With just two weeks until release, anticipation for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is hitting fever pitch. We’ve seen a lot of intriguing trailers and TV spots so far, all of which show that Lucasfilm is positioning the movie as the big finale for the story that began way back in 1977. And now we have one more, beginning with C-3PO explaining that if our heroes don’t succeed in this final battle, “it was all for nothing.”
This twenty second teaser doesn’t reveal a whole lot that’s new, but reinforces that this is the finale of a nine-film saga. For one, Poe says that they’re fighting for “what their mothers and fathers fought for” and that “today is their last stand,” while the promo ends with a new shot of the big Kylo vs. Rey fight amidst a stormy sea that we’ve seen glimpses of throughout the various trailers. Beyond that, it’s interesting to see Leia holding Anakin’s lightsaber, which has been repaired after it was broken into two halves in The Last Jedi. Perhaps she’s responsible for repairing it?
Right now, things are looking pretty good for The Rise of Skywalker‘s promotional campaign. This is Disney and Lucasfilm’s fifth Star Wars movie together and by now, the marketing for them is a well-oiled machine (which certainly makes a difference from what’s going on behind-the-scenes).
But both Disney and Lucasfilm are keenly aware that The Rise of Skywalker needs to be a success to ensure the goose keeps laying golden eggs. Disney’s stewarding of the franchise has taken several knocks over the last two years, with the continued problems with directors, fractious relationship with certain elements of the fan community and the critical and financial failure of Solo. All this means that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker can’t simply be a victory lap. It’s got to be good. Really good. And we’ll find out if it is on December 20th.
