STACK #186 Apr 2020

FEATURE FILM

DID YOU KNOW? Footage of Carrie Fisher from the prior two Star Wars films was incorporated into The Rise of Skywalker by digitally removing the background and superimposing it elsewhere. Visual effects were used to change her wardrobe and add gray to her hair so the footage would match.

More bonus features on Blu-ray & 4K UHD:

Pasaana Pursuit: Creating the Speeder Chase – Dive into the making of the movie’s epic landspeeder chase and discover how this spectacular sequence was brought to the screen. Aliens in the Desert See what it took to create the Pasaana desert scenes, from the sheer scale and complexity of the shoot to its colourful details. D-O: Key to the Past Explore the ship that connects Rey to the mystery of her missing parents and get to know the galaxy’s newest, irresistible droid. Wicket in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi , dons the Ewok costume once more; this time joined by his son Harrison. Cast of Creatures The team behind the film’s memorable creatures reveal the puppetry, makeup, prosthetics and digital magic that bring them to life. Warwick & Son Warwick Davis, who played

this third film was always conceived as a celebration of Leia

rippling some fine muscle. Ridley, too, is a surprise, doing many of her own stunts as we watch her,

obvious tear-jerker, although it’s a testament to how beloved Fisher has become in that we almost feel

strapped in a harness, take giant leaps off a ramp and performing aerial acrobatics across

misty-eyed as we watch her rehearse for a final scene. Even more poignant are the scenes where Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, reprises her character of Lieutenant Connix alongside a digital recreation of her mother. “It’s a bit like my life,” says Lourd. “Things have fallen apart but we’re still here. This was a perfect scene for me to do.” Where the previous two films of the recent trilogy focused on Han and Luke, respectively, this third film was always conceived as a celebration of Leia. It’s impossible to argue with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy when she praises George Lucas for “creating one of the most feisty characters in cinema” in Leia. Anthony Daniels provides light relief – as he has done so over the entire 43 years he has portrayed C-3PO – chatting about his shiny gold costume in that inimitable voice. “C-3PO would be much happier at the opera serving hors d’oeuvres,” teases Mark Hamill. J.J. Abrams points out how C-3PO has always been the “observer of all things and keeper of the story,” leading to the recent storyline of C-3PO losing his memory. Stunt coordinator Eunice Huthart marvels at how Adam Driver always insists on doing his stunts, and we see a bare-chested Driver

the desert. Throughout the documentary we see Joonas Suotamo strolling about the set, oftentimes without his Chewbacca costume, but with his eyes heavily coated in black make-up, panda- style, ready to slip into his Wookiee fur. As filmmakers discuss the “heart of darkness” element to Rey’s journey in The Rise of Skywalker, we see veteran actor Ian McDairmid getting into full creepy white make- up, reprising his role as Emperor Palpatine. Beneath the scary voice, we discover he’s just a sweetie at heart. For many fans, the raising of Hamill’s downed X-Wing fighter for Ridley’s Rey was an emotional passing on of the torch. Hamill talks affectionately about the return of his trusty starfighter. “It’s always been a symbol of optimism that you can accomplish anything you want if you are willing to do it for the greater good.” For Ridley, the experience has been unforgettable, describing it as both “amazing and terrifying”, confessing to crippling claustrophobia during the quicksand scenes. None of the cast want to leave as the long shoot of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

draws to a conclusion, Abrams likening the experience to “being with a family who you love and then your kids go away when it ends.” Four decades earlier, a youthful Hamill expresses the same sentiment,

“It’s like being a boy in your senior year at school – you’re glad that you’re finishing but you’re also savouring every moment.”

• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out on Apr 1

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