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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is up for three Oscars at this year's Academy Awards. The event, which is the highlight of the movie world is the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, and will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on 9 February 2020. Which awards is The Rise of Skywalker nominated for? Best Original Score John Williams Other nominees: Joker (Hildur Guðnadóttir), Little Women (Alexandre Desplat), Marriage Story (Randy Newman), 1917 (Thomas Newman). Best Sound Editing Matthew Wood and David Acord Other nominees: Ford v Ferrari, Joker, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Best Visual Effects Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach , and Dominic Tuohy Other nominees: Avengers: Endgame, The Irishman, The Lion King, 1917. What are the chances of The Rise of Skywalker winning an Oscar? Well, put it this way: To say Star Wars has a chequered history with the Oscars would be an understatement. Rise of Skywalker received a middling reception from critics, but the audience reaction has been generally positive. This clearly doesn't always translate into awards, however. Classic Trilogy, 1977-1983 In 1977, the original Star Wars movie was a sensation, and swept the 50th Academy Awards with seven wins. The Empire Strikes Back, despite being widely regarded as the best of the Star Wars saga and one of the greatest sequels of all time, only managed one competitive win for Best Sound along with a special award for Visual Effects. 1983's Return of the Jedi again picked up a special award for visual effects, but failed to garner any of the competitive awards it was nominated for. Prequel Trilogy, 1999-2005 Although the prequel trilogy was nominated for several awards, none of them were ever won. The Phantom Menace was up against stiff competition from The Matrix, which scooped up every award Star Wars was nominated for that year. Attack of the Clones was only nominated for Best Visual Effects, an award which went to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; and Revenge of the Sith also only managed one nomination, this time for Best Makeup. Sequel Trilogy and Spin-offs, 2015-present The Force Awakens, Disney's first foray into the Star Wars Saga was nominated five times but sadly didn't take anything home, while a year later the first spin-off movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, also went home empty handed after two nominations. Another year later, and The Last Jedi also failed to pick up any awards, despite being nominated for four Oscars. Solo: A Star Wars Story was only nominated for, and failed to secure, the award for Best Visual Effects, which brings us back to where we are in 2020. There is also an interesting sidenote for this era of Star Wars: Alexandre Desplat scored Rogue One in 2016, which was big news at the time as it was the first feature length live-action Star Wars movie not scored by John Williams. Desplat wasn't nominated for at the Academy Awards for Rogue One, but the following year he won the Oscar for Best Score (for The Shape of Water) when he was up against Williams's score for The Last Jedi. This year, Desplat and Williams are facing off once more; very likely for the last time, as Williams head back into a well-earned retirement. Could the final episode of the Skywalker Saga break the cycle?

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is here, and many fans have been been waiting for answers raised in 2015's The Force Awakens. Does the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga have the answers we seek? First, a warning: If you haven't seen the film, should you read this article? If you want to be given the answers, this article isn't for you; I'm not going to spoil the reveals. If you just want to be assured that The Rise of Skywalker will provide you with an answer, go ahead! If you want to go into The Rise of Skywalker completely unprepared for the rollercoaster that awaits you, stop reading! Now that's out of the way, let's take a look the big questions that get answered in The Rise of Skywalker. What does the title mean? When the title was revealed to be The Rise of Skywalker there was much speculation as to what this could mean or who this could refer to. Rest assured that this is answers, although the answer is more metaphorical than literal. Is Palpatine really back? The big reveal of the first Rise of Skywalker teaser trailer at Star Wars Celebration this year was the fact that Ian McDiarmid had returned as the late Emperor Palpatine, although McDiarmid himself shrugged it off saying that he had only popped in for a laugh. Further trailers and marketing materials made it clear that there was more to the Emperor's reappearance than that. Luckily, the issue of whether Palpatine really has returned or not is cleared up pretty quickly. Who was Snoke? Supreme Leader Snoke was a mysterious character from the get-go, and The Force Awakens launched a thousand theories over who this guy really was. Then The Last Jedi came along and removed him from the picture without answering any of the questions about his backstory, much to the chagrin of many fans. Much like the issue of Palpatine, Snoke is handled very early on in The Rise of Skywalker, but whether the reveal is satisfying or not may depend on which of the many theories you had bought into. Why is Rey so powerful, and were her parents really just nobodies? Perhaps one of the least satisfying moments of The Last Jedi was Kylo's revelation that Rey's parents were nobody important, apparently killing off the fan theories about her parentage which ranged from descendant of [any major lore character] to reincarnation of [any major lore character]. One thing that has kept the theories alive is the fact that Kylo Ren isn't exactly what you would call a reliable narrator; his agenda was to manipulate Rey into join him. The Rise of Skywalker handles the issue of Rey's parentage as a major plot point, and I am sure the truth will prove to be one of the more satisfying answers you get from The Rise of Skywalker. Does Leia get a fitting send-off? When Carrie Fisher passed away in 2016, the fandom mourned for our lost Princess, who was set to play a larger role in the final part of the Skywalker Saga. Unused footage from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi have been used to ensure Leia could remain a part of the story, and I think that this was done tastefully, with her passing handled in a suitable poignant way which paid respect to the character and to the memory of Carrie Fisher. So what about that Jedi Prophecy? A Chosen One shall come, born of no father, and through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored. Jedi prophecy I'm throwing this in here, because although I haven't heard many people explicitly asking about the prophecy, it and the concept of balance are a kind of meta thread running through the Skywalker Saga. The Jedi Prophecy was a major plot point of the prequel trilogy, with Anakin Skywalker being believed to be the Chosen One, only instead of bringing balance to the Force he was seduced by the dark side and corrupted by Palpatine, only to later turn against his master and destroy the Sith's hold over the galaxy. Many argue that Anakin's choice to destroy his master in Return of the Jedi doesn't actually bring balance to the Force, and wonder if the prophecy was just planted by the Sith. There is a case for arguing that The Rise of Skywalker delivers the promised balanced in the Force in a way that leaves the text of the prophecy unambiguously true - but that's a debate for another time.

Apparently we hadn't made a topic yet. Anyway, Colin Trevorrow has left the movie. A new director has yet to be announced. :O http://www.starwars.com/news/a-statement-regarding-star-wars-episode-ix

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the final episode of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and will also mark the end of the entire Skywalker Saga. It was originally slated to be directed by Colin Trevorrow, until he left the project in September 2017. JJ Abrams then returned to helm the film, and close off the trilogy he launched with The Force Awakens. The title and teaser trailer were revealed at Star Wars Celebration Chicago in April 2019. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is set for release on 20 December 2019.

The final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is here! Update: The new theatrical poster has also been revealed. Check out both the new trailer and poster below:

Lucasfilm has released a Special Look trailer for the upcoming final instalment of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which takes a retrospective look at the story so far along with a tantalising glimpse of things to come. The trailer reveals a few new scenes and locations via some previously unreleased clips; some of which are more intriguing than others! Check out the D23 Special Look below: A new poster has also been released earlier this week, featuring a climactic duel between Rey and Kylo, with the Emperor looming in the background. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits cinemas this December.

Stormtrooper themed products and exhibits available at San Diego Comic-Con next week have revealed a new iteration of the ubiquitous Star Wars bad guys. The so-called Sith Trooper will appear in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker this December and sports a bright red hue not too dissimilar to the classic Imperial Royal Guard first seen in Star Wars: Episode IV - Return of the Jedi. It is unknown what role these Sith Troopers will play in the movie, especially since the Sith were destroyed (weren't they?). The reveal comes amidst the inevitable raft of licensed merchandise and exclusives to be found at the premier convention for geeks of all fandoms, and brings with it the announcement of an exclusive exhibit showcasing the evolution of the Stormtrooper. Madlyn Burkert of the Lucasfilm archives, who is co-producing the exhibit at the Lucasfilm Pavillion said "It has some really unique aesthetics to it, and it has some subtle ties to previous stormtrooper designs, which I think fans will enjoy discovering." The new Sith Trooper themed merchandise includes Funko Pop!, Hasbro Black Series, backbacks, exclusive pins, kids customes, and more. Check out the StarWars.com Sith Trooper reveal for a more comprehensive list and pictures.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (also known as Star Wars Episode IX) is the third and final film of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, continuing and bringing to a close the story threads set in motion in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. But what do we really know about the ninth chapter of the Star Wars saga? This article will be regularly updated as new information is confirmed, and we'll avoid rumours so you can be sure you have the facts. Spoiler Warning While I don't intend to reveal major plot spoilers here, please be aware that due to the nature of this article some may remain as the presence of some characters may give away some details. If in doubt, go read something else! Last updated: May 2019 Newest Information Matt Smith and Dominic Monaghan have both been removed from cast lists on official Disney websites. Keri Russell's character is Zorri Bliss, who we will meet in the Thieves' Quarter on a new planet called Kijimi. Rochard E Grant's character is Allegiant General Pryde, an office of the First Order. A new species of creature called "orbak" has been introduced, and promotional imagary shows Jannah (Naomi Ackie) and Finn riding these. The natives of the planet Pasaana have been revealed. They are called the Aki-Aki and look somewhat similar to the Quarren. The presence of the Knights of Ren has been confirmed, See also: The Rise of Skywalker: New characters revealed Teaser Trailer Release Date Star Wars Episode IX is currently set for release on 20 December 2019. Disney had initially announced the release date as 24 May 2019, but this was pushed back due to production delays. Production Principal photography began at Pinewood Studios near London on 1st August 2018, and is expected to complete in February 2019. Some scenes have also been filmed in Wadi Rum, Jordan. The working title is “Black Diamond”. IMAX cameras will be used to film some sequences. The film's soundtrack will once again be scored by Star Wars veteran John Williams. Williams has said that this will be his final Star Wars movie. In February 2018, Paul Inglis joined as the Lead Supervising Art Director. He had previously worked on Blade Runner 2049, Prometheus, and Skyfall. Principle photography wrapped on 15 February 2019, as announced by director JJ Abrams. Brian Herring wrapped up as operator of BB-8 on 1st February, and Anthony Daniels finished C-3PO's last scenes on 28 January. Setting Around a year has passed since the events of The Last Jedi, according to John Boyega. Cast and Crew Cast confirmed: Daisy Ridley as Rey Adam Driver as Kylo Ren John Boyega as Finn Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata Domhnal Gleeson as General Hux Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian Billie Lourd as Lieutenant Connix Greg Grunberg as Temmin "Snap" Wexley Naomi Ackie as Jannah Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine Anthony Daniels as C-3P0 Jimmy Vee as R2-D2 Brian Herring as BB-8 and D-O Richard E Grant as Allegiant Admiral Pryde Keri Russell as Zorri Bliss Crew confirmed: Director - JJ Abrams Writers - JJ Abrams, Chris Terrio Producers - Kathleen Kennedy, JJ Abrams, Michelle Rejwan Cinematographer - John Schwartzman Art Director - Paul Inglis Music - John Williams Director JJ Abrams is returning to direct Episode IX, with Kathleen Kennedy producing. It was previously slated to be directed by Colin Trevorrow, who worked closely with The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson to ensure continuity between their respective movies. Trevorrow left the project in September 2017 due to “creative differences”. Disney had to pay off Paramount Pictures to secure Abrams, as he had breached contract with them for The Force Awakens. Carrie Fisher Carrie Fisher was due to have a major role in Episode IX as General Leia Organa. When she tragically passed away in December 2016 the story team “pretty much started over”, according to Kathleen Kennedy. Lucasfilm was quick to quash rumors that Leia would be digitally recreated, similar to Tarkin’s appearance in Rogue One. Fisher's brother and daughter have granted rights for Lucasfilm to use recent footage of her, but Kennedy has since stated that Fisher will not be in Episode IX. In July 2018 it was announced that with the blessing of Fisher's family unused footage from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi will be used to allow the inclusion of Leia. Sadly I am not all-knowing. If I've missed something or have made an error, please let me know in the comments below!

A new story by Vanity Fair has revealed new images and characters for upcoming saga finale Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. An extensive Star Wars behind the scenes feature reveals new locations as well as images and names of characters set to appear this December. Keri Russell's character has been revealed as Zorri Bliss, a masked rogueish figure that we will meet in the Thieves' Quarter of the planet Kijimi. Zorri's costume evokes the spirit of bounty hunters such as Boba Fett and Attack of the Clones' Zam Wesell. Richard E Grant will portray Allegiant General Pryde, a member of the First Order. The title of "Allegiant General" is a new one on me, so it will be interesting to find out where he sits among the ranks of the First Order, although I would assume him to be Hux's superior. Jannah (Naomi Ackie) is seen riding a new creature called an "orbak", with a group of natives of the planet Pasaana who are known as the Aki-Aki (below). The article also elaborates on the role of Carrie Fisher and confirms that the Knights of Ren will make an appearance. The photos in this article are from Vanity Fair; check out their article for more pictures and an in-depth look at The Rise of Skywalker here.

The teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has smashed the milestones set by The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi for total views within it's first 24 hours. The Rise of Skywalker trailer, which dropped during a livestream at Star Wars Celebration Chicago this month, hit 111 million views within it's first 24 hours. While this pales in comparison to other Disney franchises, including Marvel's Avenger's: Endgame (298m), it is more than double than that of The Force Awakens, and 20 million more than The Last Jedi. The popularity of the trailer has been bolstered by the inclusion of the Emperor's ghostly cackle at the end, which has prompted much speculation about the return of Palpatine. Ian McDiarmid has since stated that he did not record the laugh for the trailer, however, and that it must have been archive soundbite that the production team has dug up from somewhere.

So yeah. We got our first teaser for Episode 9, and the big title reveal at the end. Let the speculations begin! LOL It's gonna be a long 8 months, is all I'll say...

The official title of Star Wars Episode IX has been revealed as: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker! The title was revealed during the Episode IX panel at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago today, along with a teaser trailer for the film which hits the big screen in just eight months time. I won't drone on about it now, check out the trailer below and let us know what you think!

During an interview with LA Times, Matt Smith has dropped the bombshell that he is not in Star Wars Episode IX after all, contrary to previous reports. Smith, who previously played Prince Philip in The Crown and the eponymous lead role in Doctor Who, and is currently working on Sony's latest Spider-Man spin-off, Morbius, responded with "As far as I can tell, I’m definitely not [in Episode IX]" when asked about his role in the final instalment of the sequel trilogy. Although widely reported by various news outlets that Matt Smith would have a key role in Episode IX, the studio never officially announced his casting (which is not unusual) so this could be just a big rumor that has spun out of control. However, Richard E Grant who is set to appear in the new movie was previously asked by Radio Times if he shared any scenes with Smith, to which he had responded "I would be fired if I told you anything about that." What do you think: Was his casting a rumor gone wild or is this statement simply deception on Matt Smith's part? After all, fans of Doctor Who remember Rule 1: The Doctor lies. Star Wars Episode IX is set for release this December, with more news expected at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago next month. In the meantime, here is Everything we know about Episode IX.

A Star Wars fan has created an online petition to bring George Lucas back to the Star Wars movies as the director of Episode IX. Lucas, who created Star Wars has had no involvement with the franchise, including The Force Awakens, since selling LucasFilm to The Walt Disney Company in 2012. The petition calls for Lucas to return as he is "the father of the franchise" and states that this would be a perfect way to end the sequel trilogy, and so far people seem to agree, with the petition gaining almost the 5,000 signatures requested within a week of publishing. George Lucas recently criticised The Force Awakens, saying that Disney had made a "retro" movie that he doesn't like, but later clarified that he still believe Star Wars is in safe hands with Disney who has previously worked with overthe past 40 years. In contrast to Lucas's views, critics have widley praised the latest instalment of the saga which has gone on to smash numerous box office records worldwide. Currently Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow is signed on as director for Episode IX, which is scheduled for release in 2019.

We may still be months away from seeing Star Wars Episode IX, but that hasn't stopped disgruntled fans from leaving negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The reviews of the as yet unnamed final episode of the sequel trilogy, which make use of the "Want to See" feature of the movie review platform mainly air displeasure at the direction the sequels have taken, dislike of particular characters or plotlines, and criticism of Disney's leadership. Rotten Tomatoes have now removed the display of the "want to see" score across the website, after other franchises, including Captain Marvel were also hit by review bombing. In a statement they have said that "the 'Want to See' percentage score is often times confused with the 'Audience Score' percentage number." They also cited concerns about a rise in non-constructive feedback and trolling.

Star Wars Episode IX will be the third instalment and conclusion of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following on from upcoming The Force Awakens, out this December. Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, has described Colin Trevorrow, 38, as "an incredible talent" and said she has been looking forward to working with him since 2012's Safety Not Guaranteed. "The power of that film paired with the enormous success of Jurassic World speaks volumes about his abilities both as a storyteller and skilled film-maker", she said. Jurassic World, itself the foundation for a new trilogy in the Jurassic Park franchise, has taken over $1.5 billion at the box office worldwide, and Trevorrow has indicated that helming the ninth episode of the Star Wars saga is not just another job, saying that the role "is a seat at a campfire, surrounded by an extraordinary group of storytellers, film-makers, artists and craftspeople". Trevorrow's Star Wars Episode IX will release in 2019 and follow in the footsteps of JJ Abrams' The Force Awakens, and Rian Johnson's episode VIII in 2017. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released on 18 December 2015.

Lucasfilm has announced that Colin Trevorrow has been hired as the director for Star Wars Episode IX, due in 2019. Star Wars Episode IX will be the third instalment and conclusion of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following on from upcoming The Force Awakens, out this December. Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, has described Colin Trevorrow, 38, as "an incredible talent" and said she has been looking forward to working with him since 2012's Safety Not Guaranteed. "The power of that film paired with the enormous success of Jurassic World speaks volumes about his abilities both as a storyteller and skilled film-maker", she said. Jurassic World, itself the foundation for a new trilogy in the Jurassic Park franchise, has taken over $1.5 billion at the box office worldwide, and Trevorrow has indicated that helming the ninth episode of the Star Wars saga is not just another job, saying that the role "is a seat at a campfire, surrounded by an extraordinary group of storytellers, film-makers, artists and craftspeople". Trevorrow's Star Wars Episode IX will release in 2019 and follow in the footsteps of JJ Abrams' The Force Awakens, and Rian Johnson's episode VIII in 2017. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released on 18 December 2015. View full article

Didn't see anything updated in here, so figured I would start this thread so we have a place for all the rumors and hypothesis about the new movies. I think my biggest thing is this: if they don't follow the EU in SOME way, it would be like a huuuuge "EFF YOU" to all the fans that have read, and made the EU so crazy successful. Just hope that ol George retains enough power to keep Disney from screwin' with the entire universe.