Admittedly this isn't my main prediction, but it could "melt your mind" in that it's familiar, but new. It could have symbols/artifacts/etc. Like a 'holy ****... is this..."

I do agree that it's more likely it's somewhere familiar though. I still think the emperors throne room on the death star is still what clicks the most boxes.

How about Rey is commissioned by whoever becomes politcal leader to take a Star Trek-esque journey / Kevin Anderson's Jedi Academy mission to find potential Jedi to be trained. She originally wants to take the Falcon but it's not big enough to fit a lot of people or take a really long journey, plus Chewbacca is going home to stay on Kashyykk.

So instead, Rey is bequeathed something of Princess Leia's - the Tantive V from the beginning of ANH and the end of ROTS, as well as the use of R2-D2 and C3PO to help her sift through records, identify candidates, and translate to them her intent. And as we cut away, she's communicating down to a planet - maybe it's Tatooine again, or some place we've never see before, saying "I'm on a diplomatic mission from the New Republic ..."just as Leia claimed to be at the start of ANH.

Whatever they've come up with they've got nowhere to go but up at this point.

I re-watched Last Jedi on a flight yesterday and when I say re-watch what I mean is that I watched about an hour of it and fast forwarded through the rest. Unlike Rogue One, Solo, and most of the MCU, all re-watching TLJ does is give you more reasons to facepalm, so I suggest not re-watching as we get closer to TROS.

<lobs nuke at the glue factory full of head horses> I guess I didn't pay enough attention to the series of events once Finn, Rose, and codebreaker guy get on the flagship. So they get onboard undetected because codebreaker guy sticks a piece of metal in a slot on the small ship they stole. Bingo, we're in. Steal some uniforms and magically Finn knows where the door is that leads to the thingy that tracks the rebels in hyperspace. K. And no one immediately notices that BB8's disguise is an overturned trash can. Allrighty. So codebreaker guy blows his whole wad getting the door to open to hyperspace thingy then they get captured. But here's the best part. Codebreaker guy drops some serious intel on the First Order. Spoiler Alert: Resistance is flying away in escape pods. Hux: Is this good info? Some officer: Hard yes, can confirm!. Hux: well pay this man handsomely and give him a ship to boot!. And great job Phasma, for, um, whatever, just great job. Really nice work. Me: Jeebus tap dancing Christo, someone just look out the f'ing window!

Then you have Finn and Rose surrounded by about 500 troopers and Phasma and the hyperspace collision thing happens. They come to moments later and for some inexplicable reason, Phasma and her troops have all regrouped on the other side of the hangar so they can look menacing as they march back at Finn through the smoke and fire.

I can't believe no one at any point in production pulled the e-brake hard like they did with Solo and a lesser extent R1. But I'm over it, really, I am. Bring on the next one and take my money.

Dang, I wound up on the Last Jedi thread again by accident.

MuckRaker96 said:

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How about Rey is commissioned by whoever becomes politcal leader to take a Star Trek-esque journey / Kevin Anderson's Jedi Academy mission to find potential Jedi to be trained. She originally wants to take the Falcon but it's not big enough to fit a lot of people or take a really long journey, plus Chewbacca is going home to stay on Kashyykk.

So instead, Rey is bequeathed something of Princess Leia's - the Tantive V from the beginning of ANH and the end of ROTS, as well as the use of R2-D2 and C3PO to help her sift through records, identify candidates, and translate to them her intent. And as we cut away, she's communicating down to a planet - maybe it's Tatooine again, or some place we've never see before, saying "I'm on a diplomatic mission from the New Republic ..."just as Leia claimed to be at the start of ANH.

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Ok, this would be pretty cool. Granted, with Rogue One ending on Tantine V as well, a tiny bit of the luster would be gone, but I think people would still go nuts. This is first theory I've seen that would actually fit Smith's description AND make sense as a last shot. Nice work.

I like the Tantive IV call... but what if she's turned it into a roaming Jedi Academy and is training a new generation onboard?

Just to change the topic slightly.

But who is going to be in the last scene/shot?

There seems to be a general thought that it will be Rey. Will it be Rey and another character we have seen so far?

I was originally on team Death Star Throne Room, but now I am thinking it will be the Yavin 4 temples from Episode 4. Mainly because I think it will the intro in the old republic movies they plan to make in the future.

It will be Rey and Kylo building a new force group (the Skywalkers) to fight a threat from the beyond the outer rim.

And it will also serve as a spring board to future movies.

Thoughts?

I think Kylo dies. He dies honorably, but he has to die. I just can't see him co-leading any kind of new Force group or academy or anything like that. I think that's going to be Rey's job and her job alone.

As for a springboard to future movies, the Rian Johnson movies are confirmed to be a fresh start. None of the same characters, completely different part of the galaxy, etc. I think Rey and maybe a couple other familiar faces will eventually make appearances down the line, but almost assuredly at least not in the first new movie set post-IX.

That said, I do think they're going to hint at the new direction in some small way for sure.

Yeah, like one of the few things I'm fairly certain of in this movie is that Kylo Ren is dying.

Unless Disney pulls a hard right, the first order crushes the resistance, Rey dies, the Falcon is blown up and Kylo rules the galaxy.

Short of that I have a hard time seeing an ending where he lives.

A redeemed Ben Skywalker may survive, allowed to live by Rey (and/or Chewie), who tells everyone he is dead. Ben knows he's damaged goods and retreats to Wild Space or the Unknown Regions where he can start anew and try to make up for his sins.

This would be interesting also because that's how RotJ was supposed to end, with Luke leaving to wander the Galaxy.

I think he can only be redeemed in death unless this movie makes some weird moves. He killed Han Solo in cold blood, tried to kill Luke, and his First Order zapped several whole planets.

So I have a hard time imagining a redemption arc that feels fitting if he doesn't die in the process.

I tend to agree with bobinator, but this is the first alternate scenario I could potentially be down with.

JOHN WILLIAMS WRITING 135 MINUTES WORTH OF MUSIC FOR THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

Looks like a 2+ hour movie for TROS.

One little tidbit from the story

Every theme you ever heard is going to be compiled in this last effort. Everyone Leia, Yoda, Phantom, Darth, all of it is gonna be in there.

AliasMan02 said:

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A redeemed Ben Skywalker may survive, allowed to live by Rey (and/or Chewie), who tells everyone he is dead. Ben knows he's damaged goods and retreats to Wild Space or the Unknown Regions where he can start anew and try to make up for his sins.

This would be interesting also because that's how RotJ was supposed to end, with Luke leaving to wander the Galaxy.

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And in a twist ending he and a droid with one red eye find earth, linking the BSG and SW universes

Great. My wife is going to mock me for crying over Star Wars music.

CJS4715 said:

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Great. My wife is going to mock me for crying over Star Wars music.

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If you do, she should

Indeed.

Just seeing it here is enough.

When I saw 135 minutes, I was honestly a little disappointed.

I'm hoping for a much longer runtime than that for the saga finale. Should be the longest in the series.

I mean it's not a musical. The whole soundtrack to The Last Jedi was only 77 minutes and that movie clocked in at two and a half hours.

Yes.

I'm starting to think the end is going to be about Rey and a recently returned Ahsoka being tasked with establishing a new order of Force users. Probably more hopeful that what is actually going to happen, but I think there will be a lot of pandering to the fan base here.... and bringing back Ahsoka into the live action realm sure would do it.

TCTTS said:

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Exactly. Ha, you guys realize most movies have tons of stretches without any music, right?

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Yes sir, that's why I said 2+ hours.

Special edition ANH soundtrack which had all the music from the film was 88 minutes. Total run time of the movie was 125 minutes. So there was 57 minutes of "dead air" in the film. (70% of film was scored)

Not every second of recorded music is used. Again on the ANH soundtrack there are 17 minutes of alternate versions.

So what does this mean? I'm still gonna buy the soundtrack and see the film.

twilly said:

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JOHN WILLIAMS WRITING 135 MINUTES WORTH OF MUSIC FOR THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

Looks like a 2+ hour movie for TROS.

One little tidbit from the story

Every theme you ever heard is going to be compiled in this last effort. Everyone Leia, Yoda, Phantom, Darth, all of it is gonna be in there.

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As an avid collector of JW's scores, the CD release for this better include most of whatever he has written for TROS.

As long as there's no electric guitar like that abomination from the chase sequence in AOTC on Coruscant.

I dig that track.

TCTTS said:

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I'm betting Spielberg convinces Williams to score Indy 5 and Williams will then call it a career.

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Hope so on the first point. On the second, JW is getting up there in age so it is certainly understandable, but dang, we'll miss hearing - and feeling, I might add - his work.

Lifetime achievement Oscar?