The cameras are rolling on Star Wars: Episode VIII, a fact we know thanks to director Rian Johnson's video from the first day of production. And, as some had already surmised from the location of that video, it appears that the new film picks up directly from where The Force Awakens left off, a first for the franchise, at least according to Rey herself, Daisy Ridley.
As a presenter at the Oscars this weekend, Ridley walked the red carpet and, no doubt mindful of the watchful, possibly lethal gaze of BB-8 from elsewhere at the event, let slip a little bit about the film to MTV news. "Me and Mark [Hamill] have been rehearsing a lot, and it’s really amazing,” Ridley says. “When we went back to Skellig to do the opening of Episode VIII, it was so crazy doing the same scene with a different crew of people. He’s amazing to rehearse with, and I’m very excited to be doing the rest of the stuff.”
So what can she tell us about the film, which Johnson also wrote? “It’s such a good story. Seriously. Luke is so cool in this one. Really.” Well, he'd better be, after (spoiler alert for the two people reading this who have yet to see The Force Awakens) skulking around on that island for most of the previous film.
We'll have to wait to find out how cool he is in this one, as Episode VIII (production code name: Space Bear) isn't out until December 15, 2017. But you can get your Star Wars fix with Rogue One, due this December 16.