"Who are you?"
This is Luke Skywalker's words to Rey in the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Disney shareholders got an exclusive sneak peek of the film during their annual shareholders' meeting in Denver, Colorado. They were shown a footage showing what immediately happened during the cliffhanger scene from the previous film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the eighth film in the long-running Star Wars saga. It will hit theaters on Dec. 15.
What Luke Said
According to an insider reporter's tweet during the Disney gathering, the footage showed the last scene from the Force Awakens. It showed Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) asking Rey "Who are you?" as she hands over his long-lost lightsaber.
The footage also showed other characters such as Chewbacca, Finn (John Boyega) and General Leia Organa (the late great Carrie Fisher). Furthermore, the clip revealed "epic, exotic" shots of different landscapes such as oceans, mountains, forest, and deserts.
"This is a big year for Star Wars fans, we know," Disney CEO Bob Iger told the audience at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. He mentioned the success of The Force Awakens, citing the $900 domestic box office earnings and the $2 billion overall gain worldwide.
He then proceeded to show the audience the last scene from the Force Awakens. He mused that they want to reveal "very little" about the upcoming film.
"We want to keep them secret. But we're making an exception today. We're going to show you an exclusive first look at what happens right after that scene," Iger said, before revealing the exclusive footage from the upcoming The Last Jedi, which was met with applause from the audience.
"A lot's happened in two years. He took it. That's a tease," Iger said.
What Luke's Words Meant
If there's anything people can pick from the footage, it is that the new film will cast the spotlight back to Luke Skywalker (or at least, he will play a major role in the film.) Theories surround the parentage of Rey — Is she Luke's daughter? Is Rey a Kenobi? — and the film will likely address these questions and speculations.
The metaphorical passing of the torch — or lightsaber — signals the shift of the Force to Rey. Who is "the last Jedi?" Is it Rey? That Luke asked Rey who she is might mean on the surface how much he missed out during his hiding/disappearance? But looking closely, it can be a rhetorical question to an answer Luke already knows. The answers remain to be known when the film hits theaters at year's end on Dec. 15.
