KYWALKER THE MAKING OF A HERO!
INSID E R
IN T E R V IEW
ANDY
SECOMBE
TOYDARIAN TALES
+
WIN!
FANTASTIC
STAR WARS
PRIZE GIVEAWAY
INSIDE!
Inside the
Lucasfilm
Archive
Meet the woman who
safeguards Lucasfilm’s
collection of Star Wars
props and costumes! © & TM 2020 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used under authorization.
Secrets of
the Holocrons
Keeping the mysteries
of the Jedi and the
Sith safe!
Writing
Rise
The of
Skywalker
“You know that these are the last words
that Carrie will ever say on screen.”
Chris Terrio & Michelle Rejwan on honoring Leia’s legacy.
STUART FREEBORN THE MAKEUP LEGEND REMEMBERED
FILM AND SOUNDTRACK OUT NOW
MUSIC BY
JOHN WILLIAMS
LISTEN TO THE NEW MUSIC
FROM STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
AND RELIVE ALL YOUR FAVORITE
STAR WARS MUSIC HERE:
IPHONE USER ANDROID USER
1. OPEN your camera 1. DOWNLOAD or OPEN GOOGLE LENS
2. POINT to the QR code 2. POINT to the QR code
3. CLICK on the link 3. CLICK on the link
© 2019 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
™
WELCOME... TITAN EDITORIAL
APRIL 2020
Editor / Chris Cooper
Managing Editor / Martin Eden
Associate Editors / Tolly Maggs,
Jake Devine
Star Wars is history! Art Editor / Andrew Leung
Obviously it’s not over, thank the Maker, but by LUCASFILM
definition, it all happened a long time ago—which Star Senior Editor / Brett Rector
Art Director / Troy Alders
Wars has always been very upfront about, in big blue
Creative Director / Michael Siglain
letters. So there’s no need for us to do a Kylo Ren and Asset Management / Tim Mapp,
“Let the past die.” As our beloved galaxy far, far away Erik Sanchez, Bryce Pinkos,
Nicole LaCoursiere, Sarah Williams,
expands its borders and explores new eras of storytelling Shahana Alam
on Disney+ and with the likes of Project Luminous, we as Story Group / Pablo Hidalgo,
fans can continue to revel in what has gone before. Leland Chee, Matt Martin
Last issue we very much focused on shiny new things, CONTRIBUTORS
including the Mandalorian’s briefly pristine beskar armor, Kristin Baver, Tricia Barr,
Tara Bennett, Pat Jankiewicz,
but this time out—as we wait to find out what’s coming
Tony A. Rowe, Jay Stobie, Dan Wallace,
next—we’re diving into the Jedi Archives, Jocasta Nu- and Bryan Young.
style, to embrace what came before. Of course, that now
SPECIAL THANKS TO
includes Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which is an Lucy Goldsmith, Erich Schoeneweiss
incredible three months old! Can you believe that? Time at Random House, Holly McIntosh, Joseph
sure flies by when you’re having fun. Taraborrelli, Andrea Towers and Jim Nausedas
at Marvel Comics, Lizzy Draeger, Tracy
In this issue, we take an in-depth look at the final Cannobbio and Chris Argyropoulos
chapter in the Skywalker saga, and speak to screenwriter at Lucasfi lm. Chris Troise and Eugene
Paraszczuk at Disney.
Chris Terrio and producer Michelle Rejwan about bringing
that story to a close. We also meet Madlyn Burkert to TITAN MAGAZINES
learn about her work at the Lucasfilm Archive, explore Production Controller / Caterina Falqui
Production Manager / Jackie Flook
the history of Jedi and Sith holocrons, chat to animator Art Director / Oz Browne
Rob Coleman and actor Andy Secombe about the prequel Sales & Circulation Manager /
trilogy, and remember the visionary work of makeup Steve Tothill
Publicist / Imogen Harris
maestro Stuart Freeborn. Press, Publicity & Marketing Assistant /
The Force will be with us, always. George Wickenden
Editorial Director / Duncan Baizley
Operations Director / Leigh Baulch
Executive Director / Vivian Cheung
Publisher / Nick Landau
DISTRIBUTION
US Newsstand / Total Publisher Services, Inc.
John Dziewiatkowski 630-851-7683
US Newsstand Distribution / Curtis Circulation
Company
Christopher Cooper US Bookstore Distribution / The News Group
US Direct Sales / Diamond Comic Distributors
Editor UK Distribution / Marketforce
SUBSCRIPTIONS
U.S. subscriptions / 1-800-261-6502,
email: customerservice@titanpublishingusa.com
Canada subscriptions / 818-487-4575
U.K. subscriptions / 01778 392085
MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS... email: swmag@servicehelpline.co.uk
For more info on advertising contact
adinfo@titanemail.com
STAR WARS INSIDER APRIL 2020
(USPS 003-027) (ISSN 1041-5122)
Star Wars Insider is published eight times per year
(February, March, April, June, July, September,
October, December) by Titan Magazines,
Jay Stobie Tara Bennett Kristin Baver Amy Ratcliffe Tricia Barr Tony A. Rowe a division of Titan Publishing Group Limited,
@CaptStobie @ TaraDBennett @KristinBaver @amy_geek @ fangirlcantina @bagelpriest 144 Southwark Street, London SE1 0UP.
Contents © 2019 Lucasfi lm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved,
Starship fanatic Tara is a New York Kristin was a Author of Star Tricia is the Star Wars fan and Titan Authorized User. TMN14007
and blogger Jay Times bestselling card-carrying Wars: Women of co-author of LucasArts veteran PUBLISHER’S U.S. AGENT
writes articles for author, journalist, Star Wars fan the Galaxy, Amy is DK’s Ultimate Tony A. Rowe is 2819 Rosehall Lane, Aurora, IL 60503. Periodicals
Postage Paid at Aurora IL and at additional
StarWars.com and and editor, and has before she had obsessed with the Star Wars. now a university mailing offi ces.
is searching for a written numerous reason to own a saga and loves to She also wrote professor teaching
POSTMASTER
way to reside full companion books wallet. Now she’s visit Disney theme the acclaimed video game design, Send address changes to Star Wars Insider,
time in the Star for hit movie and an associate editor parks as often award-winning production, and PO Box 18479, Anaheim, CA 92817-8479
Wars galaxy. television series. at StarWars.com. as she can. novel Wynde. its history. U.S. subscriptions $49.99 per year; Canada $64.99 and U.K. £31.99.
U.S. edition printed by Quad.
© 2020 Lucasfi lm Ltd. and ™ All Rights Reserved.
Used Under Authorization.
CONTACT US Email us: StarWarsInsider
starwarsinsider@titanemail.com
isalsoavailableonline.
Write to us Call us Find us Todownload,visit:
UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM To subscribe in the U.S. please WWW WWW.TITANMAGAZINES.COM www.titanmagazines.com/
Star Wars Insider, Star Wars Insider, call toll free on 800-261-6502. digitial
Titan Magazines, 144 Southwark For U.K. and all other
FACEBOOK.COM/STARWARSINSIDER
2819 Rosehall Street, London destinations please call
Lane, Aurora, IL, SE1 0UP, 01778 392085 or @ SW_INSIDER Visit www.starwars.com
60503, U.S.A. U.K. +44 (0) 1778 392085
CONTENTS
I SSUE 196 / APR IL 2020
26
Interview:
Chris Terrio &
Michelle Rejwan
The challenges of writing Star Wars:
The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
01 Writer Chris Terriro (left) with writer,
director, and producer J.J. Abrams
(right) on the set of Star Wars:
The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
4 / STAR WARS INSIDER
NEWSSTAND COMIC STORE SUBSCRIBER
EDITION EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE
Subscribe
to Star Wars
Insider
Page 70
06 32 60
Launchpad Interview: Andy Secombe Interview: Michael Bell
The voice of Watto relates Toydarian
This month’s Star Wars news The renowned actor tells Star Wars
tales from the sets of the prequels.
roundup, including the latest books, Insider how he provided the voices for
38
comics, and collectibles. not one but two rebel generals!
18 Secrets of the Holocrons 64
Everything you need to know about these
The Jedi Redeemed repositories of Jedi and Sith knowledge. Stuart Freeborn
Insider explores how Rey and Ben Solo 46 Insider profiles the career and legacy of
joined forces to thwart a returning Sith in the legendary special effects and makeup
the final chapter of the Skywalker saga. Interview: Rob Coleman artist on the original Star Wars trilogy.
The animation supervisor looks back at
26 the making of The Phantom Menace. 76
52
Rising to the Challenge Knowledge is Power
Screenwriter Chris Terrio and producer Inside the Lucasfi lm Archive The top five secrets that could have
Michelle Rejwan reveal how the story of Lucasfilm archivist Madlyn Burkert changed the course of galactic history had
The Rise of Skywalker came together. on having the best job in the galaxy. they fallen into the wrong hands!
INCOMING TRANSMISSIONS
44 58 72 80
Prize Giveaway! Jedi Master’s Quiz Worldwide Image Archive
Your chance to win an incredible prize Test your knowledge of From scrap to Star Wars sculpture, Even aliens have to audition. We catch
in this issue’s Star Wars competition. The Rise of Skywalker. family cosplay, and fabulous fan art. up with Klaud’s first day on set.
STAR WARS INSIDER / 5
NEW S / BOOK S /COMI CS / T O Y S / G AME S / A S
Thanks A Billion
Audiences Flock to See the Skywalker Saga Finale
ith advance online ticket sales in London, England, where members of Michelle Rejwan added. “This is a very
W replacing queues around the the cast joined eager audiences who were special moment.”
block, perhaps we should be
among the first to experience the fi nale
The imminent release of the movie
calling Star Wars: The Rise of of the Skywalker saga. saw those involved in its creation in
Skywalker a “server-buster” rather than “We could not be more excited,” said reflective mood as they spoke to reporters
a blockbuster, but bust blocks the movie Kathleen Kennedy prior to the screening on the blue carpet at both events.
has, breaking the billion-dollar box offi ce at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater. “This is “I think the thing about Star Wars is
barrier in its first month of release. the first audience. No one has seen it, that it gives you a feeling of infi nite
The adventure began on December we’ve not watched anybody watching it, possibility and hope,” director J.J.
16, 2020, at the World Premiere in Los so this is going to be so much fun.” Abrams suggested. “It has a beautiful
Angeles and continued a day later at “It’s been an incredibly long and spirit to it that I recognized when I was
the European premiere of the movie amazing road to get here,” producer 10 years old, in what it means to have
6 / STAR WARS INSIDER
LAUNCHPAD
The Rise of
Skywalker’s
World Premiere
in L.A. on
December 16,
faith in something bigger than yourself. “I’ve watched it twice now, and you
And Star Wars is bigger than all of us.” get different things from it every time,”
“You’re surrounded by this huge, epic said Daisy Ridley (Rey). “I’m excited for
scale, but the meat of the story is about people to watch it, but it feels strange
very universal themes,” said Adam Driver that it’s almost done,” she added,
(Kylo Ren), ruminating on why the saga admitting that she’d shed a few tears
connects with audiences around the in the run-up to the premiere.
world. “It’s about found family, and the “Everyone wants to know how the
family you can’t escape, the destiny that story ends,” said Anthony Daniels
you feel you can’t escape although you (C-3PO), smiling in anticipation. “One of
want to change, and everyone has a the cleverest things George Lucas did was
relationship to that.” create this kind of sandbox that people
“Star Wars is such a cultural adopted, and now there are three
phenomenon,” said John Boyega (Finn). generations who play within the
“It’s more than just a movie. People pass sandbox and make up stories, make
this on to their kids. And this is an epic costumes, and share their enjoyment of
conclusion. There’s a lot in there. The the light side or the dark side. There is
connection between family and friends something and someone in the Star Wars
is super important in this one.” movies for everyone,” he added.
STAR WARS INSIDER / 7
LAUNCHPAD
Back On The Hunt to appear in the second season, sculpted
by artist Tony McVey—a veteran of
Lucasfilm’s art department who worked
on Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983).
Cameras Rolling on The Mandalorian Season Two The Mandalorian will return this fall,
with Jon Favreau and Carl Weathers
on Favreau dropped an extra the news wasn’t entirely unexpected, as joining the directorial team. Favreau will
J holiday season gift to fans of Favreau had previously intimated that also again serve as executive producer
on the series, alongside Dave Filoni,
filming was already well underway.
hit show The Mandalorian on
December 27th, confirming The reveal (which came hot on the Kathleen Kennedy, and Colin Wilson,
on Twitter that the series had been heels of the Season One finale debuting with Karen Gilchrist as co-executive
renewed for a second season. To those on the streaming service) came with an producer. Disney+ is now available in
already following the series creator and added bonus—an intruiging concept the U.S., and it recently arrived in the
showrunner on social media, however, maquette of a Gamorrean character set U.K. on March 24.
Movie Night at the Homestead
Star Wars Comes Home on 4k and Blu-ray
et ready for the latest discs will feature the theatrical poster
G additions to your home for the movie. In the U.K., online
store Zavvi will be selling a limited-
entertainment library this
spring, as Star Wars: The Rise edition Collector’s Edition steelbook
of Skywalker is due to be released on 4K that comes with a high-quality metal
and Blu-ray disc and digital download. slipcase with embossed detail, four art
As with previous releases, several cards, and two collector pin badges
U.S. retailers will be offering unique Also incoming is the Star Wars: The
editions, including a 4K disc at Target, Skywalker Saga: 9-Movie Collection,
which will feature cover art inspired a massive 27-disc box set of the epic
by one of the more famous theatrical movie narrative, featuring all nine
posters for Star Wars: A New Hope episodes on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and
(1977). Best Buy’s Steelbook edition a digital copy. The set will feature a Release dates and prices for these
uses art from The Rise of Skywalker vast number of value-added extras and exciting releases were unconfi rmed
teaser poster featuring Kylo Ren, comes packaged in a stunning slip-case as this issue went to press, so check
while the regular DVD and Blu-ray with a booklet of concept art. StarWars.com for breaking news.
8 / STAR WARS INSIDER
LAUNCHPAD
Awards
season goes big
Star Awards on a galaxy far, for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
far away....
for composer John Williams. The
movie could also win Oscars for Best
Achievement in Visual Effects and
Star Wars Productions Up for a Galaxy of Honors Best Achievement in Sound Editing.
Meanwhile, in the U.K. the movie
wards season dominated Mandalorian, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, was nominated for a trio of BAFTA
A the calendar at the start of and Vader Immortal had each garnered (British Academy of Film and Television
Arts) awards in the categories of
nominations and plaudits that could see
2020, during which assorted
august bodies took time to Lucasfilm’s shelf of gongs buckling under Original Music, Best Sound, and Best
recognize outstanding achievement in the weight of its new acquisitions. Achievement in Special Visual Effects.
entertainment over the previous year. The Rise of Skywalker was up The same ceremony saw Kathleen
And 2019 was a big hitter for Star Wars. for no less than three Academy Kennedy honored with a BAFTA
At the time of going to press, Star Awards, including nominations for Fellowship, the highest accolade bestowed
Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Best Achievement in Music Written by the organization for outstanding and
exceptional contribution to film, games
or television.
At the 2020 VES (Visual Effects
Society) Awards, The Mandalorian
featured in several categories, with the
Child nominated for Outstanding Visual
Effects in a Photoreal Feature. Both
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and
Rise of the Resistance at Galaxy’s Edge
found themselves in the frame for the
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special
Venue Project award, and ILMxLab’s
Vader Immortal was up for Outstanding
Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project. The
stunning VR experience also secured the
Innovation Award at the 31st annual
PGA (Producer’s Guild of America)
awards ceremony in January.
STAR WARS INSIDER / 9
LAUNCHPAD
A Duel of Embrace the
Fates Awaits Royal Selangor
dark side with
Savor the stance of a Sith
arth Maul’s imposing glare
D and double-bladed lightsaber
may have spelled the end
for Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn
in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
(1999), but the latest pewter fi gurine
from Royal Selangor of the Sith
apprentice could represent
the beginning of a new
collection for you.
Showcasing the
Dathomirian in
all of his dark
side glory, and
equipped with
a removable
hand so that
you can change
the position
of his unique
lightsaber, this fi nely
sculpted Maul appears
to be taunting his opponent
as he prepares for combat. Limited to
5000 units worldwide, the fearsome
figurine measures in at 10 inches high
and is expected to ship in early 2020,
priced at $800. To discover more, visit
royalselangor.com/starwars.
THE LIGHT SIDE By Jamie Cosley
10 / STAR WARS INSIDER
LAUNCHPAD
Timeline
A Soft Chair for a Hoth Lair Important dates
in Star Wars
history.
Cozy up in a wampa’s embrace
1937
hether you’re decorating April 6: Billy Dee Williams, who
W an ice cave or a living plays Lando Calrissian, is born.
room, ThinkGeek’s Star
1975
Wars Wampa Bean Bag
April 2: Pedro Pascal, who plays
Chair will make you feel right at
the eponymous hero inThe
home. With a design that features the
Mandalorian (2019), is born.
creature’s furry visage and fi erce horns,
you’ll never want to Force yourself out 1980
of this seat. Thanks to the actions of April 8: Katee Sackhoff, who
a chilly young Jedi, the wampa’s arm voiced Bo-Katan in Star Wars:
is detachable and doubles as a pillow The Clone Wars and Star Wars:
to provide maximum comfort. This Rebels, is born.
unique item of Star Wars furniture is
1980
priced at $99 and available now from
April 12: The novelization of
gamestop.com.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes
Back (1980), by Donald F. Glut, is
published by Ballantine Books.
1982
April 16: Gina Carano, Cara Dune in
The Mandalorian (2019), is born.
1992
April 10: Daisy Ridley (Rey) is born.
1997
April 2: The trade paperback
edition of Shadows of the Empire,
by John Wagner, is released by
Dark Horse Comics.
1999
April 21: The novelization of Star
Wars: The Phantom Menace
(1999), by Terry Brooks, is
published by Del Rey.
2005
April 21: Star Wars Celebration
III opens in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Droid Denominations
Classy coins fit for a trip to Canto Bight
he New Zealand Mint is of the movie logo. A high-quality
T honoring the final chapter wooden display case and a certifi cate
of authenticity are also included. Only
in the Skywalker saga with a
limited-edition, 1/4oz. gold 500 coins are being made available
coin depicting the breakout star of worldwide, priced at $800 each.
the sequel trilogy, lovable droid BB-8. Also available, and limited to 5,000
Poe Dameron’s spherical pal is joined units apiece, are 1-oz silver Kylo Ren
by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Rey coins, both of which feature
(2019) newcomer D-O on the coin’s poster art from the movie. For more
face, which also features an engraving details, visit nzmint.com.
STAR WARS INSIDER / 11
LAUNCHPAD
Mando A B
Merch
Assets that make bounty
hunting less complicated
Cute Collectibles
Nobody puts this little
green guy in the corner! C
The Child’s exponential ascent to the
highest echelons of popular culture has
taken the galaxy by storm, and it seems
every Star Wars fan wants a piece of that
valuable bounty. Luckily, there’s more
than enough to go around, with plenty
of adorable merchandise hitting store
shelves now or coming this spring.
From Funko there’s The Child
Pop!, in both regular and super-sized
10-inch versions (A), while Hasbro’s The
Bounty Collection features a range of six
collectible 2.2-inch the Child figures in a
variety of fun poses (B). Also from Hasbro
is a talking plush (C)—just squeeze the
Child’s tummy to hear ultra-cute burbled
dialogue!—and a Black Series action
figure (complete with Sorgan frog), and a
giant 6.5-inch action figure for poseable
fun. Meanwhile, Mattel has you covered D
for Child cuddles with their plush Well-Armored Hot Rods
version of the cute kid (D).
Blending classic cars with
Star Wars designs
Mountin a Mythosaur Four new galactic rides have joined Hot
‘Thisistheway’toaccessorize Wheels’ line of Star Wars Character Cars,
your enclave reinventing the distinctive armor of
several denizens of the galaxy as unique
Originally a stenciled feature on the automotive designs. The Mandalorian
shoulder pauldron of Boba Fett’s armor, gets his own offroader (F), replete with
the Mythosaur skull symbol has soared silver beskar body panels and a cape-
into the public eye again thanks to its like tailgate, while the Sith trooper and
recent appearance in the Disney+ series First Order Jet trooper from The Rise of
The Mandalorian. Skywalker get sporty vehicles of their own.
E
At around 17-inches in length, the The Poe Dameron Character Car has been
exquisitely sculpted Mandalorian Skull updated with an orange color scheme that
Wall Decor from Regal Robot (E) is a matches his X-wing from the movie.
must for any underground hideaway.
Initially sculpted in clay by special effects
F
artist Miyo Nakamura, the skull was
molded for duplication in rotational cast
resin. Hand-painted and stained to create
the impression that it is made of actual
bone, the menacing sculpture is available
from regalrobot.com, priced $229.99.
12 / STAR WARS INSIDER
LAUNCHPAD
Garments for a Galaxy Far, Far Away
A capsule collection that captures the spirit of the Skywalker saga
uxury brand Robert Graham’s a range of impressive items for men stripes overlayed across the Sith Lord’s
L stunning collection of Star and women, such as The Force T-shirt, helmet. The reversible Galaxy Bomber
jacket features a metallic design that
Wars-themed apparel is as
evoking the Cloud City duel between
colorful as the franchise itself, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker; the will stand out in any crowd, while
featuring vibrant prints and embroidery stunning Princess Leia Shirt, which the range of pure silk scarves includes
inspired by the movies on shirts, socks, uses splashes of watercolor and elegant designs such as Tropical Darth, Jump
scarves, and jackets. flowers to pay tribute to the rebellious to Lightspeed, and the intriguingly
The capsule collection, created in Alderaanian royal; and the Darth Vader tranquil AT-AT and Birds. The collection
collaboration with Lucasfilm, includes Lightsaber T-shirt, featuring vibrant is available now at RobertGraham.us.
A Fairytale
of Fashion
A tie-dye
tee fit for a
You’ll love it. We know!
princess!
he romance between
T Princess Leia and Han Solo
that bubbled to the surface in
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes
Back (1980) led to movie history’s most
memorable declaration of love. Now,
fashion brand Hot Topic pays tribute
to the starcrossed duo’s first kiss with
the Star Wars Han & Leia Kiss Tie-Dye
T-shirt, featuring a high-contrast image
of the couple printed on a 100-percent
cotton blue and white tie-dye tee. The
princess and the scoundrel proved that
love transcends labels, if not online
exclusives, as the shirt is only available
at HotTopic.com.
STAR WARS INSIDER / 13
LAUNCHPAD
Book Club
g
The latest Star Wars books offer amazing art,
exploration, adventure, and mini-sized characters.
TheArtof StarWars:
The Rise of Skywalker
The visual voyage of discovery behind the movie, revealed!
Completing an epic publishing saga This 256-page hardcover from legacy of the Skywalker saga, and
of its own, this latest addition to the Abrams Books features numerous the process is fully explored by Phil
popular and long-running line of Art illustrations that provide readers with Szostak of Lucasfilm, who previously
of Star Wars books (the first of which, a fascinating insight into the creative authored the Art of books for both
covering Star Wars: A New Hope, was process that goes into visualizing the The Force Awakens (2015) and The
first published back in 1979) takes an epic worlds, creatures, characters, Last Jedi (2017). A Doug Chiang
intriguing look at the artistic journey costumes, weapons, and vehicles of foreword and comprehensive
undertaken for Star Wars: The Rise of a galaxy far, far away. The stunning testimony from the artists whose
Skywalker (2019), which started long concept art on show here reveals the imaginations informed every frame
before the cast and crew even set up many and varied alternate avenues of the movie add extra depth to each
shop at Pinewood Studio in the U.K., pursued by the art department as page. The Art of Star Wars: The Rise
and generated thousands of ideas. they strove to uphold the design of Skywalker is on sale on March 31.
14 / STAR WARS INSIDER
LAUNCHPAD
02
01
03
01 02 03
LEGO Star Wars Star Wars: The Galactic Star Wars: The Rise of
Character Encyclopedia: Explorer’s Guide Skywalker Junior Novel
New Edition Get your interstellar passport Michael Kogge, author of the junior
The beloved construction toy and stamped when you pick up this novelization of Star Wars: The Last
legendary space-fantasy saga uniquely interactive guidebook Jedi (2017), is the writer charged
have been a perfect fit for over to the worlds and wonders of the with the enviable responsibility
20 years. An all-new edition of galaxy far, far away. of adapting the events of the fi nal
the LEGO Star Wars Character Star Wars expert Jason Fry film in the Skywalker saga, The
Encyclopedia comes out this April, (The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition) Rise of Skywalker, for middle grade
and is stuffed with photos and facts takes fans on a planet-hopping trip readers. In this epic yet accessible
on the more than 200 LEGO Star across the galaxy in this fact-fi lled retelling of the movie, he eff ortlessly
Wars minifi gures released to date, book that works in conjunction with captures the grand sweep of the
including the newest characters a custom augmented-reality app. long-running space opera’s fi nale.
from The Rise of Skywalker (2019). A wealth of photos and diagrams In the novel, readers rejoin Rey,
Written by Elizabeth Dowsett, illustrate each entry, while the app Poe Dameron, and Finn as they
this hardcover reference contains allows virtual elements to spring travel across the galaxy on a quest
real-world trivia such as the rarity to three-dimensional life via your to defeat the increasingly driven
of certain minifigs, or which ones smartphone. Experience the galaxy Kylo Ren and bring down the First
sport exclusive printings, parts, through multiple perspectives in Order. But is an even darker enemy
and accessories. And it comes this pleasingly designed, whimsical lurking in the shadows?
packaged with a Darth Maul look at exotic alien environments Featuring exclusive scenes and
minifigure, complete with all the way from the Interior to the color photos, the book will be in
double-bladed lightsaber! Unknown Regions. bookstores in Spring 2020.
STAR WARS INSIDER / 15
LAUNCHPAD
Comics Roundup
Scum, villains, and anit-heroes play leading roles
in this month’s Star Wars comics.
Bounty
Beware!
Disintegration time in Star
Wars: Bounty Hunters
The appearance of the masked Boba
Fett, reptilian Bossk, and a squad of
other gritty-looking hunters in Star
Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
introduced a new Star Wars faction,
positioned in the gray area between
the heroic rebels and the villainous
Empire. These bounty hunters didn’t
wear uniforms and didn’t believe in
any cause other than their latest job.
That roguish appeal is still potent
today, as proven by the success of the
Disney+ show The Mandalorian, and
in an all-new comic series from
Marvel: Star Wars: Bounty Hunters.
Writer Ethan Sacks (Galaxy’s Edge)
and artist Paolo Villanelli (Vader:
Dark Visions) team up to deliver the
adventures of the freelancers who
prowl the Outer Rim in search of
wanted fugitives, including Beilert
Valance, a cyborg bounty hunter
created in 1978 for Marvel’s original
Star Wars comics, alongside familiar
faces from the movies.
“While the battle between the
Rebellion and the Empire raged in the
stars, the darker corners of the Star
Wars galaxy belonged to the bounty
hunters,” Sacks explained to StarWars.
com. “I’m channeling that wonder
from The Empire Strikes Back and on his ex-mentor Nakano Lash. Many simmering score. But what could have
beyond. Bounty Hunters is a high- years ago, Lash double-crossed her possibly made Lash break the code
octane action romp through the Star bounty hunting comrades during and backstab her fellow hunters in the
Wars underworld of Hutts and Fetts. a disastrous mission. The survivors first place? When the truth comes out,
Rest assured that Valance is going to barely made it out alive and have it could shake the foundations of the
have to be doing a lot of fi ghting as been nursing a grudge against their criminal underworld!
his jobs take him to some pretty dark betrayer ever since. Lash’s sudden Issue #1 features a cover by Lee
places in both the Outer Rim and in reappearance prompts Valance, Boba Bermejo and a variant cover by Kaare
his inner heart,” Sacks revealed. Fett, Bossk, and other hired guns to Kyle Andrews, with Chris Sprouse
Things get dangerous when set out on her trail. contributing a variant cover to issue
Valance is offered a job he can’t Everyone wants to be the fi rst to #2. The first two issues of Star Wars:
refuse: the chance to take revenge claim the bounty and settle a long- Bounty Hunters are available in March.
16 / STAR WARS INSIDER
Incoming
LAUNCHPAD
Don’tMissThese
UpcomingReleases
Star Wars: The Rise of
Kylo Ren #4 (of 4)
The limited series comes to an end
with issue #4 of The Rise of Kylo Ren,
courtesy of writer Charles Soule (Star
Wars, Darth Vader), artist Will Sliney, MARCH
and cover artist E.M. Gist. The series
Star Wars Legends Epic
that began by exploring how Ben
Collection: Clone Wars Vol. 3
Solo took his first steps toward a dark
Marvel Comics
destiny now dives deeply into the “Sins Writers: John Ostrander,
of the Son,” as Ben’s fate is sealed. Chuck Dixon, and others
Once the galaxy’s greatest hope Artist: Rick Leonardi and others
for continuing the Jedi legacy, Ben Cover Artist: Jan Duursema
has been blocked by Snoke and the
Knights of Ren from ever seeing a path APRIL
to redemption. Can hope survive? The
issue is in stores on March 11. Star Wars Legends Epic
Collection: Legacy Vol. 3
Marvel Comics
Writers: John Ostrander,
Star Wars #4 Jan Duursema
Artists: David Ross,
The relaunch of Marvel’s ongoing Star Jan Duursema
Wars series has shifted the timeline’s Cover Artist: Jan Duursema
focus to the gap separating the events
of Empire from Return of the Jedi Star Wars #5
(1983). The latest issue sees writer Marvel Comics
Writer: Charles Soule
Charles Soule and artist Jesús Saiz
Artist: Jesús Saiz
sending the all-star squad of Luke
Cover Artist: R.B. Silva
Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Lando
Calrissian back to Cloud City! Each Doctor Aphra #1
character left something valuable Marvel Comics
behind that’s worth retrieving from Writer: Alyssa Wong
Bespin, but Lando’s gas-mining outpost Artist: Marika Cresta
is now swarming with stormtroopers. Cover Artist: Valentina Remenar
What happens when they decide to
Bounty Hunters #3
press their luck? Featuring a cover by
Marvel Comics
R. B. Silva, the issue is available on
Writer: Ethan Sacks
March 18.
Artist: Paolo Villanelli
Cover Artist: Lee Bermejo
Star Wars Adventures:
The Clone Wars:
Battle Tales
To celebrate the return of The Clone
Wars animated series on Disney+, IDW
is launching a weekly, fi ve-part limited
series in April. Star Wars Adventures:
The Clone Wars: Battle Tales, written
by Michael Moreci, sees the war enter
its final phase, with the struggles of
heroes like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin
Skywalker, Captain Rex, and Padmé
Amidala never seeming so urgent!
The series will feature framing art
by Derek Charm while spotlighting
a different artist (Arianna Florean,
Megan Levens, Valentina Pinto, Davide
Tinto, and Philip Murphy) in each
installment. Issue #1 will feature a
variant cover with artwork by Michael
Avon Oeming (Powers).
STAR WARS INSIDER / 17
THE
SKYWALKER
SAGA
THE JEDI
REDEEMED
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the end of
Emperor Palpatine’s story ushers in a new age for the Jedi.
Tricia Barr concludes her nine-part series on the saga
films by exploring the Hero’s Journey of Rey Skywalker.
Words: Tricia Barr
THE SKYWALKER SAGA
“a euphoric bl ast of
pul se-quickening adventure,
l aced with humor and heart.”
PE TER TR AVERS, ROLLING STONE
peaking in target of the hunt by Darth Vader.
press interviews Attack of the Clones (2002) sees
S leading up to the Obi-Wan Kenobi investigating the
FACTS & release of The mystery of the Kaminoan saberdart
FIGURES Rise of Skywalker, and uncovering a vast conspiracy;
film director J.J. and in Revenge of the Sith (2005),
Title / Star Wars: Abrams described the challenging Anakin Skywalker desperately seeks
The Rise of Skywalker
task faced by the movie: to stand the power to save his wife Padmé
Episode / Nine
alone as a Star Wars adventure Amidala from his visions of her
Poster Tagline /
The Saga Concludes. film, to conclude the new trilogy untimely death.
Theatrical Release / that began with 2015’s Star Wars: Abrams utilized the same
December 20, 2019 The Force Awakens and continued storytelling source in The Force
Run time / 142 mins in its sequel The Last Jedi (2017), Awakens, with both the Resistance
MPAA / “Rated PG-13” and to deliver a satisfying resol- and the First Order pursuing the
Budget / $275 Million ution to the nine-movie saga map leading to the secret hiding
Domestic Opening begun by George Lucas. In some place of Luke Skywalker, now the
Weekend / $177,383,864
ways, The Rise of Skywalker takes last Jedi Knight in the galaxy. The
Domestic Box Offi ce /
$482,569,280 to date Star Wars in new and unexpected twist in The Rise of Skywalker’s
Worldwide Box Offi ce / directions; in others, it returns MacGuffin quest is that Supreme
$1,002,269,280 to date to the roots of the franchise and Leader Kylo Ren uncovers the fi rst
Awards / Academy the inspirations that fi rst sparked of two Sith wayfinders in the fi rst
Award nominations: Best Lucas’ imagination nearly a half- reel, leading him to the ultimate
Achievement in Music
Written for Motion Pictures century ago. power promised by the last of
(Original Score), Best Drawing upon the movie serials the Sith, the erstwhile Emperor
Achievement in Visual
Effects, Best Achievement of the 1930s that he loved in his Palpatine. Rey—the new “last
in Sound Editing. youth, particularly the adventures Jedi”—and her Resistance allies
of Flash Gordon, Lucas sometimes desperately seek the only other
included a MacGuffin quest in his wayfinder in existence, in the
Star Wars movies—the search for hope of stopping the dark side
an object or person that drives the from conquering the galaxy
narrative. Such a quest is at the core once and for all.
of every Indiana Jones fi lm, too.
In Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), A Dyad in the Force
the rebels and Imperials each chase Fulfilling its role as the third fi lm
after the stolen Death Star plans; in the sequel trilogy, The Rise of
in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Skywalker marks the culmination
Luke Skywalker is himself the of the character arcs for the Jedi
STAR WARS INSIDER / 19
THE SKYWALKER SAGA
heroine and her nemesis. In doing 01 01 Rey’s quest
so, we discover they are not merely begins on
Pasaana.
juxtaposed opposites, yin and yang
or light and dark, but poles in the 02 Emperor
Palpatine
Force—a dyad—of the like not seen
lives!
for generations.
For much of the film, Kylo Ren 03 Kylo Ren hunts
for a Sith
is seen at the apex of his Villain’s
wayfinder.
Journey (see issue #179 for analysis Concept art
of the earlier stages in The Force by Andrée
Wallin.
Awakens and The Last Jedi). At fi rst,
he pursues the reemergent Emperor 04 Kylo has
his helmet
Palpatine not to learn from him or
repaired.
ally with him, but to eliminate the
danger Palpatine represents to Ren’s
02
own stranglehold on leadership.
Rejecting Palpatine’s entreaty to
kill Rey, Ren is intent on turning
her to the dark side, so that they
can defeat Palpatine as they did
Snoke and rule together, just as
he’d suggested in the previous
film. He stalks Rey from Ajan Kloss
to Pasaana and Kijimi to Kef Bir,
not once wavering from his stated
objective. Yet the dark side never
delivers what you truly want.
Beaten by Rey among the
wreckage of the second Death
Star on Kef Bir, Kylo Ren fi nally
recognizes the terrible price he has
paid and the harm he has infl icted 03
on the galaxy. In her fi nal act,
Leia Organa uses the strength she
has left to reach out to her son
through the Force, drawing upon
his memories of his father to help
him remember a truth about his
grandfather that he had denied
for so long: it is never too late to
make the right choice. Nonetheless,
as Yoda admonished Luke in The
Empire Strikes Back, “If once you
start down the dark path, forever
The twist in The
Rise of Skywalker’s
MacGuffin quest
is that Supreme
Leader Kylo Ren
uncovers the first of
two Sith wayfinders
in the first reel.
20 / STAR WARS INSIDER
GLOSSARY
OF TERMS
In the final episode
of the Skywalker
saga, we see Rey
move through the
final stages of
Joseph Campbell’s
Hero’s Journey:
Refusal of the Return
04
Our hero elects to remain
in the world where they have
will it dominate your destiny.” found enlightenment, rather
Ben Solo can never change who than return to the place
where they started.
he chose to become or undo all
the things he has done. But he can Magic Flight
honor what his mother spent her The 13th stage of the Hero’s
life fighting for, and his father’s Journey, in which the hero
is pursued by “the gods”
act of self-sacrifice, by helping Rey
having stolen an elixir or
fulfill her destiny in the light. similar object from them.
A Journey’s Final Steps Rescue from Without
Our hero is rescued thanks to
In The Rise of Skywalker, Rey
the intervention of a former
reaches the final stages of her ally or a mythic fi gure.
Hero’s Journey, following the
Crossing the
monomyth framework described
Return Threshold
by Joseph Campbell that heavily
A symbolic rebirth as the
infl uenced Lucas. The Force hero faces one fi nal challenge
Awakens is the beginning of her on their journey home.
path, her call to heroism and her
Master of Two Worlds
initial discovery of the supernatural
In completing their journey,
powers within her. The Last Jedi is the hero has attained
her metamorphosis, from earnest mastery of both their internal
and external worlds.
scavenger to mystical knight,
accompanied by the ultimate Freedom to Live
realization that the future of the The hero has earned the right
Jedi lies not with the mistakes of to live as they choose, free
from fear, hope, or anxiety.
the old Jedi Order, or the failures of
Luke Skywalker, or the lost soul of
Ben Solo, but within herself. It
STAR WARS INSIDER / 21
THE SKYWALKER SAGA
is she, no one else, who is the new Flight, leaping over Ren’s TIE white, Ben in black. Rey, who 05 Upon Leia’s
hope. Now, Rey must internalize fighter on Pasaana and out of Ren’s remained firm in the light, death, Poe
Dameron must
the lessons learned on her journey Star Destroyer over Kijimi, where wields the lightsaber of Leia, rise to the
and synthesize her ordinary and the waiting Falcon provides her who did the same. Ben holds challenge of
leading the
extraordinary worlds to become a Rescue from Without. Her synthesis the blade of his grandfather,
Resistance.
hero in her own image. truly begins with Crossing the the man who became Darth
The third film in her story takes Return Threshold, as the scavenger Vader before resuming his 06 Ben Solo is
reborn, casting
Rey through the latter stages of girl from Jakku relies on a youth identity as Anakin Skywalker.
aside his Kylo
Campbell’s framework (see sidebar, of clambering among Imperial But it is Rey alone, pure Ren identity
page 21). Just as the journey begins wreckage to reach the detritus of in the light side of the Force on Kef Bir.
with the hero reluctant to leave the Emperor’s throne room. On and finding strength in the 07 Rose plays a
the ordinary world, so too the Ahch-To she receives one last lesson knowledge that a thousand pivotal role
in the fight
culmination of the journey starts from the spirit of Luke Skywalker, generations of Jedi have her
against the
with the hero facing the Refusal then proves herself the Master of metaphorical back, who First Order.
of the Return. Continuing her Jedi Two Worlds by scavenging the defeats Palpatine. Though
08 Like Finn,
path by reading the sacred texts remaining wayfinder from the he stood momentarily at
Jannah has
and training under Leia’s watchful burned hulk of Ren’s starfi ghter her side, a Jedi once more, abandoned
eye, Rey is immersed in her so that she can complete her Jedi Ben Solo’s role to play in her past as a
stormtrooper.
extraordinary world. Only when destiny by facing down Palpatine. this fateful moment is not
word comes of the Emperor’s return In the end she earns her Freedom triumph but sacrifi ce. Like
and the existence of the enormous to Live, but the final battle must another battle against Palpatine
Sith fleet does she recognize the come fi rst. three decades earlier, a redeemed
truth posed to her by her friends When the dyad is reunited on tragic figure gives his life so that
Finn and Poe: that the Resistance Exegol, their duality remains. Rey a new hero, untainted by years of
needs her back in the fi ght. Along arrives in an X-wing, Ben aboard darkness, may prevail. This time,
the way she gives herself the Magic a TIE fighter. Rey is clothed in though, the exchange of one life
for another is literal: as his mother
Rey must internalize the lessons learned on expended her final effort to reach
him one last time, so too Ben Solo,
her journey and synthesize her ordinary and drained of his life’s energy to the
brink of death, chooses as his fi nal
extraordinary worlds to become a hero in act to ensure that Rey would be
her own image. the one to guide the Jedi into the
future. The power to cheat death
05
22 / STAR WARS INSIDER
Kylo Ren pledged
to finish what
Darth Vader
started, but it
is Ben Solo who
learns the secret
that Anakin
Skywalker
had sought.
06
07 comes not from the selfi sh greed in the moment to know the
of refusing to let go of a life one right thing to do. Finn may not
desires to continue, but rather from be a Jedi, at least not yet, but the
the selfl ess sacrifice of one’s life Force is definitely with him.
for another’s. Kylo Ren pledged to Unsure how to face seemingly
finish what Darth Vader started, but insurmountable odds, Poe receives
it is Ben Solo who learns the secret a kindly reminder from Lando
that Anakin Skywalker had sought. Calrissian that no one is ever ready
for the biggest challenges: the
There’s More of Us best we can do is face them down
From the beginning, though, Star together. An old friend, Zorii Bliss,
Wars has been about much more reminds him that evil wins by
than epic showdowns between convincing you that you’re alone,
the Jedi and the Sith over the fate when in fact good people always
of the galaxy. From Han Solo to outnumber the bad. With the
Padmé Amidala, Jar Jar Binks to legend of Luke Skywalker burning
Poe Dameron, countless individuals after the Battle of Crait and the
who cannot wield the supernatural coordinates to Exegol provided by
08
powers of the Force have played Rey’s head start, Poe and Finn now
indispensable roles. believe they have enough hope
While Rey faces the mythical to offer the galaxy that this time
stakes, her friends must try to win Leia’s allies will rally around them.
the war. It requires contributions And they are right. The Resistance
from everyone. Upon Leia’s death, armada that arrives to take on
Poe adopts the mantle of leadership the Sith fleet is comprised of “just
of the Resistance. C-3PO provides a people!” as a befuddled offi cer
crucial translation. Jannah’s cavalry explains to Allegiant General Pryde.
cannot be stopped by jammers. Not just people, but people power.
Rose Tico determines that blasting
the belly cannons will destroy the Stronger Than Blood
Sith fleet’s Star Destroyers. Finn In The Phantom Menace (1999)
helps devise the plan of attack for Yoda teaches that “fear is the path
Exegol, and then trusts his feelings to the dark side.” In The Rise of
STAR WARS INSIDER / 23
THE SKYWALKER SAGA
09
Mastering one’s
own emotions,
rather than being
controlled by them,
is one of the key
lessons of Star Wars.
Skywalker, Luke reminds us that sometimes the scariest thing to face Luke and Leia know better. 09 Rey and her
friends travel
“confronting fear is the destiny of is not what others can do to us, but They are the children of Darth
to Pasaana,
a Jedi.” In all the stories in between, what we ourselves are capable of. Vader, yet they never fell to in search of a
the importance of mastering one’s Rey holds this fear of herself the dark side. Luke reassures Sith wayfinder.
own emotions, rather than being even before she learns she is Rey that what matters is
10 Rey’s fears that
controlled by them, is one of the the granddaughter of Emperor what is in her heart, not in she has a dark
key lessons of Star Wars. Palpatine, such as her distraught her genes. That is why Luke destiny are
given form in
For Luke and Anakin, their insistence to Finn that her use of and Leia trained her as a Jedi an unsettling
greatest fear was external. Luke was Force lightning that destroyed the despite her bloodline, and vision of her evil
self on Kef Bir.
afraid his friends would die, and First Order transport was not Ren’s why with his final breaths
the Empire would win. Anakin was fault, but her own. Upon learning Ben Solo understood that Rey
afraid to lose Padmé. In The Rise the truth, her fear escalates. Is she is the one who has earned a
of Skywalker, Rey’s greatest fear is doomed to an evil destiny? Kylo second chance at bearing the
internal. Asked what she is most Ren declares that darkness is in her legacy of the Jedi.
afraid of, she replies, “myself.” This nature, and Palpatine decrees the In the movie’s final minutes,
is an answer everyone can relate to: Sith throne as her birthright. But Rey fulfills this theme. She returns
to the Resistance base to celebrate
with her found family, especially
10
Finn, Poe, BB-8, and Chewie.
Then she travels to Tatooine to
commemorate her Jedi mentors.
Returning the smile of their spirits
in the Force, she takes the name
Skywalker as her own. The old
heroes welcomed her into their
lives, and now she will carry on
their legacy. The Rise of Skywalker
ends with one generation passing
the torch to the next, just as a
franchise 42 years in the making
inevitably must pass its future into
younger hands, as well.
24 / STAR WARS INSIDER
OFFICIAL MARVEL STUDIOS
COLLECTIONS
SOFTCOVER
ALSO
AVAILABLE!
MARVEL’S AVENGERS: $14.99
AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE FILMS
On Sale Now • $26.99
ALSO AVAILABLE
Only available in the U.S. and Canada. d dC
THE ULTIMATE COMPANIONS TO MARVEL STUDIOS’
BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES!
AVAILABLE IN ALL GOOD BOOK STORES AND DIGITALLY AT
TITAN-COMICS.COM
© 2019 MARVEL
Chris
Terrio
&
Michelle
Rejwan:
Rising
To The
Challenge
The writer and producer
of Star Wars: The Rise
of Skywalker (2019)
reveal how they and
director J.J. Abrams
set about breaking the
plot and characters for
the final movie in the
Skywalker saga.
W ORDS: TAR A BENNETT
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
uiding any “The Rise of 01
movie saga to
G its conclusion Skywalker is very
and sticking
the landing is much about this
a miracle, let generation, and
alone when that finale carries whether they
such a weight of expectation as
can accomplish
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Finding the right story and then the things that
executing it in a way that pleases
the majority of passionate fans the previous
and casual audiences alike is no
easy task. So, when J.J. Abrams generations did.”
agreed to close out the Skywalker Chris Terrio
saga as the director and writer
of its ninth episode, he made
sure to enlist collaborators with the story that we thought should
impressive resumes, like Super be coming out of The Last Jedi.”
8 (2011) and Star Trek (2009) While The Rise of Skywalker
producer Michelle Rejwan, and had to bring the sequel trilogy to
Oscar-winning screenwriter Chris a satisfying conclusion, it was also
Terrio (2011’s Argo). going to have to address, subtly or
While the storytelling overtly, the entire breadth of three
experience of this trio of creatives trilogies of storytelling. Terrio says
speaks for itself, the question fans that finding the right balance was
have been asking since the credits something he and Abrams were
rolled on Star Wars: The Last Jedi keen to address from the top.
(2017) is where do you even start “It was a tough one, because
in finishing such an epic tale? although this is the culmination
Despite having access to a of nine movies, a new generation
story drafted by Colin Trevorrow had to take over in these films,” the
to refer to, Terrio says he and writer asserts. “Having grown up film, if there was to be an emphasis,
03
Abrams decided not to look at it at with the original trilogy, I’m always it had to fall on the new characters
all. “We felt that was the best way thinking, ‘Can we talk a little more who we still have so much to learn
to do it, because if you don’t read about C-3PO, or Lando Calrissian?’” about. We get to see them on this
it, then ideas aren’t coming from he chuckles. “My natural affinities adventure together, learning about
other places,” he explains. “We always lean toward characters I’ve each other, and at the same time
decided that we were going to tell grown up with and love. But in this we’re learning about them. The Rise
of Skywalker is very much about
this generation, and whether they
02 can accomplish the things that the
previous generations did.”
Continuing the Legacy
Having established their focus,
Abrams and Terrio began to fi gure
out how they would handle the
narrative transition from The Last
Jedi to The Rise of Skywalker. “We
had to be really careful about which
unanswered questions we picked
up from The Last Jedi, and what
new things we wanted to put into
play immediately,” Terrio says. “We
needed to really make sure that we
28 / STAR WARS INSIDER
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
01 Chris Terrio
(left) with
J.J. Abrams
on the set of
The Rise of
Skywalker.
02 Terrio meets
fans at the
movie’s
World
Premiere.
03 Carrie Fisher
as General
Leia Organa.
04 Rey (Daisy
Ridley) 04
and Chewie
(Joonas
Suotamo)
fight for
their lives. hit the ground running on Rise, The other huge challenge facing
immediately jumping into things the production was the death of
that we wanted to know about. Carrie Fisher on December 27,
“Another thing regarding Star 2016. Incorporating General Leia
Wars, as George Lucas has often into the movie was of the utmost
said, is that you want to be dropped importance to everyone involved,
right into the action, in the tradition but using the same CGI techniques
of those old 1930s Republic serials,” that brought the late Peter Cushing’s
Terrio continues. “The crawl is there Grand Moff Tarkin back to life for
to catch you up, but you just want Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
to be dropped into the story. The was never on the table.
difficulty is knowing how much Thanks to previously unused
exposition you should do, and how footage from The Force Awakens
much you just show.” (2015), Abrams was able to follow
a different path, leading the writers
to review every available reel of fi lm
from Carrie’s previous performance
“We didn’t want to to see if they could be repurposed
into their new narrative.
engineer Leia into a Terrio says of the process, “We
bunch of scenes where found these nuggets within scenes,
good lines that you dream of Carrie
we felt Carrie’s acting and Leia saying. We knew that these
were among the last words that
choices were betrayed Carrie would ever say on screen, so
by completely changing we wanted them to have meaning.
But we didn’t want every line to
their context.” be some grand pronouncement.
Chris Terrio We didn’t want to lose the sense of
Carrie’s wit and fun. And we also
wanted to keep a little bit of the
improvisation and messiness that
Carrie would deliberately bring to a
role, the twinkle in Leia’s eye. That
free energy that Carrie had.”
Abrams and Terrio’s intention
was not to create mere cameo
moments for Leia, but to build
upon the character to create an
arc worthy of Carrie’s performance.
“We learn much more about Leia,”
Terrio says of the revelations they’ve
woven into the story, such as
STAR WARS INSIDER / 29
“We wanted the
new characters
to be relatable
and grounded in
Leia’s Jedi training with Luke. “We
learned more in The Last Jedi and
discovered even more in Rise about their own right,
where she’s been, and where she is.” so the audience
Ultimately, Terrio says the
greatest challenge was capturing was rooting
a performance that felt organic for them.”
to Carrie as an actress. “We didn’t
want to engineer Leia into a bunch Michelle Rejwan
of scenes where we felt Carrie’s
acting choices were betrayed by
completely changing their context.
The new scenes were written to be
very much in the context of those
from The Force Awakens, although
the circumstances around them
obviously needed to change.”
Striking a Bond 05
With the original trilogy characters
and the sequel generation accounted
for, the writers also needed to fi nd Citing an example of how that
space for several new characters, played out in the real-world, Terrio
as has been a tradition in every recalls an occasion when some kids
new Star Wars film. Abrams and visited the set and saw Babu Frik
Terrio added new players like Poe in action. “He’s an alien creature
Dameron’s old flame Zorii Bliss (Keri design that J.J. always loved, but
Russell), ex-First Order stormtrooper Michelle and I didn’t realize how
Jannah (Naomi Ackie), cold-hearted well these kids would react to the
Allegiant General Pryde (Richard E. character,” he smiles. “Their eyes
Grant), and tiny scene-stealer, Babu just lit up, and they screamed when
Frik (Shirley Henderson). they saw him on the monitor.”
It was a priority to make Terrio also thinks that the new
06
sure every new addition had a droid, D-O, is an addition that
worthy arc, which meant a lot works well because it was crafted
more elements to juggle without with a point of view of its own.
sacrificing the storyline of existing The little droid’s origins sprang
characters. “We wanted the new from a discussion about BB-8. “I
characters to be relatable and was comparing D-O to my dog,”
grounded in their own right, so the Terrio laughs. “I have a dog named
audience was rooting for them and Charles, and he has a younger
caring about them within the space brother, George, who looks to
that we had,” Rejwan says. Charles for how to behave, because
“It’s in the first 10 or 30 seconds he doesn’t really understand how
you spend with a character that you to act like a dog. D-O has a very
bond with them,” Terrio explains. specific story in the movie, but
“Think about the fi rst moment that’s the feeling that created it.”
you meet Lando in Star Wars: The
Empire Strikes Back (1980), when he The End is Nigh
walks up to Han. The minute you As for the conclusion of the fi lm,
realize that Lando is actually going Terrio and Rejwan admit there was
to hug Han, you fall in love with a tremendous amount of pressure to
him. So, we were really careful about craft an ending that felt complete.
the entrances of our new characters Despite the promise of new Disney+
and trying to make the audience streaming series, or future Star Wars
bond with them right away.” films in development, everyone
07
30 / STAR WARS INSIDER
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
05 Michelle Rejwan
on location in
Wadi Rum.
06 Rejwan (left)
with Kathleen
Kennedy and
Oscar Isaac at
the premiere.
07 D-O was
partly inspired
by Terrio’s
dog, George.
08 Oscar Isaac
and Jon Boyega
enjoy a break
from filming.
09 Chris Terrio has
great affection
for characters
such as Lando
Calrissian (Billy
Dee Williams).
08
involved in The Rise of Skywalker
was unified in their intention to
make a film with closure.
“We wanted everyone’s arc to
feel complete in this fi lm,” Terrio
asserts. “I mean, there are plenty
of characters in this that I would
totally sit and watch a series
about, but we didn’t have those
conversations because we felt like
every character has to get to the
place where they need to be at the
end of this movie.”
As it turns out, the more
complicated decision was where
to fade to black on this ensemble. 09
Philosophically, Terrio says endings
are really all about where you
choose to stop telling any given The First Order has arisen, and the felt had some meaning for the
story. “That was a big meta idea for story hasn’t quite ended yet. We galaxy, for us, and for George. In
us,” he explains, “that whether it’s wanted to give a defi nitive ending every frame, everywhere you look,
a happy ending depends on where to this story even though we’re sure, there’s so much care and love. I
you stop telling it. Say I got hit by if we kept on telling it, it would go can honestly say, every word of the
a car, then that’s a very unhappy in different directions.” script and every frame of the fi lm is
ending. But if I got hit by a car and Terrio says Rise is a fi lm made for full of references, and care.”
went to the hospital and met my fans to revisit and enjoy discovering Rejwan concurs, adding, “We
wife there, maybe the story has a new layers of mythology with every gave it everything we had because
different angle. So that was a thing viewing. “There are Easter eggs there we cared about the story so much.
we talked about a lot because when for fans, and hopefully not ones We wanted to live up to our own
the original trilogy ended, it had a that are distracting,” he reveals. expectations of all this. And J.J. was,
happy ending. But then, as soon as “I hope they are ones that will as always, the hardest on it, because
we go into The Force Awakens, you become clear on the second and he wanted the film to be the best it
realize the galaxy is still messed up. third viewing; things that we could be.”
STAR WARS INSIDER / 31
INTERVIEW: ANDY SECOMBE
Toydarian
Tales Andy Secombe, the voice of
Tatooine junk trader Watto, landed
his Star Wars role almost by accident.
Two decades later, the actor refl ects
on how he made the rough-edged
but loveable character his own.
W ORDS: BR YAN Y OUNG
32 / STAR WARS INSIDER
INTERVIEW: ANDY SECOMBE
STAR WARS INSIDER / 33
INTERVIEW: ANDY SECOMBE
ndy Secombe phoned again and said they’d like
was working at to provisionally offer me the part
A an animation of Watto, and invited me to the
read-through.
company in 1997
when he took
a call from a Tell us about that first script read-
Lucasfilm representative, asking through of The Phantom Menace.
for advice on the best voice actors The script was put in front of me
available in London. Secombe, and George said, “Play Watto, but
naturally, volunteered his own can you also read in the other parts
services, and as a result ended for people who aren’t here?” I read
up providing the gruff voice of a few bits and pieces, and I was
Watto, the Toydarian junk dealer trying silly voices here and there—
who owned Anakin Skywalker nobody else was—and I think it
and his mother Shmi in Star made George laugh. I found out
Wars: The Phantom Menace almost straight away afterwards
(1999). Since then he’s voiced the that I got the job. PROFILE
character in two films, countless ANDY SECOMBE
video games, and several audio What was your process for getting Welsh actor Andy
Secombe was born
projects. Insider sat down with into character on set? in Mumbles, South
the actor to find out what it was I was the only character on set not Wales, and studied
at the Central School
like playing Qui-Gon Jinn’s “little in costume. We had a lovely lady
of Speech and
blue friend.” coming around with Drama in London.
snacks and things His career has
“I read for a seen him touring
Star Wars Insider : in between filming the theaters of the
Tell us about your breaks, and because I U.K. in productions
first audition after few bits and was out of character, ranging from Hamlet
to Godspell, Guys
answering that pieces and I was she kept moving by. and Dolls, and The
random call. She thought I was HitchHiker’s Guide to
Andy Secombe: trying silly a hanger-on, just the Galaxy Live!. He 01 Watto as he
was a familiar face
When I turned up at voices here and trying to grab some on children’s televi- appeared in
Star Wars:
Leavesden Studios, free food. sion during his early The Phantom
there—nobody recently appeared in
they showed me Because I wasn’t career, and more Menace (1999)
some line drawings in a costume, George an episode of Killing 02 Andy Secombe,
of Watto. I asked else was—and made me wear a silly Eve (2019). the voice of
In 2010, his
what he was like, I think it made hat. It looked like book Growing Up Tatooine junk
trader Watto.
and Robin Gurland a gray lampshade. with the Goons was
(the casting director George laugh.” It had a metal rim published, in part
refl ecting on life as
on The Phantom around it and stuck the son of renowned
Menace) said, out a good six inches British comic actor
Harry Secombe.
“George doesn’t really know, but in front of my head. This was to let
he thinks he’s probably got some the animators know which one of
criminal connections in his past. these characters was Watto: the one
He’s a bit dodgy, he’s a wheeler- they were supposed to make CGI.
dealer, he’s a gambler. He sort of On the first day of shooting, doubled over in pain and all I could
plays dirty, but really he’s got a I had a scene with Liam Neeson think was, Oh my, I’ve broken the
heart of gold, deep down, even before the podrace. It was in the leading actor’s nose on the fi rst day
though he’s a slave owner.” Then hangar, after the chance-cube toss of shooting. This is really, really
she put me in the studio, gave me and all that stuff. I had to say to not good. Everybody—all the cast
a script, and said, “Off you go.” him, “You may have won the small and crew—gasped, and there was
I tried a few things that weren’t toss, outlander, but you will not this frozen silence for about fi ve
working and I thought, He looks win the race.” And I had to say it seconds until Liam said, “It’s okay,
like he might have a gravelly voice straight in his face. Because Liam is I’m okay.” He had a little gash
and mafia connections, so maybe very tall and I’m very short, I was on the bridge of his nose, which
there’s a bit of Italian in there. So, on a flight case to bring my eyeline makeup had to deal with. I was on
I came up with a voice they seemed level with his. And I accidentally the floor, apologizing, and I said to
to like. I also auditioned for Jar Jar spat this line in his face, and I hit George, “This hat’s very dangerous.
Binks and a few other characters him on the bridge of the nose with Can I take it off?” He let me for the
as well. A few days later, they the rim of the hat, quite hard. He close-ups, but not the other shots.
34 / STAR WARS INSIDER
what I couldn’t get over. I’ve done
animation voicing before, and
when I watch it back I always
think I could have done things
better. You’re very critical of your
performance mostly, but in this
case, it didn’t feel like me, it felt
like someone else had taken over
and done it. It was a strange, out of
body experience. Logically, I knew
I’d had a hand in doing it, but it
had taken on a life of its own.
How did the process differ when
you returned for Star Wars:
Attack of the Clones (2002)?
It was very different because on The
Phantom Menace I was there from
the beginning, and I was involved
in the production. We had nine
weeks at Leavesden and then we
had another three or four weeks in
Tunisia, so I was very, very much
involved with that. But for Attack
of the Clones I had one scene. They
flew me in that morning and then
01 flew me out in the evening, and
that was it.
It was a very different feel to
Did they tell you much about the script as well. As far as Watto
how the character would look was concerned, he was older, wiser,
or how he would move? and, I thought, a little bit gentler.
There was a maquette—a mock-up He had lost everything, and he was
of Watto—on a stick, which they just trying to scrape a living; he was
followed me around with, so I had no longer the big, successful guy
a fairly good idea of how he looked he had been, so I just played him a
three-dimensionally, but up until little bit more downbeat, and that
the first day of shooting I’d only was really my only contribution to
seen drawings. He had stubble his character in that film.
and he looked a bit rough, like he George never really discusses
hadn’t slept for a while, so he was character very much, he leaves you
obviously up for late nights. Maybe to your own devices. If he doesn’t
he liked a drink. That all fed into like something, he’ll say, but won’t
my characterization of him; sort ever suggest anything. He thinks
of a bear with a hangover. it’s the actor’s job to come up with
The movement was tricky. I that. He believes if he has cast the
may be an actor of many parts, right people, then they’re going
but I can’t fly, so that was a bit of to do the job that he wants them
a drawback. I gave him a dancing to do.
sort of gait instead, and when
George asked what I was doing I What about that moment where
explained why and he said, “Don’t Watto realizes Anakin is standing
do that. We’ll do that, don’t you before him? It’s a wonderful
worry about it.” marriage of voice and animation.
Just before that happens, there was
What was it like for you seeing a bit of dialogue I had with Hayden
Watto animated for the fi rst time? Christensen that was all supposed
It was absolutely astonishing. to be in Huttese. The night before
02 He looked so real, and that was the shoot, I got some rewrites
STAR WARS INSIDER / 35
INTERVIEW: ANDY SECOMBE
shoved under my door and the 03
scene was all in English. It was too
late to do anything about it, but
that morning on set I mentioned
to George that I thought the scene
was supposed to be in Huttese, to
which he replied, “Yes it is. How
much Huttese do you remember
from the first film?”
I remembered some, so we
knocked something around. Me
and George were standing in the
heat of the Tunisian sun while
hundreds of extras, cast, and crew
were all standing around waiting
as we rewrote the scene in Huttese.
We hurried on and then shot it.
On a film you shoot from various
angles—you do the reverses and
all the rest of it—and there was
one moment, the bit where I
actually stand up and say, “Ani?
Is it really you?” that we shot so
many different times I completely I tried to keep that feeling in characterization. The way that most
lost track of where we were. At one what I did. It was that recognition actors approach a character—even
point, I stood up in front of the of somebody from a sunnier part a “bad” character—is that you have
cameras when they were supposed of his life, and also a boy that he to find something likable about
to be on Hayden. George called really valued and got along with. them. You can’t play an out-and-
cut and asked, “Andy, what are out evil person; you just can’t,
you doing?” I said, “I’m sorry, I What were the characteristics you because nobody is. You end up with
got terribly carried away with the most wanted to bring to Watto? a very two-dimensional portrayal,
emotion of the scene and I wanted Creating the character, I wanted to so you have to find something that
to give him a hug.” To which make Watto as rough and lovable is engaging about the character.
George replied, “Oh great, great. as possible. Really it was those two I found Watto’s humor very
We’ll keep that in.” things that drove my idea of his engaging, so I went with that.
04 03 Secombe
performed
Watto on
set for both
The Phantom
Menace and
Attack of the
Clones, with
the CGI
version
replacing
him in post
production.
04 Toydarian
05 concept art
by Doug
Chiang for
The Phantom
Menace.
05
36 / STAR WARS INSIDER
DISCOVER DEADPOOL´S
BEST (AND WORST!)
U
Uncover the wiles and
i insights of the Merc with
a
a Mouth in this lavishly
presented collection.
p
ncludes Deadpool’s
greatest moments - the
g
o
ones we love to remember
(
(or wish we could forget),
a
accompanied by the
musings of our morally
m
c
confused comrade!
OUT
NOW
THE PHILOSOPHY
OF DEADPOOL
$14.99 / Hardcover
AVAILABLE IN ALL GOOD BOOK STORES AND DIGITALLY AT
TITAN-COMICS.COM
© 2019 MARVEL
SECRETS OF THE HOLOCRONS
Secrets
of the
Holocrons
Understanding the mysterious artifacts that allowed
Force users to pass on what they had learned.
W ORDS: J AY S T OB IE
nside the husk contained seemingly
of an ancient endless rows of
I tree on Ahch-To, holocrons, the Jedi
Order had clearly amassed
Luke Skywalker
kept a small wisdom on an unimaginable
library of Jedi scale. Discussing the artifacts
texts, safeguarding the knowledge with young Padawan Ahsoka
they contained on faded sheets Tano, the Jedi librarian Jocasta Nu
of parchment bound together summarized their importance by
into books. These repositories of describing holocrons as containing
Jedi lore had served the order for “the most closely guarded secrets of
generations before they gave way the Jedi Order.”
to more complex information The primary purpose of each
storage devices that were known holocron was to preserve the
as holocrons. But what exactly information they contained in
did these objects do, and how a secure fashion, and the data
were they utilized by both the stored within them varied greatly.
Jedi and the Sith? Their contents were considered so
sensitive that opening one of the
Knowledge Is Power compact, handheld cubes required
During the era of the Clone a person attuned to the light side
Wars, countless holocrons were of the Force to unlock them. The
stored in an archive in the Jedi Sith also adopted the technology,
Temple on Coruscant, repositories creating their own pyramidal
of knowledge that the Jedi had holocrons that radiated red light
accumulated over the ages. and needed a dark sider to access
Considering that this vault their secrets. Whether by accident
or design, the balance of light
and dark knowledge was thereby
Countless effectively maintained.
To truly understand the scope of
holocrons their importance, one only needs
were stored to observe that a single, specifi c
Jedi holocron contained a list of
in an archive every Force-sensitive child known
in the Jedi to exist in the galaxy. By acquiring
this particular holocron and its
Temple on manifest of potential Jedi Knights, a
resourceful enemy could endanger
Coruscant. the very future of the Jedi Order
38 / STAR WARS INSIDER
KEEPERS
OF THE
HOLOCRON
GREAT WISDOM
As described by both
Obi-Wan Kenobi on
Tatooine and Bendu on
Atollon, a holocron’s
capability for good or
evil depended upon
those who wielded it.
Master Yoda and the
Jedi Council meditated
to gain wisdom—a goal
refl ected in their desire
to store holocrons as a
library of knowledge.
The device stolen by
Cad Bane was designed
to read the manifest of
future younglings that the
Jedi expected to recruit
to defend galactic peace,
while Kanan’s artifact
supported Ezra Bridger’s
training. These noble
intentions paralleled
the tranquil teachings
professed by the Jedi.
by withholding the names and
preventing the younglings from
following the path of the light side.
Holocrons also held other
content that helped every
Jedi continue to gain a deeper
understanding of the Force and
the ways of the Jedi, during their
lifelong commitment to the Order.
Master Depa Billaba gave a holocron
to her apprentice, Kanan Jarrus,
to study shortly before Emperor
Palpatine executed Order 66. This
proved to be a vital resource for the
young Jedi as he sought to continue
his own training without his master
following the purge. Jarrus even 01
recorded the holographic warning 02
that Obi-Wan Kenobi broadcast after
the Jedi Temple fell, encouraging The Dark Side
those who heard it to persevere Similarly, the Sith stored critical
while promising that a new hope intelligence within their own
would emerge. holocrons, which were then hidden
Kanan’s holocron carried at secret sites beyond the reach of
crucial lessons as well, such as a their Jedi foes. Maul revealed to Ezra
holorecording of Anakin teaching Bridger that the holocron in the
lightsaber techniques. Ahsoka Tano Sith temple on Malachor possessed
wistfully watched the hologram of all of the Sith’s secrets, leading
her old master when she visited the Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka to visit the
Ghost some years later, and Jarrus planet in their search for a means to
made use of his holocron to test destroy the Sith. It is safe to assume
the Force-sensitivity of Ezra Bridger. that the dark side holocrons stored
Once Kanan saw that Ezra had the knowledge that was as sensitive to
strength to open it, he knew that the Sith as the list of Force-sensitive
Bridger would be a worthy Padawan. children was to the Jedi.
Jarrus eventually employed the As with many aspects of Sith
holocron’s files to help him train culture, their holocrons concealed
Ezra, and the duo made good use some fairly nefarious properties. of Malachor’s temple. Emperor
of star charts hidden within the Maul asserted that the devices Palpatine’s former apprentice
mechanism marking the hidden functioned as keys, with the ability placed the holocron in an obelisk
locations of temples spread across to unlock many doors. In a literal to unlock the Sith structure, which
the galaxy, aiding them in their sense, Maul employed the holocron turned out to be a clandestine battle
fight against the Empire. to open a passage that led out station designed to destroy life on a
horrendous scale. The superweapon,
as well as the holocron itself,
03
represented so much power that
Darth Vader vowed to wield them
and further solidify the Emperor’s
rule over the galaxy.
One notable contrast between
Jedi and Sith holocrons may have
been exclusive to the item found on
Malachor. A disembodied presence
began emanating from the Sith
holocron after its placement in
the temple’s obelisk. In addition to
revealing the building’s status as a
weapon, this presence later spoke
to Ezra when the Padawan sought
40 / STAR WARS INSIDER
SECRETS OF THE HOLOCRONS
KEEPERS
OF THE
HOLOCRON
GREAT DANGER
In the hands of a Sith Lord,
a Jedi holocron could be
misused and deployed for
evil purposes.
Darth Sidious obtained the
list of Force-sensitive children
as a means to increase his
infl uence and raise an army
of dark side spies. Maul
manipulated Ezra into joining
Kanan’s holocron with the Sith
artifact from Malachor and,
while Ezra hoped to grasp a
04 method to prevent tyrannical
Sith rule, Maul’s thoughts
pulsed with vengeance and
a deadly hatred of Obi-Wan
members access. In addition 01 A Jedi Kenobi. Sidious and Maul’s
to the vault’s location within a holocron actions exhibited that even
emanated
building protected by the most a soft blue Jedi holocrons were not
prominent and experienced light. immune to being corrupted by
unscrupulous operators with
Jedi Knights, other precautions devious objectives.
02 The library
included security shields, laser in the Jedi
sensors, an archive guard, a Temple on
Coruscant.
labyrinthine maze of vents, and
Jedi Master Jocasta Nu defending 03 Ezra Bridger
the library proper. examines a
Sith holocron.
Despite such extensive As for Sith security, akin to
measures, the mercenary Cad 04 Anakin the Jedi artifacts, Sith holocrons
Skywalker
Bane was able to infi ltrate the only opened at the behest of a
and Obi-Wan
Jedi Temple in a successful Kenobi person who drew upon the Force,
attempt to steal a holocron, investigate specifically the dark side. The temple
the theft of
thanks to some good fortune, on Malachor also demonstrated
a holocron
a changeling bounty hunter from the the extent to which they went to
named Cato Parasitti (who Jedi Archive. keep their holocrons out of light
guidance from the device in his disguised herself as Jedi Master side hands. Sith lore mandated that
quarters on the Ghost. As one might Ord Enisence and Jocastu Nu), two Force-users—a master and an
expect, the presence encouraged and information passed on by apprentice, in compliance with the
Ezra to draw upon his anger as a his mysterious employer, Darth Sith Rule of Two—be present in
source of strength and focus. Sidious. As Jedi holocrons called order to open the entrance to the
for a Force-sensitive light sider to holocron chamber.
Maximum Security open them, Cad Bane needed to Jedi and Sith holocrons have
With a wealth of expertise at stake, compel Anakin Skywalker to unlock been depicted as serving many
it is no surprise to learn that the Jedi it for him before he could deliver purposes, from data storage and
and Sith went to great lengths to the stolen object to his paymaster. training tools to keys and guides,
keep their respective holocrons safe. Additionally, the stolen holocron not to mention being essential
The Jedi secured their holocrons also bore a secondary security resources for their owners.
inside a locked vault that only feature, requiring the insertion of Regardless of their many facets,
granted current Jedi Council a kyber memory crystal to access it. these artifacts acted as teachers
for masters and apprentices alike.
Whether those lessons involved
The Sith stored critical basic knowledge about the Force or
intelligence within their hard truths concerning the nature
of good and evil, the holocrons
own holocrons, which were behaved as yet another element of
balance that existed between the
then hidden at secret sites. Jedi and the Sith.
STAR WARS INSIDER / 41
SECRETS OF THE HOLOCRONS
A Holocron’s 01
Journey
holocron could be a source of
great wisdom and power, but such
strengths could be corrupted should
A such an artifact fall into the hands of
an enemy. This was as true for Sith holocrons as
much as it was for those belonging to the Jedi.
As we have already alluded to, during the Clone
Wars and the Imperial era several holocrons
found themselves passed to those with both
noble and darker intents.
The Wrong Hands
The Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes
“Holocron Heist,” “Cargo of Doom,” and
“Children of the Force” formed an informal
trilogy that centered on Darth Sidious’ attempt to
bring a Jedi holocron and its corresponding kyber
memory crystal into his possession. In the fi rst
entry, the Jedi Council relegated Ahsoka to archive
security duty as a reprimand, yet the Padawan
ultimately comprehended that the assignment
was considered an important one. Sidious paid
Cad Bane a significant fee to acquire the holocron
from the Jedi Temple’s vault as part of a scheme
that saw Bane sneak into the Temple and procure
the artifact.
“Cargo of Doom” caught up with Cad Bane
after he had stolen the kyber memory crystal
02
containing data on all of the galaxy’s Force-
sensitive children from Bolla Ropal, who was
kidnapped and imprisoned by the bounty hunter.
Bane hoped that a violent interrogation would As for our second example, Kanan Jarrus
persuade Ropal into activating the holocron, received his holocron from Depa Billaba prior
but the Jedi perished in the process. Anakin to Order 66. Secreted away for almost fi fteen
Skywalker and Ahsoka boarded Bane’s cruiser in years, the device was consulted by Jarrus and Ezra
search of Ropal, and Bane seized the opportunity Bridger during the early days of the Padawan’s
by capturing Ahsoka and threatening to kill her training. As for its fate... we will get to that
if Anakin elected not to open the holocron with intriguing twist in a moment.
the Force. Fearing for his Padawan, Skywalker
reluctantly acquiesced to the mercenary’s A Sith Holocron’s Secrets
demands, which granted Bane the ability While a Sith holocron stood out among Dryden
to read the list carried on the crystal. Vos’ collection aboard his ship First Light, the
In “Children of the Force,” Cad Bane managed
to make off with two potential younglings before
he was apprehended by the Jedi. On Mustafar, During the Clone Wars and
Darth Sidious revealed that he planned to turn
the children into his own private army of Force- the Imperial era, several
sensitive spies. While Sidious’ machinations were holocrons found themselves
foiled when the Jedi recovered the holocron and
passed to those with both
rescued the captives from the lab, the intrepid
heroes never stumbled upon the Sith Lord’s
involvement in the theft or his true intentions. noble and darker intents.
42 / STAR WARS INSIDER
SECRETS OF THE HOLOCRONS
03
04
A holocron could be a source
of great wisdom and power,
but such strengths could be
corrupted should such an
artifact fall into the hands
of an enemy.
“Any secret, wisdom, or destiny can be seen
through the Force,” counseled Bendu.
01 Kanan Jarrus
continued to
learn from Twin Suns
the holocron
given to Once Maul attained both holocrons, he and
him by his Ezra unlocked them together while posing their
master. respective questions. Maul sought Obi-Wan
02 Cad Bane Kenobi, while Ezra intended to learn how the Sith
was able to could be eliminated. Kanan stepped in and broke
steal a Jedi up the meditation session, which resulted in the
holocron,
primary reference for our examination has been despite shattering of the holocrons. Although the facts
the device discovered in the Sith temple on extensive became somewhat transposed, Maul discovered
security
Malachor. Maul and Ezra collaborated to scale that Kenobi still lived, and Ezra witnessed a planet
measures
the structure and gather the Sith holocron from within the with twin suns. In “Visions and Voices,” Maul
its hiding place under the assumption that they Jedi Temple. convinced Ezra to accompany him to Dathomir,
both sought information to destroy the Sith. Once 03 The Jedi where the pair applied Nightsister magic to
the small pyramid took its place in the temple’s librarian exchange the visions given to them by the
Jocasta Nu
obelisk, the voice of the presence revealed the holocrons before heading their separate ways.
with Ahsoka
facility’s origin as a battle station and Ezra realized Tano. Ezra kept the broken fragments from the Jedi
Maul’s deception. Kanan and Ezra removed the and Sith holocrons, but Maul also possessed a
04 Ezra Bridger
holocron, causing the temple to crumble, but the single piece of the Sith device. The dark sider lured
discovers the
Padawan secretly kept the Sith artifact. Sith holocron Bridger to Tatooine by using the relic to activate
Ezra quietly studied the dark side holocron’s hidden on the remaining shards held by the Padawan in
Malachor.
lessons in pursuit of the power necessary to defend “Twin Suns.” Fearing for Kenobi’s safety, Ezra
his friends, but Kanan uncovered the truth and traveled to Tatooine and allowed the holocron
gave the device to the ancient being named Bendu remnants to guide him to a landing area and
for safekeeping in “Steps Into Shadows.” When track Maul through a sandstorm. Kenobi rescued
Maul took the Ghost’s crew hostage, Kanan and Bridger from the desert, only to inform him that
Ezra were forced to retrieve the mechanism from Maul had manipulated him through the use of the
Bendu, who warned them of the danger that holocrons. “The truth is often what we make of
combining Jedi and Sith holocrons represented. it,” the Jedi Master divulged.
STAR WARS INSIDER / 43
GIVEAWAY
Five
bundles
to give
away!
Want to Win? This is The Way!
Secure a copy of this highly prized asset to your bounty hunting collection.
Bounty hunting may be a complicated new frontiers. Collecting the stunning What is the real name of the
profession but mounting a highly artwork that graced the closing credits bounty known across the galaxy
anticipated, effects-laden television of each of the first four chapters of the as the Mandalorian?
drama is even more so. Star Wars: The smash hit series, the special showcases
Mandalorian – The Art and Imagery, the characters, costumes, creatures, and A) Don Djonzon
Collector’s Edition, published by worlds of this all-new Star Wars story. B) Dan Desperata
Titan Comics, offers a glimpse into Featuring the work of world-renowned C) Din Djarin
the imaginations of the creatives who artists Doug Chiang, Christian Alzmann,
crafted the stunning concept art for hit Ryan Church, Nick Gindraux, John Send your answer to our regular email
Disney+ series The Mandalorian—and Park, Jama Jurabaev, Erik Tiemens, Brian or postal address (see ‘Contact Us’ on
we’ve got five copies to give away! Matyas, Seth Engstrom, and Anton page 3), marked “MANDALORIAN” by
This amazing special explores the Grandert, Star Wars: The Mandalorian – April 27, 2020.
events and environments developed The Art and Imagery, Collector’s Edition
for the critically acclaimed Star Wars is an artistic tour de force. Terms and conditions are available
live-action television series that, over To be in with a chance of winning a at titanmagazines.com
eight action-packed episodes, expanded copy, just send us the correct answer to
the galaxy far, far away to incredible the following Star Wars trivia question: May the Force be with you!
www.titan-comics.com
© and TM 2020 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
44 / STAR WARS INSIDER
ON SALE
ON S ALE
NO W !
NOW!
$19 . 9 9 Har d c o v er
$19.99 | Hardcover
T h e o f f i c i a l c o l l ec t o r ’s gu i d e t o S t ar W ar s: T h e Ri se o f S k y w a l k e , t h e c o n c l u d i n g c h ap t er o f t h e
The official collector’s guide to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerr, the concluding chapter of the
er
es
v
m
e
40
en
o
b
a
a
o
sag
S
i
n
hi
t
t
n
d
h
e
ar
y
sc
s
h
e
e
t
k
l
a
p
E
o
er
w
k
S
Skywalker saga – a saga over 40 years in the making! Go behind the scenes off Star Wars: Episodee
sod
y
i
G
–
k
i
a
W
ar
a
s:
g!
sag
ar
n
i
e
ws
v
r
w,
a
cr
e
s
l
l
w
e
t
h
wit
h
e
an
d
ca
st
e
e
ed
a
v
it
f
e
i
on,
IX IX with this must-have edition, featuring exclusive interviews with the cast and crew, as well ass
t
h
wit
h
i
u
st-h
s
m
t
n
s
x
i
l
u
e
c
e
u
r
a
t
iv
g
a
i
n
a g a l a x y o f r e v e a l i n g on-se t p h o t os, dr o i d an d cr e a tu r e g a l l e ri es, an d n e w c h ar ac t er pr o f i l
a galaxy of revealing on-set photos, droid and creature galleries, and new character profi es. Anes. An
essen t i a l c o m p an i on t o t h e f i n a l f i l m i n t h i s l egen d ar y seri
essential companion to the final film in this legendary series!es!
A V A IL ABLE IN ALL G O OD ST OR ES AND ONLINE
AVA LABLE N ALL GOOD STORES AND ONLINE
A
TITAN-COMICS.COM
TIT N - C O MI CS . C O M
© & TM 2019 Lucasfi lm Ltd.
INTERVIEW: ROB COLEMAN
ROB
COLEMAN
CLIMBING
MOUNTAINS
In the first part of our exclusive two-part
interview, former Industrial Light & Magic
animation director Rob Coleman reveals the
challenges of creating believable digital characters
for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999).
W ORDS: BR YAN Y OUNG
ob Coleman arrived Star Wars Insider: How did you
at ILM in 1993, first become a part of the Star
R initially working Wars creative galaxy?
Rob Coleman: I was a supervising
as a computer
graphics animator animator on Dragonheart (1996) and
on productions Men In Black (1997), which George
including The Mask (1994) and Lucas was watching from afar. I got a call
Star Trek: Generations (1994). As and was told that I would be heading
the animation director on the Star over to London, where The Phantom
Wars prequel trilogy, Coleman Menace was in pre-production. I was
helped pioneer a whole new era of going to have a 10-day interview with
filmmaking by bringing the first fully George, which was more like shadowing
realized photo-realistic animated him. He knew about my work, and the
characters to the big screen, and he producers thought that my personality
later directed five episodes of Star and his would click, but they wouldn’t
Wars: The Clone Wars in 2008 and commit until I’d had this opportunity.
2009. Star Wars Insider recently spoke They said he would get a feeling about
to Coleman to talk about his work on me. At the end of the 10 days Rick
The Phantom Menace and its sequels, McCallum, the producer, took me
and what he learned during those aside and said, “Okay, you got the job.”
early years working for George Lucas. That’s when the bottom fell out of
46 / STAR WARS INSIDER
CAREER NOTES Animation Director • “Jedi Crash” (2009)
The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Peter Rabbit (2018)
Head of Animation: Animal Logic
Animation Director
Animation Supervisor
The LEGO Movie (2014)
Happy Feet Two (2011 )
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• “Cargo of Doom” (2009)
• “Liberty on Ryloth” (2009)
• “Duel of the Droids” (2008)
• “Downfall of a Droid” (2008)
Director
Animation Supervisor
Supervising Character Animator
Men in Black (1997)
Animation Supervisor
Signs (2002)
DragonHeart (1996)
STAR WARS INSIDER / 47
INTERVIEW: ROB COLEMAN
“I immediately had
an aff ection for
Watto. I could see
him in my head, I
could act him out
myself, and Andy
Secombe did a
brilliant job with
the voice.”
my stomach, and I was like, “Oh my immediately had an affection for Watto. We don’t have the technology. We don’t
God, what have I done?” There’s an I could see him in my head, I could act have the manpower.” The feeling was
old proverb that says, “Be careful what him out myself, and Andy Secombe did there was no possible way we could.
you wish for. You might actually get it.” a brilliant job with the voice. I knew just
That’s how I started working with George how we were going to handle him, and Speaking of the Gungans, how did
on The Phantom Menace. I set my team the task of starting from the approach to visualizing Jar Jar
there. I remember showing the early Binks evolve?
What did it feel like when you fi rst got shots to George and he was really, RC: Prior to my involvement on the
an idea of the mountain of shots that really pleased. film, the initial plan was that actor
your team would have to complete? But once we had figured out Watto, Ahmed Best was going to perform the
RC: I’m getting goosebumps thinking we then needed to look at some of the body movements and we would be
about it, because it truly was like more complicated characters and work tracking him, frame by frame, through
looking up at Mount Everest. I couldn’t out how we were going to have so many the entire film. ILM was then going
see the top of it. There was so much of them on the screen simultaneously. to attach the neck and head [digitally
work. To give you a comparison, as I There was a line in the script which in post production]. But when we
entered the production phase on The read “The Gungan Army marches out to did the first test footage, we found
Phantom Menace, the previous show I’d battle,” and for six months we couldn’t that tracking Ahmed’s movements in
supervised was Men in Black, and we had even attempt that scene because we three dimensions was very hard, very
200 visual effect animated shots in that didn’t have the capability to put that time-consuming, and you could see a
film. In the early stages of The Phantom many characters on the screen at the disconnect if the tracking was off by
Menace they were projecting there same time. Week after week went by even a couple of pixels. It was a big
would be 2000 shots. It was a magnitude where we were talking to the technical problem we needed to solve.
beyond my ability to even process. geniuses about the challenge; every We already knew we were going to
I felt really strongly that we needed to Wednesday we had a lunch meeting, and fully digitize Jar Jar for shots that were
get some wins on the board. My fi rst step the number one item on the agenda was too dangerous for Ahmed to do himself,
into doing that was to read the script always, “Can we get the movie done?” and we had worked out in our pipeline
and look at the concept designs, and I For a long time, the answer was, “No. how we were going to do that. When
48 / STAR WARS INSIDER
INTERVIEW: ROB COLEMAN
01 Watto, voiced by actor
Andy Secombe (see
interview, page 32).
02 When production began,
the ILM team didn’t yet
have the technology to
realize the Gungan Army.
03 Ahmed Best performed
his scenes as Jar Jar
Binks in full costume.
The original plan was
only to animate the
character’s head.
“ILM attracts
the kind of
people who
love to
problem-solve
and to
be creative.”
we showed the results of the tracking to physically, and I don’t want to lose any What were the diffi culties in
George we told him it was going to take of that.” Then ILM’s motion-caption pioneering new technologies
longer to track Ahmed’s movements supervisor, Jeff Light, came to me and like motion capture?
than to fully animate the character. To said, “I need to tell you about mo-cap.” RC: ILM attracts the kind of people that
that end, we felt that fully animating That’s how we ended up going down love to problem-solve and to be creative
Jar Jar offered us a better end result, that route. Jeff and the motion-capture and honest in terms of, “Let’s overturn
but George was a bit more cautious. He group started putting together tests any rock. Let’s think outside of the box
was concerned we wouldn’t be able to to illustrate to George that we could and really put our brains together to
animate Jar Jar in the same way that actually put Ahmed into a mo-cap suit consider our options.” We would pitch
Ahmed was moving. He said, “I cast and capture his physical performance, those ideas to George and sometimes
Ahmed because of what he can do and that’s where we ended up. he believed that we could do it and
STAR WARS INSIDER / 49
sometimes he said, “You guys aren’t
ready yet.” For example, there was no
discussion about doing a digital Yoda in
The Phantom Menace when we started
making the film. George felt that the
character was too precious, as did I, quite
frankly. I would have freaked out if I’d
been asked to do Yoda for The Phantom
Menace. But in learning everything
we learned on that movie—and seeing
what we could do in terms of building,
rigging, rendering, and performing the
characters—that’s how I got to a place
where I suggested to George that we
do a digital Yoda for all his scenes in
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002).
Initially, it was going to be a puppet
for acting scenes, but for the fi ght with
Count Dooku Yoda was going to be fully
digital. George’s concern at the time was
that we had not yet demonstrated to
him we could do that; that as animators,
we didn’t possess the acting skills to
imbue our creations with the same level
of performance delivered by the puppets
and actors.
“I kept thinking about the millions
And how did you gain those skills?
Were there any particular animations
you looked to for inspiration? of fans out there who’d been
RC: Actually, I looked at live action.
I was trying to get the animators to waiting for this film, and I wasn’t
concentrate on what we do as people,
as audience members, as human sure I was worthy of the task.”
beings. What do we see when we’re
looking at a loved one talking to us,
or a stranger who’s walked up to us, or
how does an actor listen and respond gives a character a great deal of intensity. him and respond to his love of movies
to another actor in a scene? Yes, there’s Then there’s a fi lm called Freaks (1932), in our work. It helped in figuring out a
the whole technology side of it, and I in which a circus performer walks on character’s backstory.
had to be on top of that, but to raise their hands, and Miguel used that as Every character has their own story.
our game in the animation group I inspiration for how Sebulba could move It may not be explicitly written in the
felt we needed to be better actors, and around. We would look at that kind of script, but each character comes into a
that’s where I spent a lot of my time. footage, and say “What are the choices, scene with something, and I like to get
The audience had to believe that these both conscious and unconscious, that the animators to think about that: Do
characters were alive. actors are making, and how can we layer their feet hurt? Did they have a good
We looked at old fi lms, like Oliver! that nuance into our work?” sleep last night? Are they hungry? Are
(1968) and Ron Moody’s performance as they irritated by what they’re having to
Fagin, for when Watto listens to Anakin Did this movie shorthand help in deal with? One of the things that lifted
and says, “What, you some kind of Jedi?” developing character ideas with Lucas? our animation was that we were thinking
He’s got an attitude to him. He’s got a RC: I’d talk to George between takes, about this stuff. Every actor reading a
swagger. Miguel Fuertes, who was the and as new characters came along a lot scene needs to answer the question,
animation lead on Sebulba, was studying of what we’d talk about was movies. I’d “What does my character need or want
Major Strasser in Casablanca (1942), ask what his inspiration was for whatever from the scene?” And that’s what I was
looking at the way the actor, Conrad character, and he’d say, “Oh, it’s Donald trying to get the animators to do, too.
Veldt, did things. There’s a scene where Pleasance from this film,” or “It’s this
he doesn’t blink once while he’s talking, actor.” I think that’s one of the reasons I Is there a scene you’re particularly
so Miguel suggested we do something was able to connect with George, because proud of?
like that with Sebulba. Not blinking I do love movies and I was able to talk to RC: Honestly, it’s that scene in the junk
50 / STAR WARS INSIDER
The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.
The official Star Wars Insider magazine is your one-stop guide to the greatest space adventure ultimate saga
of all time, Star Wars Insider really gets the reader inside the worlds of Star Wars through interviews,
behind-the-scenes exclusives and unrivalled access to the Lucasfilm archives. Each issue offers star interviews, ‘making of’ features and merchandise coverage, plus the unique ‘Blaster!’ section covering up-
coming books, comics, action figures and other collectibles.
Keep up to speed with any incoming transmissions within the Star Wars galaxy, with updates with any news, fan questions answered, reminisce with regular archive features and so much more.
In This Issue
In Star Wars Insider #196 we take an in-depth look at the final chapter in the Skywalker saga, and speak to
screenwriter Chris Terrio and producer Michelle Rejwan about bringing that story to a close; we meet Madlyn
Burkert, holder of probably the best job in the galaxy - working at the Lucasfilm Archives; and reveal
everything you need to know about the Jedi and Sith holocrons!
Plus, legendary special effects and make up artist Stuart Freeborn profiled; Andy Secombe, the voice of Watto, interviewed; Animation supervisor Rob Coleman looks back at the making of The Phantom Menace; and much, much more!
Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search