There are some franchises that you can always count on to do well. Star Wars is one of those franchises. Even when people were panning the prequel triology, those three films still drew in massive audiences. Maybe it was because there was such a gap between the original trilogy and the prequel one. As a result, fan communities grew up enjoying the various stories and games set in the classic expanded universe and Star Wars became a way of life for an entirely new generation.
Disney clearly believes this, as they’ve started filming Episode VIII before Episode VII has even been reviewed, much less been released to the general public. And with this new report, we can tell at least one thing; Mark Hamill has been seen arriving on the set of Episode VIII, so don’t count Luke Skywalker out just yet.
Episode VIII has been filming on the isle of Skellig, off the coast of Ireland. There are ruins of a monastic settlement, which are rumoured to used as Luke’s hideaway. The protagonist of the original trilogy, Mark Hamill’s character is the focus of no small curiosity. The last time we saw him, he had finally become a full Jedi Knight, defeated Darth Vader and had the task of returning peace to the galaxy.
But what has the elder Skywalker twin been up to in the thirty years between Jedi and Awakening? Because, unlike the other main characters of the original trilogy, Mark Hamill’s character had another responsibility. As the last of the Jedi, it was up to him to train a new generation. Has he trained Leia or anyone else in that time? We’ve heard a lot about the force users on the First Order’s side, but Luke is the only confirmed force user on the Resistance’s side.
Only time will tell…
