Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker "doesn't pick up immediately" after The Last Jedi

Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker director JJ Abrams has revealed how closely the film will follow The Last Jedi.

Friday's Star Wars Celebration fan event was full of lots of cagey answers from Abrams and his cast, to avoid giving much away about the final instalment of the Skywalker Saga.

However, Abrams did actually speak in-depth about how The Rise of Skywalker will begin – specifically, that it doesn't pick up directly after the battle between The First Order and The Resistance on Crait.

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"The movie doesn't pick up immediately after the last film," the filmmaker hinted. "Some time has gone by. In this movie, this is an adventure that the group goes on together and it's a story that, I think, one of the great things about the movie getting to work on it was the dynamic between the characters.

"They are just wonderful together and that's what I'm most excited for you to see."

The Rise of Skywalker also premiered its first trailer at Celebration, which hinted at the return of Emperor Palpatine (complete with an on-stage appearance from actor Ian McDiarmid).

Related: Star Wars movies to go on "bit of a hiatus" following Episode 9

Although Abrams coyly refused to use Palpatine's name, he did hint: "This movie, in addition to being the end of three trilogies, it also has to work as its own movie.

"It's about this new generation and what they've inherited, the light and the dark, and asking the question as they face the greatest evil, are they prepared? Are they ready?"

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Star Wars Episode IX will be released on Thursday, December 19 in the UK and Friday, December 20 in the US.

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Justin Harp

Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.