Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker trailer is here - CNET

Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker is coming to theaters in December.

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The circle is complete. Star Wars Episode 9's title, The Rise of Skywalker, was revealed Friday to kick off Star Wars Celebration Chicago.

The Rise of Skywalker trailer opens with Rey standing in the desert.

"Every generation has a legend," it reads, echoing the 1998 trailer for The Phantom Menace.

Then a hint that Rey may be in communication with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

"We have passed on all we know, a thousand generations live in you now," Luke says in a voiceover. "But this is your fight."

Rey is then seen speed-wielding her blue lightsaber (seemingly repaired repaired after The Last Jedi) and backflipping onto a ship that looked a lot like Kylo Ren's TIE Silencer. We don't see his face in the cockpit though.

Further shots show Kylo repairing his helmet, a quick look at a laughing older Lando Calrissian on the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca, Finn and Poe in the desert, BB-8 with cut new droid Dio and Rey embracing Leia. 

"No one's ever really gone," Skywalker says, just before we learn that might apply to the light and dark sides of the Force.

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Then comes a cackle Star Wars fans know so well -- Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Could the true evil of the galaxy -- Darth Sidious himself -- be back decades after Darth Vader threw him to his death in Return of the Jedi?

It was apparently confirmed when McDiarmid stepped onto the Celebration Chicago stage after the trailer ended.

"Roll it again," he said in the signature croak he gave Palpatine.

The title, first teaser trailer and more details were revealed as director J.J. Abrams, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and cast members took the stage to deliver delicious hints about the movie.

Abrams said he's currently in the editing and visual effects stage of the film, but did give a plot tease.

"This movie, it's about this new generation, and what they've inherited, the light and the dark," Abrams said, seeming to reference Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Issac) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

A first look at the start of an adventure from Star Wars Episode 9.

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Abrams noted that the new film will not take place immediately after The Last Jedi -- some time has passed -- but that Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa will be a part of the story as previously confirmed.

"You don't recast that part and you don't have her disappear," Abrams said, noting that the team found a way to work with her even though she's no longer with us. "What if we could write scenes around her," the director said, regarding the process of finding a way to include Leia in the film.

J.J. Abrams noted that despite Carrie Fisher no longer being with us, he worked with her a lot for Episode 9. 

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Legacy cast member Billy Dee Williams took the stage to note his Lando character has never left him, and that joining the new movie was a surprise. We also a shot of Lando in one of his signature flashy outfits.

"I get sick and tired of getting accused of betraying Han Solo ... he was up against Darth Vader, he had to figure something out! By the way, did anybody die?" Williams quipped on stage.

Naomi Ackie joined the stage with the cast to reveal her new character named Jannah. While very little is known, she did tease that she will be on a "wicked" adventure with the characters. When moderator Stephen Colbert asked if her character is Lando's daughter as has been rumored, she did not confirm or deny.

"Lando is a very charming man so he can have children all over the universe," Ackie teased.

John Boyega revealed that thanks to the time jump, Finn is now going to be a full-fledged Resistance fighter, with a new haircut to boot.

Finn and Poe having a light moment in Episode 9.

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But regarding his longtime nemesis Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), Boyega confirmed that he has closure. 

"Phasma yeah she dead," Boyega said.

Could the actor be faking us out?

Oscar Isaac's Poe is seen being close to his bestie Finn in a new photo from the film, with Isaac noting that Poe is very serious about their friendship.

Daisy Ridley's Rey in a new outfit for Episode 9.

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A new outfit for Rey was revealed when Daisy Ridley spoke during Star Wars Celebration, with the actress noting that Rey may not have read all of the Jedi texts she took from Ahch-To.

"As we saw those books are pretty large, she may have started," Ridley teased. She deflected questions about whether she has any new Force powers, though.

Ridley did reveal though that Luke Skywalker's lightsaber did survive the events of The Last Jedi, so looks like that legendary blade -- made by Anakin Skywalker during The Clone Wars and pass down through generations -- is coming back into play after splitting in half in Snoke's throne room.

Adam Driver's Kylo Ren in Episode 9.

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And a look at Adam Driver's Kylo Ren was also teased, with Ridley revealing that scenes involving Kylo will keep the character clothed, as opposed to the shirtless telepathic conversations the two had in The Last Jedi. However the two likely will keep some version of their personal connection, although Ridley couldn't say much.

"I guess the Kylo and Rey thing ... we'll have to see," she said. 

And BB-8 will have a new friend in the form of the droid Dio, who rolled out onto the Celebration Chicago stage.

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Star Wars: Episode 9 premieres Dec. 19 in the UK and Dec. 20 in the US and Australia, If you want to catch up or revisit the saga in the meantime, check out our guide to watching all the movies online in chronological order.

Celebration Chicago runs until Monday -- here's what you should expect from the rest of the weekend.

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2019-04-12 18:40:00Z
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