Before the debut ofStar Wars: The Force Awakensin theaters, it was revealed that Disney plans on releasing a newStar Warsmovie every year, indefinitely. Fans will get to see the first spinoffRogue One: A Star Wars Storyon December 16 of this year, withStar Wars: Episode VIIIfollowing on August 23, 2025. Production started onStar Wars: Episode VIIIin February, and today marks a very special day in the filming process, withdirector Rian Johnsonrevealing two new photos from the set, along with news that production is halfway complete.
The photos don’t reveal too much, with an unspecified crew member using a microfiber sham to clean off the cockpit of what appears to be an X-Wing ship in one image, while cleaning off a control panel in another. We don’t get a great look at the actor who is in the cockpit of the X-Wing. This janitorial crew member is also seen standing next to an actor wearing a black First Order helmet and costume. Here’s what the director had to say on his officialTumblrpage, paraphrasing a legendaryBruce Campbellline fromArmy of Darkness.
“‘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!)”
Disney and LucasFilm haven’t revealed anyStar Wars 8plot details as of yet, but earlier this week, a number of unconfirmedplot detailssurfaced. TheseSPOILERdetails claimed that the full title isStar Wars: Echoes of the Dark Side, with a story that follows Kylo Ren, Finn and Rey. Their three stories all converge in the third act. This latest rumor also claims that Rey will begin her Jedi training with Luke Skywalker. The biggest surprise is that Rey is reportedly the “reincarnation” of Anakin Skywalker, which Luke learns during his time in exile. None of this has been confirmed by Disney or Lucasfilm, and probably isn’t true.
One of the many mysteries swirling aroundStar Wars 8is the casting ofNoah Segan, who has starred in all ofRian Johnson’s movies thus far, includingBrick,The Brothers BloomandLooper. The actor even starred in one of theBreaking BadepisodesRian Johnsondirected. At this time, the actor refuses to confirm his role. Aside from the cast members who are returning fromStar Wars: The Force Awakens, we don’t have any confirmation about the roles that new cast members such asBenicio del Toro,Laura Dern, andKelly Marie Tranare playing either, so we’ll have to wait and see if any are revealed in the near future.
We know thatStar Wars: Episode VIIIwill be set immediately afterStar Wars: The Force Awakens, which ended with Rey finally meeting Luke Skywalker at his hiddenJedi temple. Where the story goes from there remains to be seen. So we’ll have to wait and see if any plot details surface in the near future. Until then, take a look at the new photos from theStar Wars: Episode VIIIset below.
