket more character and makes it look even more "lived in".

I am not saying stormtroopers won't still carry their F-11Ds and kill people. Just that they have a new type of nonlethal weapon, similar to the Z6 Riot Baton from TFA.

"At some point, Kylo Ren and Rey gotta have... something more going down. I don't know if it's romance, if it's complete hatred, if it's... you know. But um... uh... I know... *sigh*... we can't talk about it. Certain things that we've heard. And it's not romance... it's not romance... but there's certain things that we've heard recently about what's going down and what Rey.... but yeah, yeah, it's a fascinating kind of take, and I don't know how it gets there. Episode VIII is going to be f****** cool."

"Someone in this trilogy has to get down, someone has to have the implication of offspring to make another trilogy down the road"

Rey and Kylo’s Future Dynamic, Discussed. Sort of.

Answering a question about Kylo Ren’s future in the trilogy, the ‘Now, this is Podcasting’ team at MakingStarWars.net today discussed the idea of him being redeemed, whether patricide was too much for a character even in Star Wars to come back from, etc.
Then, one of the guys asked, “But, does that take the story away from Rey?” Here is the following discussion, fully transcribed. Skip to the 1 hour 34 minute mark to listen for yourself.
“Right, because I wonder about that, because –“
“There’s still a story for Kylo –“
“Of course, he has to have his own.”
“But I mean like, right now, Rey’s story is kinda weird too. It’s like I don’t know where my mum lives, I wish my mum and dad would come get me on Jakku, oh, I’ve got the force? Oh Luke Skywalker, he’s here? Wow. And then, so, at some point, Kylo Ren and Rey gotta have something more going down. I don’t know if it’s romance, if it’s complete hatred, if it’s you know, but, erm…I know, we can’t talk about it, there’s certain things we’ve heard – and it’s not romance, it’s not romance, but there’s certain things that we’ve heard recently about what’s going down and what Rey, how Rey feels –“
“Yeah, let’s just leave it at that.”
“It’s a fascinating kinda take, and I don’t know how it gets there. So episode VIII is going to be f***in cool.”
“I think there’s a lot more nuance and like twists in this story rather than the face value of what we got in The Force Awakens.”
“Besides, what do you guys think, do you want to see him redeemed? Just curious.”
“If there’s a way, that would be cool.”
Bonus later in the discussion:
“Someone in this trilogy has to get down, someone has to have the implication of offspring to make another trilogy down the road.”

The 46-year-old super-producer was careful not to give too much away about the hotly-anticipated film's plot, but revealed there will be a central love story.

Quizzed about the possibility of on-screen romance, he said: ''No doubt, even if I already know I want to approach this project in a different way ... We're only in the initial stages [of making the film] and it's difficult to talk about it other than to say it's very exciting.''

FrolickingFizzgig wrote:So I decided to do a little digging because the dates of these interviews were kind of intriguing to me:

Here we have a Tweet from Pablo confirming that "Finn" and "Maz" weren't part of the story when JJ and Kasdan took over the script from Michael Arndt:



So my first question was when was the script handed over? News of the writer swap was revealed in October of 2013. Arndt left on October 23, 2013. At that point in time (according to Pablo), Finn and and Maz weren't part of the story. Sam (who would become Finn) existed, but he played a much smaller role and wasn't even a Storm Trooper yet (I've read from other sources that Kasdan was the writer who came up with that idea).

I next checked the date of the interview in which JJ confirmed that there would be a "central love story". That article was published in June of 2013, 4-5 months before the script was handed over. If you look at the concept art dating back that far, everything surrounded Jedi Killer and Kira. They were the only characters who had any direction. Of course, this could all be JJ being JJ, but I don't think there are many ways to interpret "Abrams revealed that there would be a central love story that would be different and exciting".

Ideas could have changed drastically of course. None of this really means anything, but it's interesting to me that JJ was so sure there would be a "central love story that would be approached in a different way" a good half a year before Finn and Maz were even in the story.

It looks like DR body double will not be attending any location filming for EPVIII - Hannah to remain in LA throughout

o break it down, we know the following in terms of locations/sets being used to represent Ahch-To in VIII (bolded are rock solid):

- Skellig Michael (filming for VIII occurred here last autumn, as the production teaser video demonstrates)
- Malin Head (scaffolding is up and filming is due to begin next weekend, as per local reports)
- Sibyl Head (they've recreated the SM huts by the cliff edge, as demonstrated by numerous photos)
- Dunmore Head (rumoured by the mysterious Twitter/Facebook account, I can't see any proof for this shoot elsewhere)

Then in the studio you have:

- An extensive backlot set with the Millenium Falcon and the mysterious tree, which has been built at Longcross Studios.
- Potentially another backlot set at Pinewood, though the huts photographed may have just been built there for transportation elsewhere.
- Interiors at Pinewood (I think we can safely assume there will be interior shooting for Ahch-To, though we have no firm proof).

That seems remarkably extensive to me. It may be the case that they never return to Ahch-To after Act I, but I think there's a case to be made for Ahch-To as the most important setting in the film.

There’s an interesting Twitter account/Facebook page with potential details of the Episode VIII filming schedule. The schedule is rather intricate (outlining the filming dates for Croatia, London, Ireland and Iceland) and has - so far - been borne out by the solid evidence we have. What’s perhaps more interesting is that the Twitter account offers some details on which actors will be filming where in Ireland. Obviously, this information may be construed as spoiler-y (and I certainly engage in some spoiler-y speculation) - therefore, exercise discretion in delving beneath the cut!
Filming is scheduled to start in Ireland next week, and on Twitter the mysteriously well-informed person (who is either a.) someone with no respect for their NDA, b.) someone with great contacts/sleuthing skills, c.) someone combining legitimate information with stuff they’ve made up) has broken down the actors by location as follows:
Malin Head - Adam Driver
Sybil Head - Mark and Daisy
Dunmore Head - Daisy
Now, this isn’t the first time Kylo has been rumoured to be going on a trip to Ahch-To - personally, I’m aware of three tentative rumours linking him to the setting. While none of the individual rumours are particularly well supported, a clear trend is emerging and the schedule shared by the Facebook page (which indicates that filming will run from May to June, across the three different locations) is either well-informed guesswork or an accurate record.
Especially intriguing is that the Twitter account refers to Driver filming at a waterfall near Malin Head. Sure enough, there is a very striking waterfall nearby called Glenevin Waterfall (which is pictured above).
The rumour of waterfall shooting may be a false lead, but they absolutely are filming at Malin Head, as this Instagram post demonstrates:



And it’s pretty obvious from the nature of that location that things will be seen while they’re shooting. In other words, if Adam is filming at Malin Head, we should know by next weekend.
The most intriguing thing about this is perhaps the fact that the actors mostly seem to be filming separately - Adam and Daisy will have shoots on their own (or potentially with other actors who aren’t main cast members), whereas Mark will film with Daisy. I would expect this to be because the filming is - naturally - going to be split between the location filming and studio shooting. So they could shoot Kylo on Malin Head to represent his arrival on the planet, only to shoot an encounter with Rey and/or Luke on the backlot or in the studio backlot in London. We don’t know, but it’s fun to speculate.
As for the rumoured waterfall shoot, I have ZERO idea what the hell could be going on with that. All I can say is that it doesn’t necessarily have to be linked to Ahch-To, since the waterfall looks sufficiently unique to represent a location on a different planet.

The cave thing:

https://twitter.com/KY10REY/status/726817122022744065

The Ponemah Terminal thing, though mis-typed (I was sure there was another tweet referring to this as well, but it may have been a FB post):

https://twitter.com/KY10REY/status/726499036598009857

So I have a little tiny, itty bitty piece of HUGE NEWS... For the past few months, our friend @kellymarietran has been building up a big secret to my friends @msorochan, @kirstenlayug, and I on a "big deal acting role" that she apparently scored, saying it would be a huge step forward for Asian American actors. She wanted to tell us so badly since before Christmas

Also, hint they are working togetehr a lot?

1w
jboyega_These individuals [KMT on the group photo] make me happy
Work becomes something more when they're around ❤️❤️

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEykrzjsCmP/

It is being reported that filming will begin at Dunmore Head in Dingle later this month.

Filming will be carried out at the base of the cliffs at that location.

Lucasfilm will be setting up its technical centre at the base of the headland at Dunmore Head.

Benicio del Toro: Said to be a former bounty hunter turned politician in the Republic. He survived because he was offworld during the destruction of Hosnian Prime. According to the leak, Kylo Ren will kill him off later in the movie.

Laura Dern: Take this one with a massive grain of salt, her character is one Asala Qurd. She plays the role of a Republic military officer commanding a capital ship. She reportedly butts heads with Leia Organa, including a scene where she says “The daughter of Darth Vader has no right to lecture me!”
As one of the senior surviving brass, Laura is said to take command of the Resistance after the Republic world falls and Leia gets severely wounded during the evacuation. According to a previous leak, she and Poe will then have a confrontation about their future course of action. Laura wants to hide and consolidate forces, whereas Poe wants to rescue a captured Finn and take the fight to the First Order.

Kelly Tran: Rumored to play the Resistance spy Shtala Zi, she is Leia’s contact on the relocated capital of the Republic. Shtala has evidence linking Del Toro’s character to the First Order, and Poe and Finn are tasked with making contact.
Later on, Shtala and Finn will have a romantic adventure in the city. Finn will fall for her, only to be betrayed by Shtala as she is revealed to be a double agent for the First Order.

Anakin Skywalker: Hayden Christensen was spotted filming a night scene at Pinewood Studios. This is rumored to be the scene where Anakin talks to Luke and Rey.

Yoda: Similarly, there are reports of Yoda puppeteer Frank Oz appearing at the London studio. According to the leak, Yoda will talk to Rey alone, but as a voice instead of a Force ghost.

Captain Phasma: Shtala will lure Finn to a trap, where Phasma will be waiting. Phasma nurses a deep grudge against the former stormtrooper not only for betraying the First Order but for forcing her to deactivate the shield on Starkiller Base.
This time, she returns the favor and has Finn lower the Republic capital’s shields at gunpoint. Finn will then try to escape in the ensuing chaos, and Poe will come to his rescue.

Poe Dameron: During the First Order invasion of the Republic world, Poe will lead a ragtag assortment of fighters against the full might of the enemy fleet. However, Poe also gets more screen time on the ground compared to his fighter jock scenes in TFA. Poe will be instrumental in cornering an aide of Del Toro who holds evidence tying the politician with the First Order. Poe will also come to Finn’s aid in a chase scene against Captain Phasma. According to the leak, Poe will get shot at the wrist, though it’s unclear whether it will be a glancing wound or his hand will get blown off (in the Star Wars tradition of losing a limb in each episode). This gives Phasma the opportunity to capture Finn and take off.

Rey: Portrayed as being extremely gifted in the Force, she is also erratic. In one sparring scene with Luke, she almost delves into the dark side, which makes Luke hesitate to train her. The Force ghost of Anakin will supposedly make him change his mind.

Luke Skywalker: He is shown as a haunted Jedi master, not only because of the death of his students but because he nearly gave in to the dark side during the slaughter. Luke is also accompanied by a small furry animal on his exile island, which reportedly looks like a cross between “a dog, an Ewok and a lizard.”

Leia Solo: Leia will return to the Republic Senate where she will plead with the surviving leadership for war against the First Order. She and Benicio del Toro will clash because of this, since Del Toro argues they need time while Leia wants to seize the moment. She will suffer grievous wounds during the evacuation from the Republic planet, after the First Order attempts to deal the death blow against the weakened government. Luke will sense her peril, and he will join Rey in the Falcon as they race back to the galaxy.

According to the leak, all of these intel comprises only the second act of the movie. The third act is reportedly under heavy guard tighter than a Death Star convoy.

-Tom Hardy plays a First Order Stormtrooper.
-Said Stormtrooper glimpses FN-2187 on a secret mission but doesn’t realize it.
-The “incognito” FN-2187 is surprised when the Stormtrooper walks up behind him and slaps him on the a**.
-FN-2187 turns around and believes he’s dead. He’s surely going to be captured.
-The Stormtrooper is elated to see his old friend from back during their First Order academy days.
-The Stormtrooper congratulates FN-2187 on his promotion to Resistance infiltrator and spy.
-FN-2187 is free to go about his business to his amazement.

First tweet:
"Using the force, right hand"

Second tweet:
"Not using the force, left hand

This is a hint, if you watch the previous films"

Bothan Spy @Moviepilot wrote:
More rumors from the explosive hut!
Alright, here’s the deal. Apparently Kylo Ren visits Ahch-To, but instead of bringing invading forces of Stormtroopers, he comes alone. Ren, Rey, and Luke Skywalker settle down to have a surprisingly civil chat in Luke’s little hut — until Ren pisses Luke off. Then, all hell breaks loose.
The fact that Kylo Ren visits Ahch-To quietly, without backup, and has a conversation with Luke and Rey is a pretty big deal — if it’s true, of course. Adam Driver hasn’t been spotted anywhere near Skellig Michael or Pinewood Studios, where these scenes are being filmed, so if this does happen in Star Wars Episode 8, so far they’re keeping it well under wraps.
But if this is true, it could be that Kylo Ren is already regretting his actions in The Force Awakens and wants to make amends. Or, conversely, he wants Rey and Luke to think he’s on the path to redemption, while secretly spying on them for Supreme Leader Snoke.
The whole Luke-loses-his-temper part of this rumor seems to be pure conjecture on the part of the poster (Bothan-Spy), based on the fact (and I use that word very loosely) that the hut itself blows up. That could be because of any number of reasons: Kylo Ren attacks Luke and Rey, or Rey blasts Ren with the Force, or Luke’s five alarm chilli is much spicier than anyone expected.

Right, so some of the discussion in this thread has gotten a little...well, let's politely call it "passionate" and leave it at that.

So, on another topic that I suspect many of us will find interesting, I'm going to collate and summarize how most of the major story decisions of The Force Awakens came about. Please note that this record is incomplete (there's one major, major spoiler choice that no one is talking about when it happened or who had the idea yet - Hide Spoiler Kylo Ren being Han and Leia's son ), and slightly based on rumor, but in the last couple of weeks two invaluable sources have gone public: first, the book The Art of the Force Awakens, which stretches the record back to the beginning of 2013 just after JJ Abrams was hired, and a WGA panel with Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and the "third man" in the TFA story equation: Michael Arndt. Entertainment Weekly has written up articles on many of the revelations there. All rumors will be in italics.

2010-2012 (various Lucas/Iger interviews): George Lucas begins preparing for retirement and looking to sell Lucasfilm. He comes into contact with Bob Iger, who wants him to sell to Disney. Disney is interested in a sequel trilogy. Lucas considers directing Episode VII himself, but instead simply prepares some initial story concepts. Kathleen Kennedy is installed as co-president of Lucasfilm.

Summer 2012 (EW/WGA): Shortly after her hiring, Kathleen Kennedy contacts Michael Arndt to inquire about his interest in writing the entire sequel trilogy. Arndt demurs, but accepts the Episode VII job. Kennedy's Episode VII pitch to Arndt is "the origin story of a female Jedi".

Summer/Fall of 2012 (EW/WGA): Arndt begins initial work on Episode VII in concert with Kennedy and Lucas. At that time, the plot is about "Kira", a young woman whose village is attacked by the villains, and goes to find Luke Skywalker. Initial MacGuffins discussed include the remains of Darth Vader and ancient Jedi artifacts. The villain is called "The Jedi Killer". It is likely at this stage that Kira is revealed to be a legacy character by the end of the script. Arndt discovers that once the story reaches Luke, it becomes hard to return the focus to the younger characters, so the choice is made to have the younger characters save the day at the end of the script themselves and then find Luke. From there, the story naturally moves to have the location of Luke be a central MacGuffin/mystery. There are even discussions that Luke may not appear until Episode IX, but it is decided the film should end with Luke Skywalker. It is also at this time that the initial male lead "Sam" emerged - essentially a Han Solo-type. The full Lucasfilm Ltd. company is informed of the decision to make the sequel trilogy in September 2012.

October 2012: The sale to Disney is finalized. It is possible at this point that the ideas Lucas claims were discarded are discarded.

November 2012: Rick Carter is hired as production designer for Episode VII, even before any director is set in stone. He forms a group called "The Visualists" who begin doing "guided imagery" explorations of what Star Wars is, visually. The team includes, among others, PT veteran Doug Chiang, and is one of the single most important groups within Lucasfilm in terms of breaking the story of the sequel trilogy.

December 2012 (EW): After JJ Abrams has initially passed on the Episode VII job, Kennedy meets with him again. Her pitch is similar to the Arndt pitch: female lead, "Who is Luke Skywalker?" Abrams accepts.

January 9, 2013 (Art of Force Awakens): The formal story group for Episode VII has its first meeting, including JJ Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Michael Arndt, Lawrence Kasdan, Simon Kinberg, Kiri Hart, Rick Carter, and the Visualists. It is at this meeting that the "junk planet" Jakku is pitched by Michael Arndt. "Kira" being a scavenger on said planet is adopted in the same meeting. They pick five images from Kurosawa films to outline the film tracking Kira's journey from fearful scavenger to burgeoning Jedi. Lucas' outlines are provided to the group. Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber playing a critical role in the film is in play at this point, as is the "Jedi Killer" having caused some devastating incident that has led to the estrangement of Luke, Han, and Leia.

January - June 2013 (Art of TFA/WGA/EW): The "guided art" story development phase. The art department churns out some truly wild ideas to help inspire where the story could go as Abrams, Arndt, and Kasdan/Kinberg (in consulting positions) work to crack the plot. Some major points (and intriguing digressions):
-The third male lead is initially called "John Doe" because no one knew who the f**** he should be (Jedi and bounty hunter are both pitched), until...
-April, when in one single meeting JJ Abrams pitched both the characters of Finn and Poe and sent the story off in a wildly different direction. Finn initially decided to turn after seeing a bunch of rebels thrown into space by the First Order, and Poe ditched him at the crash (Finn was wounded, but found and healed in a strange ritual by a desert tribe). Then they decided to have Poe die in the crash.
-Michael Arndt and Dennis Muren pitched Starkiller Base, initially called "Doom Star" and was located on Dantooine. At one point, the Jedi Killer ate the sun matter Starkiller Base was powered by.
-The Jedi Killer's obsession with artifacts goes back to even before this time, but is explored heavily by the art department, as is the Jedi Killer himself. One idea in play was that he would dress as Darth Vader to mock Luke
-One intriguing art piece has a Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker - whose form would shift between light-Anakin and dark-Vader
-Another intriguing art piece has the first lightsaber - essentially a crystal with rope around it
-Going along with Starkiller Base being located on Dantooine, it was pitched that Leia's resistance would be headquartered out of Darth Vader's old castle
-Much was made of the location of the first Jedi Temple being in the Emperor's private archives...which could only be found in the ruins of the Emperor's tower from the second Death Star, which would be underwater. The Falcon would dive underwater, and Kira would have to swim into the tower - as in, where Luke and Vader's duel in ROTJ was.
-The Jedi Killer and his cohorts initially began as pirates, then evolved into the First Order and eventually the Knights of Ren
-BB-8 is developed as a droid named "Surly" who is introduced saving himself from a smelting facility in a wrecked Star Destroyer
-Han Solo was originally found in a location called "Crime City", even more down-and-out than he was in the film

July 2013-November 2013 (EW/WGA/TFA Art Book) - The Arndt phase
-At this point, many of the major points of the finished film are in play, including Maz Kanata (it is unclear when much of Kylo Ren's character emerged - all indications are that the Jedi Killer was one of the biggest issues in development the whole way through, but nearly everything else seems to have come up by now. It is likely that "Kira" was still definitively revealed as a legacy character in the script at this point)
-This one reveals a major, major spoiler for the finished film: Hide Spoiler In Arndt's initial outlines and draft, Han Solo lived and got back together with Princess Leia. Abrams is unconvinced by this, calling Han "luggage". Abrams tells Arndt that Han's story has to have something "permanent" happen in it, or else the character's inclusion in the film is pointless. This is almost certainly the point that Han Solo's death emerged and, if I may make a guess, the discussions of how to kill off Han possibly led to the birth of Kylo Ren as he exists in the finished film.
-Arndt struggles with the script, and ultimately finds that his timetable and Disney's do not line up. The decision is made to let Arndt go and have Abrams and Kasdan take over. Kasdan wants to throw out everything that had been done previously, Abrams dissuades him by pointing out that they would both be quickly incorporating what they most liked from previous development anyway.

November 2013-May 2014 (EW/WGA/Art Book/Assorted interviews of Abrams/Kasdan/actors): The Abrams/Kasdan scripting phase
-Abrams and Kasdan begin scripting. Most elements from the finished film are still in this phase, and it is probably at this point that both the Jedi Killer and Kira are revealed as legacy characters, and that they are renamed Kylo Ren and Rey.
-One major exception: Poe Dameron is still seen as dying in the TIE Fighter crash. The role is apparently offered to Michael Fassbender and possibly Chiwietel Ejiofor, both of whom turn it down. But when Abrams and Kennedy meet Oscar Isaac in March 2014 to discuss the character, Abrams decides that if Isaac accepts, Poe will survive. Isaac accepts the role (he had been dubious due to the character's early planned death, but ultimately decided that he wanted to work with Abrams). The script is altered so that Poe survives (much to Isaac's delight), prompting some additional emphasis on the X-Wing part of the final space battle (which was initially to involve a Resistance supership called The Juggernaut which would ram Star Destroyers)
-Another major exception: Captain Phasma. In one of their many, MANY designs for the Jedi Killer, the art department pitches the final Phasma design. Abrams loves it, but not for the JK. The script had featured a few different stormtrooper officers in tiny roles, they are now condensed into Phasma, with the idea to introduce Phasma here and do more with him/her in future films (Abrams is rumored to have initially talked with Benedict Cumberbatch about the role, but in May he goes to Gwendoline Christie for the part - quite possibly in response to the initial uproar over Ridley being the only new major female performer)
-Hux is said at this point to have been an older Imperial commander who survived the Battle of Endor, but they ultimately decide to go in a younger direction, likely to emphasize a particular characteristic of the First Order as compared to the Empire
-The design of Maz Kanata was supposed to have been finalized at this point so the character could be a puppet (sets were even planned with this in mind), but Maz's design is not finalized until October 2015
-It isn't quite clear when exactly Rian Johnson is hired, but it was certainly before he was officially confirmed to be writing and directing Episode VIII in June 2014. Abrams has confirmed that certain elements in TFA were tweaked - possibly by Johnson himself - to better prepare for Episode VIII. One guess would be the flashback, which initially revealed more of Rey's heritage and the full journey of Anakin's lightsaber. Another guess would be the interrogation scene, which at one point in the development apparently revealed Rey's full backstory. It is also possible that, if Kira/Rey was initially revealed as a Skywalker/Solo, that this was cut to put more emphasis on Hide Spoiler the reveal of Kylo Ren as Ben Solo . Regardless, elements that hint at Rey being either a Solo or a Skywalker remain in the finished film, with more of them leaning towards the latter.

Now, there are definitely some shifts that happen during filming. What they are isn't quite as clear, and there are still definitely some mysterious elements of the process outlined above, but this has been personally quite fascinating to follow over the last couple of weeks. The Art of TFA book is really worth reading if you're a fan - there's some genuinely beautiful work that I hope appears in the next two films. Hope this was interesting and illuminating for people!

As to the rumors: my sources for these are generally second-hand, though these are people who have ties to LFL/the SW spoiler world. I won't go into detail here, but I trust them and their stuff has panned out (for instance, I was told at the beginning of June 2014 that Christie was playing a chrome stormtrooper commander). There's a bit of my own guesswork in there, but I've tried to specify wherever I go out on a limb versus what I've heard.

"The new additions to the cast, like Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro, they're incredible actors and Rian [Johnson, Episode VIII's director], his sensibility is one of smaller films," the Golden Globe winner explained. "So, within all of the bigness and the epic scope of the film, it does feel like we're getting to find some of that nuance and that intimacy."

Additionally, Isaac revealed his character will get in on a lot more of the action, which is set to push the characters to their limits, when the movie hits theaters in December 2017.

"Poe, he gets to be more a part of the story, and all of the characters in the film, they get tested, intensely," he said. "It's a lot of conflict in it, which is great."

http://m.etonline.com/movies/188628...characters_get_tested_intensely_episode_viii/

How has your life changed since Episode VII? Can you walk around London?
Yeah! I was in Duty Free a few hours ago.

Really? What did you get?
I got some socks because I forgot my socks, and some moisturizer. [Laughs.] So it’s been fine. I get stopped sometimes; sometimes I don’t. But, you know, with that being said, there are still two more Star Wars movies!


But you must be having the time of your life.
It’s a collaboration of all those things. It’s fun, it’s hard work, it makes you happy, it challenges you, it’s all of those things mixed into one, but fundamentally because of the great group that we have that I’m working with, it’s a great experience.

There’s a woman in Episode VIII, Kelly Marie Tran, who’s going to be breaking barriers like you did in The Force Awakens.
[Boyega beams and nods vigorously.]

She'll be the first Asian person to play a major Star Wars character, but no one knows anything about her. What can you tell us? What’s she like?
I love her. I love her. I think she’s fantastic. But she’ll tell her own story. I feel it’s always weird or wrong for someone the world hasn’t met, for me to come and start talking about her.

Not even to say what it’s like working with her?
She’s great. She’s freaking great, and I love her. I freaking love her. She’s fantastic. Seriously. She’s changed a lot in terms of perspective on just chemistry and industry. She’s a real cool girl.

She’s changed you?
Yeah, yeah! Her outlook. It’s a friendship thing in the sense of you meet someone and you’re just like, “I vibe with you. I feel like I’ve known you for years.” And that’s a very, very good thing.

And you’ll be working opposite each other most of the movie, right?
Girl, you know I can’t tell you that! [Laughs.] I don’t know what I can and can’t say. [It depends on] what beeps in my head whenever I ... [He indicates that he has an explosive device implanted in his temple]. But she’s fully in the movie, she’s a great character, and I can’t wait for you guys to be introduced to her.

And just to be the first Asian in a major role. You were kind of in a similar position in the last episode.
Oh yeah! And that’s why I’m just here to enjoy the show. [He leans back in his chair.] Oh yes, diversity!

It also reminds me of when you worked with Daisy Ridley. She was totally unknown, whereas you had some credits under your belt.
Only slightly. I’d done Attack the Block. People knew of me.

I’ve heard a rumor, which you can refute, that Tom Hardy may have come on set to do a day as a Stormtrooper who slaps your a**.
Who slaps my a**? Wow! Did Tom say that?

You know, just like how Daniel Craig came on as a Stormtrooper last time ...
Okay. Okay. Next time I go on set I’m going to release a helmet and see if Tom Hardy’s in there!

How is working with Rian Johnson different than J.J. Abrams?
Rian is his own man. You can’t compare the two. They’re of the same ilk, creatively, both talented. But two different guys, man. I really, really dig Rian, to step in like that. I hope we get to work together on something in the future, because he’s got a great artistic eye. He’s not Hollywood at all. This is a big Hollywood blockbuster film, but you know what I’m saying, with him behind the energy, you don’t feel like you’re on a Hollywood set. You feel like you’re in the midst of friends and people who want to work on something creatively great.

We’re obsessed with Adam Driver, because it’s so funny that little kids who love Kylo Ren are going to watch him on Girls someday.
It’s just a convergence of the same story. He’s fantastic. He’s great.

Will you see movies in Cannes before you leave?
I wish I could. I’m leaving tomorrow.

What about at home — do you have any time to do anything other than play Finn?
Oh, I go home and go to sleep. I. Go. To. Sleep!

Variety: So it’s your first time in Cannes and you got here 12 hours ago. Have you had any interesting encounters?

Boyega: We met each other and that’s already great! Our paths have always crossed, but we’ve never had an official conversation.

Powley: We’ve been at the same places but we’ve never actually conversed.

So maybe one day you can star in a movie together. So tell me, you’re shooting the next “Star Wars” installment?

Boyega: Yes, I’m in the thick of it now so it’s nice to be here, see the view and then go back.

And then, straight back into the shoot?

Boyega: Yes, straight back.

I loved the developing romance between your character, Finn and Rey in “The Force Awakens.” How is that romance evolving in the next chapter?

Boyega: I mean, we didn’t establish a romance in seven; we never played it that way. Daisy and I, we’re friends.

So there’s no romance?

Boyega: Yes, Finn and Rey – they’re just friends. Finn is a storm trooper, so he doesn’t really know what’s going on. So the romance thing is something that’s going to be interesting in the next installment. It’s not going to go the way you think it’s going to go.

And how is it working with Rian Johnson after having worked with J.J. Abrams?

Boyega: It’s very easy. Rian Johnson is great. It’s a different take, darker, bigger. Someone will say: “How do you get bigger than ‘Force Awakens?'” But it’s crazy.

Does your character get darker?


Boyega: My skin color does because of the heat on the job! That’s me dodging your question because Disney has spies everywhere. If I answer this, I get killed, and I’m not in episode nine.

https://www.facebook.com/pollocktheater/app/142371818162/



Vision comes up around 27 minutes in:

“It was really hard to figure out – all JJ kept saying to me was ‘that scene has to be like Rey’s acid trip’, and I was like, I know you don’t know what that means [laughs], so wait a second. But, you know, we just kept trying to apply logic and then some people would compare it to Empire, in the scene where Luke goes into the cave, and I kept arguing it’s nothing like Luke going into the cave. Because, in theory, that’s him facing his fears and having a lesson, this is her entering a world that she doesn’t want any part of. So the force…if you were logical about it, wouldn’t the force be saying nice things to her? Like you could be really special, you could be really important, you’re really great.

Instead, it’s showing you these horrible things and she runs out. So it’s like, it was a big challenge to figure out, I don’t even know if it works for everyone or it doesn’t. It has a logic to it now, that I think, you know, the lightsaber does call to her – whoever her parents are. Because she is, in fact, attracted to it. And in a funny way, you know my logic was that she is actually looking for a lightsaber, as opposed to the lightsaber looking for her. Because she is, eventually, I believe, going to become a jedi. So she needs a lightsaber. And when she feels the power of it, when it shows her how powerful it is, it freaks her out and that’s when she doesn’t want any part of it anymore.

So that was my thinking when I tried to define whatever those shots – I mean, originally, again, there were shots of, she goes into this – she touched the lightsaber – she went into this room, and then it became the room in Cloud City, which you can still kind of see, we still kept that idea. But then she starts to walk down the hall and she saw Darth Vader and Luke fighting, and she saw Darth Vader cut Luke’s hand off, and then she turned around and saw Snoke, some version of Snoke and a little boy, and she – so, all those images we had didn’t, they just didn’t have a logic that satisfied anyone. It was just one of those things that was ongoing and we had to figure it out.”

http://makingstarwars.net/2016/05/star-wars-episode-viii-the-knights-of-ren/

Recently I glimpsed some photos of a set at Malin Head on the water. On the shoreline were seven men in black. There might be more but some of the people are hard to make out. All of these people are wearing all black with helmets, most of the helmets resemble medieval knights with weapons. The characters are not wearing the black covers to hide their costumes like they did back at Dubrovnik. These are actual black costumes. It is my opinion and the source’s opinion that these are the Knights of Ren. Kylo Ren could always have another gang of warriors in black but I think its likely they’re the guys we saw in The Force Awakens.

There are “black helmeted medieval looking figures” going after Luke Skywalker and Rey on the coast of Ahch-To. The guys I once referred to as Jedi Hunters back in the day were described in the same way back during the production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

From what I have heard a few times, Rey is reluctant, if not angry at Luke Skywalker because she has to kill Kylo Ren and she doesn’t want to do it. The scene that follows appears to be when the showdown finally begins. I suppose she accepts her duty or has no choice but to fight.

The text below is what the source(s) witnessed.

Luke Skywalker and Rey are on Ahch-To just before nightfall as the sun sets in the background and it starts to rain.
Rey’s hair is pulled back. She doesn’t have the vest from VII on.
Luke and Rey are wearing the costumes we described before.
Kylo Ren and The Knights of Ren turn up along the coast.
Kylo Ren continues advancing towards the heroes with the Knights of Ren.
Kylo does not wear the mask here.
Kylo has the same cross guard saber as he did in VII.
Kylo’s costume looked the same as in VII.
Rey and Kylo Ren duel one-on-one and end up fighting alongside the cliff face over looking the nighttime water.
Kylo wants his revenge after Rey disgraced him.
The Knights of Ren go for Luke Skywalker while Rey is left for Kylo.
Luke Skywalker engages the knights on the beach while Kylo attempts to kill Rey.
The first black knight has an axe and moves towards the Luke but is Force pushed away to his death after being thrown through the air.
After Luke dispatches the first knight he ignites his green lightsaber.
Luke moves through each knight one by one.
Rey and Kylo’s battle moves up to the side of a cliff.
Suddenly Rey is nowhere to be seen. She’s taken out of the battle, either wounded or appears to go over the side of the cliff.
Luke Skywalker casually walks towards Kylo to finish him but Kylo retreats when he sees Skywalker and his crew defeated.
Luke Skywalker is a bad*** Jedi and he’ll destroy your squad.
One source commented:

“A lot of wire work was used.”
Luke Skywalker fights the Knights of Ren using the Force and then his sword, a mixture of wizard and warrior. While we can confirm that Luke does use his lightsaber, we think we can confirm the color too; the lightsaber was green for the light-rod on set. So it appears Luke still has his Return of the Jedi saber after all these years. There were also white flashing effects used in the battle.

The question is, does Luke let Kylo run? Can he not kill him for familial reasons or because Rey must do it as part of her training? The impression I get is that Luke knew Kylo would run and allows him to. Luke’s behavior doesn’t indicate he believes Rey is killed or anything like that. My guess is they may film something back at Pinewood of Rey hanging on for life or injured on the side of the cliff. It sounds like Luke Skywalker arrives in time to save her from Kylo’s treachery and Rey is a really good free climber after all.

We theorize that the location is the final Jedi ruin site Luke and Rey need to visit. Based on some rumors out of Pinewood, we also theorize that Kylo may be running inside the location Luke and Rey are heading towards so the fight will continue inside the spooky ruins of the Jedi Temple there. But at this point we have no verification of these theories just the bullet pointed statements above.

The sequence sounds really fun and may be the coolest start to a duel in a Star Wars film ever.

Pablo Hidalgo ‏@pablohidalgo 46 minHá 46 minutos
As long as you believe everything you see, people will make fake spoilers. It's a symbiont circle. But please don't ask me to weigh in.

"Now [on Episode VIII], I look at things and think, 'How are people going to react to that' because of the way that people have responded to Rey.[/b] [Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher] calls herself the custodian of Leia. And now I feel like the custodian of Rey.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-7s-daisy-ridley-talks-about-her-responsi/1100-6437162/

The italian fandom site "www.guerrestellari.net" has published 2 Episode VIII scenes descriptions from concept arts that they managed to acquire thanks to an insider that has seen some concept arts. The scene descriptions are at the URL http://www.guerrestellari.net/2016/...queste-le-descrizioni-di-due-scene-del-film-2 , but I translated from italian to english here:


Scene 1 (single concept art image) - Ahch-To

In the scene there are Luke and Rey that appear to be engaged in lightsaber training under the rain on the planet of Ahch-To; Luke has his green saber, Rey has the blue one that belonged to her new Master and to Anakin before him. Rey and Luke's dresses are very similar to the ones they had in the final scene of The Force Awakens.

Scene 2 (taken from different concepts arts images pasted on the same paper and temporally connected) - Unknown Planet

The scene has been described as "epic" even if the quality of the images was lower than the previous one. It's a warfare scene, set at sunset on an unknown planet very similar of Takodana but with a palace/temple much bigger than the one belonged to Maz Kanata (perhaps the planet is Yavin 4?). In the first image there are war heavy fightings, with the Resistance on the edge to be defeaten. Chewbacca is in a corner to protect a wounded figure (unknown who he/she is) and appears to be screaming loud. Kylo Ren is on the battlefield with a crossguard lightsaber but with him there is another villain character with a red lightsaber (another Knight of Ren? Benicio Del Toro's character? It is unknown). On the Kylo Ren figure there is a post-it with the script "stronger than ever". Then there is a temporal sequence of images; on the first one you can see a ship coming from above with a door opening and some stormtroopers on the ground firing at it. In the next image you can see that Luke Skywalker and Rey were on the ship and behind the door that was opening; then they do a Force push together to push away the stormtroopers and jump down on the battlefield. Then the 2 vs 2 lightsaber battle against Kylo Ren and the other dark figure begins. In this sequence Luke has a different outfit, with hairs and a beard shorter and more refined, very similar to the last Mark Hamill photos appeared on the web. Luke's dresses surprisingly are very similar to the young Obi-Wan Kenobi of Ep.I ones, with the only differences to have short sleeves and a white habit.

On both the concept arts it was also written "not yet finished".

What do you make of this? Could Chewie be protecting Leia? Could planet similar to Takodana be the planet where they are building that Temple or whatever building above the tree and MF that Bothan-Spy says is definitely not Ahch-to?

Since Italian site is down, this report is from:

http://www.chud.com/community/t/155090/star-wars-episode-viii-2017-pre-release-discussion/100

Post #133 on the page 3.