It appears the ending to the nine-filmStar Warssaga focusing on the Skywalker family was in a minor state of flux while production was underway onStar Wars 9. This isn’t an entirely new notion—plenty of films go through changes throughout filming, and especially when the writer is also the director (as is the case withJ.J. AbramsonStar Wars 9), it’s fairly easy to make adjustments as the story on the page comes to life. After all, a script isn’t a movie, and once those words and story beats start to materialize onscreen, sometimes what works better on the page doesn’t translate as well. Add in the pressure of usingStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkeras the conclusive ending to the Skywalker story arc that began withEpisode I, and it’s no surprise that the final beat was being tweaked on set.
This according to actressDaisy Ridley, who revealed at Star Wars Celebration (via/Film) that there was a “slightly different beat” added to theStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerending during filming:
“J.J. had told me [the ending], and then I read the script, and then it was sort of shifting. The ending was always pretty similar, and then I was told there was sort of a new—I guess a slightly different beat added that I was told, which was awesome. Because it’s nice to be told the thing and then you can like experience it with the filmmaker. But also, we don’t know how it’s gonna turn out. We did the thing on this side of the camera, so we don’t know how it’s gonna turn out. So I’m as excited to see it as everyone else.”
What’s even more interesting here is that Ridley also knew an entirely different ending, the one thatColin Trevorrowcrafted when he was initially onboard to co-write and directStar Wars 9. After he left the project and Abrams came onboard, theForce Awakensfilmmaker started the script over from scratch with co-writerChris Terrio(Argo) while alsoconsultingGeorge Lucason bringing this massive saga to an end.
Of course,The Rise of Skywalkeris currently in the midst of post-production and it’d be surprising if there wasn’t additional photography (as is standard nowadays on films of this scale), so it’s possible the film’s ending changes even further.
As we’ve learned from shows likeBreaking BadandThe Sopranos, one doesn’t have to have a definitive ending in place from the very beginning, and being open to alternatives beyond the first conclusion bandied about is vital to crafting the best ending possible. So I wouldn’t take this revelation to mean that Abrams and Co. didn’t know how to end the movie. It’s just further evidence that theyreallywant to get it right.
Here’s hoping some light will be shed on all the possibilities considered for ending the Skywalker saga afterStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerhits theaters this December, because I love me some alternative movie history. Watch Ridley talk about the ending below.
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