Here are some of the most interesting bits of news from the past week. As usual, we focus pretty much only on news that has direct implications for the movies. First, did you see the set of hi-res images that hit the web, like this one here that shows Kylo Ren and Storm Troopers behind him. The detail is stunning:
The above image was part of a cool hi-res image dump here: http://imgur.com/a/XitJ8
1. Filming has begun on Skelling Michael for Episode VIII. http://www.starwars7news.com/2015/09/first-pictures-rumors-of-the-star-wars-episode-viii-skellig-michael-shoot.html
Mazlow01: This is awesome. The one thing I haven’t seen is reports of Mark Hamill or Daisy Ridley being there. Which makes me wonder if they are will be digitally inserted. We did have the report that Mark Hamill almost bit the dust last time he was there. So for safety reasons they may only get outside shots for set up.
davestrrr: Yeah, pretty exciting. What’s interesting is that this is the first time in history that two Star Wars films have been in production! I have to give props to Ben from SWU for pointing that out. Glad to see that VIII will take up where VII left off, from what we have heard. To be honest, I’m not sure how serious the Mark Hamill incident really was. I wonder if it was exaggerated as a publicity thing for the parks service guy that “saved him”. I’ve also heard two things, one he slipped and another that he almost got hit by a boulder. Which is it?
2. New images suggest Rey is a Jedi and other affilaitions: http://makingstarwars.net/2015/09/star-wars-the-force-awakens-knights-of-ren-symbol-other-jedi-implications/
Here is a detailed image with key from @ForceCult:
Mazlow01: The thing I found most interesting here was the LACK of Jedi symbol for Finn. I think we all knew Rey was going to be Jedi in someway. It makes me wonder if this means Finn can’t use the force. I hope he becomes a Jedi and the lack of symbol means he just sin’t there yet. I think the Sith symbol for Kylo is just a Dark Side catch all.
davestrrr: Yes, I also was hoping that Finn would beocome a Jedi and found it strange that Finn didn’t have a Jedi symbol given this shot from the instagram teaser:
Speaking of teasers, where is the trailer? Back on topic, Why does Rey have the logo and Finn does not? Could it be because Rey was already a Jedi? This is tricky because Kylo says “The last of the Jedi” in one of the toys, so maybe because Rey is at least on the Jedi path by the end of the film? At any rate, I like the theory that Rey and Kylo were once apprentices of Luke before the Academy was destroyed. It is also very cool that the Sith logo looks very much like the Knights of Ren logo. This could suggest a connection between them like their origins?
3. New info from the Star Wars Databank confirms that Poe will be known as “Black Leader” in at least part of the film. http://www.starwars.com/databank/resistance-x-wing
Mazlow01: We suspected that was the case, the real questions is whether or not a black TIE has any thing to do with his designation.
davestrrr: I guess this isn’t too surprising. Starfighter pilots have always had similar designations in the films: Bravo Leader, Red Leader, Gold Leader, and now Black Leader.
4. Force Friday: StarWars7News did a great piece on compiling all the information learned about TFA from various toys and books released for Force Friday: http://www.starwars7news.com/2015/09/what-force-friday-taught-us-about-star-wars-the-force-awakens.html
Mazlow01: This is great place to catch up on all the “official” information. No real surprises but there were some confirmations of rumors.
davestrrr: The coolest thing was the leaks of the new toys showing some new characters. Goss Toowers, Teedo, Unkar Plutt. We can only speculate on what role they will play, but they look like some classic Star Wars characters with classic Star Wars names.
5. Rumor: Post credit scene at the end of TFA? http://schmoesknow.com/hot-rumor-star-wars-the-force-awakens-to-tease-a-post-credit-scene/40990/
Mazlow01: I don’t buy this. It doesn’t make sense that they would tease what is essentially a prequel to ANH at the end of TFA. Maybe if it was a shot of Rey and Luke on Skelling with their lightsabers or even cooler Maz and Finn with lightsabers I’d buy it.
davestrrr: I’m not sure I buy this either. This would be out of character from the rest of the episodic saga, so I’m not sure they will do this. However, it might be cool to see a trailer for Rogue One before TFA.
6. Colin Trevorrow has begun work on Episode IX: http://makingstarwars.net/2015/09/a-photo-of-trevorrows-lucasfilm-star-wars-episode-ix-notebook/
davestrrr: Good to see! Yeah, my guess is this is a book of the Episode 7 and Episode 8 scripts? The tweet says “Back to School” so maybe he is studying in a sense, and reading over those scripts with the intense focus of a school boy, in preparation for his own.