A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Rogue One notwithstanding, each new chapter in Lucasfilm’s Star Wars saga begins with an opening crawl to outline the adventure ahead. It’s a time-honored tradition that goes hand-in-hand with John Williams’ world-famous score, and with The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson sets out his stall early, teasing viewers with news of a “merciless” First Order that begins hunting down the remnants of the Resistance.
And don’t worry, The Last Jedi‘s opening crawl is totally free of spoilers – it’s basically a repackaged version of the synopsis, after all. But fair warning: as this is December 15th, the Internet is teeming with all sorts of spoiler-sensitive material, with pieces on Rey’s parentage, Luke’s history, and Kylo Ren’s allegiance already floating around cyberspace. So stay frosty.
Meanwhile, below you’ll find that aforementioned crawl, courtesy of ComicBook.com:
The FIRST ORDER reigns. Having decimated the peaceful Republic, Supreme Leader Snoke now deploys his merciless legions to seize military control of the galaxy. Only General Leia Organa’s band of RESISTANCE fighters stand against the rising tyranny, certain that Jedi Master Luke Skywalker will return and restore a spark of hope to the fight. But the Resistance has been exposed. As the First Order speeds toward the rebel base, the brave heroes mount a desperate escape….
And so, as budding fans begin to flock to their local theaters, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is beginning to make a serious dent on the domestic box office. It’s already collected an estimated $45-50 million from Thursday night previews, which is $7 million lower than The Force Awakens and almost twice that of Rogue One.
Nevertheless, The Last Jedi is now screening across North America, where the Rian Johnson-directed sequel is expected to clear $200 million by Sunday. Those same forecasts also predicted a global haul in excess of $425 million, which is all the more impressive when you consider that The Last Jedi won’t open in China until January 6th.
