Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (also known as Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi) is a 2017 American epic space opera film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015), and the eighth episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". The film's ensemble cast includes Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro. The Last Jedi follows Rey as she seeks the aid of Luke Skywalker in hopes of turning the tide for the Resistance in the fight against Kylo Ren and the First Order while General Leia Organa, Finn, and Poe Dameron attempt to escape a First Order attack on the dwindling Resistance fleet. The film features the first posthumous film performance by Fisher, who died in December 2016, and the film is dedicated to her memory.[4][5]
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Rian Johnson
- December 9, 2017 (Shrine Auditorium)
- December 15, 2017 (United States)
152 minutes[1]
United States
English
$300 million[2]
$1.334 billion[3]
The Last Jedi is part of a new trilogy of films announced after Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012. It was produced by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman and executive produced by The Force Awakens director J. J. Abrams. John Williams, composer for the previous episodic films, returned to compose the score. A number of scenes were filmed at Skellig Michael in Ireland during pre-production in September 2015, but principal photography began at Pinewood Studios in England in February 2016 and wrapped that July.
The Last Jedi premiered in Los Angeles on December 9, 2017, and was released in the United States on December 15. It grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2017 and the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time by the time its theatrical run was over. It is also the second-highest-grossing Star Wars film and turned a net profit of over $417 million. The film was well received by critics and received four nominations at the 90th Academy Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects, as well as two nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards. A sequel, The Rise of Skywalker, concluded the sequel trilogy in 2019.
Plot
Shortly after the battle of Starkiller Base,[a] General Leia Organa and the Resistance forces are evacuating their base when the First Order fleet arrives. Against Leia's orders, Poe Dameron leads a costly counterattack that destroys a First Order dreadnought. The remaining Resistance escapes into hyperspace, but the First Order uses a device to track them and attacks again. Kylo Ren hesitates to fire on the lead Resistance ship after sensing his mother Leia's presence on board, but his wingmen destroy the bridge, killing most of the Resistance's leaders. Leia is dragged into space but survives by using the Force. While Leia recovers, Vice-Admiral Holdo assumes command of the Resistance. Running low on fuel, the remaining fleet is pursued by the First Order.
On Ahch-To, Rey attempts to recruit Luke Skywalker to the Resistance. Under self-imposed exile, Luke refuses to help and declares that the Jedi should end. After encouragement from R2-D2, he agrees to give Rey three lessons in the ways of the Force. Lured by the dark side, Rey searches for answers about her parents and begins communicating with Kylo through the Force, which puzzles them both. Kylo tells Rey that Luke feared his power. Luke confesses that he momentarily contemplated killing Kylo upon sensing that Snoke was corrupting him, which prompted Kylo to destroy Luke's new Jedi Order. Convinced that Kylo can be redeemed, Rey leaves Ahch-To. Luke prepares to burn the Jedi library but hesitates. The spirit of Luke's master Yoda appears and destroys the library by summoning a bolt of lightning. He encourages Luke to learn from his failure.
Meanwhile, Poe entrusts Finn, mechanic Rose, and BB-8 with a secret mission to disable the First Order's tracking device. Maz Kanata directs them to the casino town of Canto Bight, where they meet the hacker DJ. Pursued by the local security, they escape Canto Bight with the help of stablehand children and fathier, a sentient racing animal they set free. Finn, Rose, and DJ infiltrate Snoke's flagship but are captured by Captain Phasma. Rey also infiltrates the flagship and is captured by Kylo, who brings her before Snoke. Snoke reveals that he connected their minds to discover Luke's whereabouts.
Holdo plans to evacuate the remaining members of the Resistance using small transport vessels. Believing her plan cowardly and futile, Poe leads a mutiny. A recovered Leia stuns Poe with a blaster and proceeds with the evacuation. Holdo remains aboard the ship as a decoy to mislead Snoke's fleet as the others flee to an abandoned base on Crait. DJ buys his freedom by revealing the Resistance's plan to General Hux, and the First Order fleet begins firing on the evacuation transports, destroying many.
Ordered to kill Rey, Kylo instead kills Snoke and defeats his Praetorian Guard with her help. Rey hopes that Kylo has abandoned the dark side, but he instead asks her to rule the galaxy with him. Refusing, she battles him for control of Luke's lightsaber, bisecting the weapon. Holdo sacrifices herself by slicing through Snoke's flagship at hyperspace, crippling the First Order fleet. Rey escapes the destruction while Kylo declares himself Supreme Leader. BB-8 frees Finn and Rose; they defeat Phasma and join the survivors on Crait. When the First Order arrives, Poe, Finn, and Rose attack with obsolete speeders. Rey and Chewbacca draw TIE fighters away in the Millennium Falcon, while Rose stops Finn from sacrificing himself. The First Order penetrates the Resistance fortress using a siege cannon.
Luke appears and confronts the First Order, allowing the surviving Resistance to escape. Kylo orders the First Order's forces to fire on Luke, but they fail to harm him. He then engages Luke in a lightsaber duel; upon striking Luke, Kylo realizes that Luke is not physically present, but projecting his image through the Force. Rey helps the remaining Resistance escape on the Falcon. Exhausted, Luke dies peacefully on Ahch-To, becoming one with the Force. Rey and Leia sense his death, and Leia tells Rey that the Resistance can rise again.
At Canto Bight, the stablehands recount the story of Luke Skywalker; afterward, one of them moves a broom with the Force and gazes into space.
Frank Oz returns as Yoda, the deceased former Jedi Master and Luke's wise mentor, who appears as a Force spirit.[16] Joonas Suotamo appears as Chewbacca, taking over the role from Peter Mayhew after previously serving as his body double in The Force Awakens. Mayhew, who suffered from chronic knee and back pain, was credited as "Chewbacca consultant".[17][18] Billie Lourd, Mike Quinn, and Timothy D. Rose reprise their roles as Lieutenant Connix, Nien Nunb, and Admiral Ackbar, respectively; with Tom Kane voicing Ackbar.[19][17] Amanda Lawrence appears as Commander D'Acy, and Mark Lewis Jones and Adrian Edmondson play Captains Canady and Peavey, respectively.[17] BB-8 is controlled by puppeteers Dave Chapman and Brian Herring,[17] with initial voice work by Ben Schwartz and final sound effects voiced by Bill Hader modulated through a synthesizer.[20] Jimmy Vee portrays R2-D2, taking over the role from Kenny Baker, who died in August 2016.[21] Veronica Ngo portrays Rose's sister Paige Tico, a Resistance gunner who sacrifices her life to destroy a First Order dreadnought.[22]
Justin Theroux plays the master codebreaker, while Lily Cole plays his companion.[17] Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a voice cameo as Slowen Lo,[23] and Warwick Davis plays Wodibin.[17] Rogue One (2016) director Gareth Edwards has a cameo appearance as a Resistance Soldier, with Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish also cameo in the film.[9] Hermione Corfield appears as Tallissan "Tallie" Lintra, a Resistance A-Wing pilot and squadron leader, and Noah Segan and Jamie Christopher appear as Resistance pilots Starck and Tubbs.[17] Hugh Skinner cameos as a Resistance Officer; while Hamill's children, Griffin, Nathan, and Chelsea, cameo as Resistance soldiers.[9] Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex; and Gary Barlow have cameo appearances as stormtroopers,[9] and Tom Hardy also had an appearance as a stormtrooper, but his cameo was dropped from the final cut.[24]
Release
Theatrical
The film had its world premiere at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on December 9, 2017,[75] and was released in the United States on December 15,[76] in IMAX and 3D.[77][78] The film was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on May 26;[79] however, it was pushed back to December to avoid competition with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).[76]
Home media
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Star Wars: The Last Jedi digitally in HD and 4K via digital download and Movies Anywhere on March 13, 2018, with an Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD physical release on March 27.[80] On March 31, 2020, a 27-disc Skywalker Saga box set was released, containing all nine films in the series, with each film receiving three discs, a Blu-ray version, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, and special features found on the 2011 release for the first six episodic films.[81]
Reception
Box office
Star Wars: The Last Jedi grossed $620.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $712.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.333 billion.[3] It was the highest-grossing film of 2017 and the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time.[82][83] The film had a worldwide opening of $450.8 million, the eighth-biggest of all time, including $40.6 million that was attributed to IMAX screenings, the second biggest for IMAX.[84][85] It was estimated that the film would need to gross $800 million worldwide to break even;[86] On December 31, 2017, the film crossed the $1 billion mark,[87] making it the third Star Wars film to do so. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $417.5 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it first on their list of 2017's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".[88]