Fans have spent a long time arguing over the relative success of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker since it came out in December, but for the moment, let’s just take a second to appreciate the hard work that went into creating the finale to both the Sequel Trilogy and the Skywalker saga.
Whatever your opinions on the quality of the storytelling in each of the films, the SW movies have always been crewed by set and production designers at the top of their games, and these behind the scenes images allow us to have a look at the incredible sets that were constructed for TROS.
The 20 photos below showcase all the major locations of the movie, from the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss to the wreckage of the Death Star II and from Kijimi City to Emperor Palpatine’s throne room on Exegol, and there are a lot of interesting glimpses at what went into making the movie included here.
Of course, as has been well-documented, Rise of Skywalker had a bit of a rocky road to the theater screen. Colin Trevorrow developed his version of Episode IX for years before he ultimately parted ways with Lucasfilm over creative differences. J.J. Abrams was then brought back to finish what he started in The Force Awakens. With a shortened pre-production period, Abrams’ plans evolved throughout shooting and in post-production.
This meant that major changes to the storyline occurred throughout the process. For instance, a Knights of Ren actor revealed this week that the movie’s original ending would have seen Rey be the one to die and Kylo Ren would have lived to redeem his past sins, even taking on the Skywalker name in the final scene, as well. Many scenes featuring Kelly Marie Tran were also removed from the final cut.
Tell us, though, what are your thoughts on how Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker turned out? Let us know in the usual place below.
