It was only recently that we saw a surge in the popularity of the Star Wars universe. It is a vast universe with intriguing characters who have entertained audiences for decades.
Granted people already knew what it was but it was almost two decades since a Star Wars movie graced the theaters. The fanbase was there but with time even that was diminishing. Lucas Films was not in a good position of making another groundbreaking trilogy after the debacle of the latest Prequel trilogy of the 2000s.
After the horrible prequels, Star Wars fans had lost hope that they would ever see well-directed, well-researched, adventure-filled movies set in a galaxy far far away…But Lucas Films heard the whispers of Star Wars fans and here we are…
Despite fans wanting a new trilogy, Lucas Films was growing increasingly doubtful if another movie trilogy could cover up their recent demise at the box-office. Enter Disney.
The Mouse House bought Lucas Films a few years ago. With Disney Entertainment providing the necessary cushion for a setback, Lucas Films had more room to experiment (and for error).
Since Disney was backing them, a box office success became a secondary priority as the movie was almost going to be a sure-shot success at the Big screen. Lucas Films and Disney hired Rian Johnson for the next trilogy installment to the Star Wars saga and the rest is history.
The Last Jedi Trilogy consists of three movies – Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: Episode IX (it has a working title of ‘Black Diamond’). But Lucas Films did not stop there. With Disney, it is always about brand value and how to up it as much as possible.
Spin-off movies were announced soon after. Rogue One: A Star Wars story was a massive critical and financial success. Emboldened by the spin-off experiment, Lucas Films announced another such project.
Solo: A Star Wars Story will tell the story of our fan favorite and kickass hero Han Solo. The movie will follow Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian as they embark on an epic adventure set before the events of the Original Trilogy (where the three met Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker to save the Galaxy from the Galactic Empire).
Rogue One was a beautifully crafted masterpiece. Some might argue it is the greatest addition to the Star Wars saga yet. It had a plot that was moving and engaging with characters that were interesting and intriguing.
Moreover, Rogue One had clear-cut connections to the central Star wars plot line and in turn, the central plotline had crystal clear references to Rogue One.
So the question that arises now is – How will Solo: A Star Wars Story connect itself to the Star Wars universe, and most importantly to the latest addition to the franchise, i.e., Star Wars – The Last Jedi.
The Last Jedi had several references to Rogue One and even to Star Wars; Battlefront II video game. While those connections do no good to explain the question mentioned above, we have something that does.
Lucas Films Executives recently hinted at a possible Easter egg that could connect The Last Jedi Trilogy with future Star Wars movies.
Remember the Millennium Falcon? Han Solo’s personal ride has been through thick and thin with him. Even Until his death. That is how Solo: A Star Wars Story will connect to The Last Jedi trilogy. The Golden Dice at the end of The Last Jedi plays a vital role in this regard. Lucas Films Executive Leland Chee had this to say to Story Group:
“They were going to put [the dice] in The Force Awakens,” says Leland Chee. “And then they ended up changing that shot.”
So the dice were actually present in all the movies. They were just not in any of the scenes. J.J Abrams reportedly shot a scene where Han hangs the dice on the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit.
“Rian [Jonhson] saw that and that’s why he made such a meal out of the dice in The Last Jedi,” Hidalgo said. “But then J.J. cut the dice appearance in The Force Awakens so as a result what Rian ends up referencing is not so much The Force Awakens, but A New Hope.”
When asked whether the Dice will appear in future movies, Chee says – “Maybe, Wink Wink…”
So there it is folks. The Golden Dice you see at the end of The Last Jedi, they are actually present in all the Star Wars movies you have seen. Like a secret hidden link, it connects all the stories together without you even noticing. How is THAT for a plot twist!!! Awesome right! But this is just one among so many things which will blow the minds of fans as J.J. Abrams is coming back to direct the episode 9 of the Star Wars latest trilogy along with Chris Terrio who is working on a screenplay.
He successfully reinvented the Star Wars franchise with ‘The Force Awakens’ and brought alive the nostalgia of original trilogy. It embraced the magic realism of originals and adopted similar pace and tone in the script. In fact, the criticism of the movie was that it felt like a rehash of ‘The New Hope’ with latest computer graphics. Here’s what J.J. Abrams said about the upcoming Star Wars movie:
“Well, it’s certainly something that I’m aware of now working on Episode IX, coming back into this world after having done Episode VII. I feel like we need to approach this with the same excitement that we had when we were kids, loving what these movies were. And at the same time, we have to take them places that they haven’t gone, and that’s sort of our responsibility. It’s a strange thing, Michael’s worked on things like Planet of the Apes and Star Trek and Star Wars, and these are the things of dreams. Yet we can’t just revel in that; we have to go elsewhere.”
One of the Reddit users who claimed to have met both JJ and Terrio posted his conversation on social media:
“They said that they’re going to be brave and there will be big surprises. I got the impression that JJ felt like he had to refresh previous Star Wars moments for a modern audience in TFA, and now it feels like they have free reign to do what they want. Apparently, they’ve had no interference from Kathleen or Pablo or the Lucasfilm Story Group. 9 is also the film which unites all three trilogies and brings everything together. That’s all they would tell me.”
He further added:
“I worry a little bit that the questions I was asking were too leading. I was speaking to Chris and he was talking about the OT. I said about how I grew up with the PT and the prequels were my entry point into Star Wars. I asked about elements of the PT coming into 9 and Chris said about how 9 unites all of it. He said 9 definitely makes it feel like they’re all happening in the same universe, and there would be PT elements in 9. They could be visual or thematic, he didn’t overtly say that there would be returning planets or characters from the PT or anything.”
Don’t Miss: 10 Celebs Who Could Have Been A Part of The Harry Potter Movies
