Happy Star Wars day! While we look forward to this event every year (we have another excuse to celebrate Star Wars!), 2015 has been pretty special for this franchise in particular. We’re getting a film in December we never thought we’d see and obviously anticipation is running high. Luckily, our friends at Lucasfilm and Vanity Fair have us covered with a new photo spread by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz.
Who are the photos of?
Just about all the major players of the film, minus Luke and Leia unfortunately. There are some great shots of just about everyone else though, including Harrison Ford as Han Solo and Daisy Ridley as Rey.
What about Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma?
Well, we get our first look at Kylo Ren without the helmet, which confirms he’ll be played by Adam Driver. It’s not entirely certain if we’ll ever see him without the mask in the film, but it certainly makes for a good Vanity Fair picture.
Also, while we don’t see her without her helmet, a caption for the article confirms that Gwendoline Christie is in fact playing Captain Phasma. It’s been heavily rumored for a while, and it was pretty obvious as she was the only member of the cast tall enough for that armor.
Anything else worth mentioning?
Tons. In addition to Adam Driver and Gwendoline Christie, we also have a confirmation on Lupita Nyong’s character: a CGI created space pirate called Maz Kanata and not a mystic guru called Rose as per some internet rumors.
What do the other pictures show?
We have a great new shot of Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron:
Some behind the scenes shots with JJ Abrams:
And a picture of assembled alien riff raff. From the looks of them, they are all new species. It seems they’re trying to bring back the Return of the Jedi‘s Jabba’s Palace by showing off the more impoverished species on the fringes of space.
What about locations?
There are some desert shots of Jakku, but also some pictures that showcase stone structures and ruins of some kind. It’s possible they’re the same location as the area they shot in Ireland, Skellig Island, where Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley were seen filming scenes together. It’s also possible it’s the same location where Oscar Isaac’s shot was taken, but that is merely speculation.
Also, the shots of Kylo Ren and stormtroopers appear to be on an ice planet. It’s unlikely to be Hoth, but we did see a First Order facility on a snowy planet in the trailer. Could it be a stronghold or the First Order capitol? Both are likely, but at the very least it will most likely be their base of operations.
Overall, Annie Leibovitz’s photos are fantastic and really bring out the emotion of the characters and the wonderful art direction. You can check out the full article here. And just because it’s Star Wars day, we’ll leave you with a little gallery of all the Vanity Fair Star Wars covers so you can compare:
And this one last shot, because it’s awesome:
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