Star Wars Episode IX director J.J. Abrams confirmed that Episode IX does not immediately pick up from Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
While appearing on stage at Star Wars Celebration Chicago with Stephen Colbert and Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams stated, “What I will say is that the movie doesn’t immediately pick up after the last film. Some time has gone by. What I’ll say is that in this movie, and you can tell by that picture, it’s the very beginning of it. This is an adventure that the group goes on together.”
He’s referring to the below image:
Abrams would elaborate, “One of the great things about the movie, getting to work on it, was the dynamic between the characters. They are just the most wonderful together. That’s the thing I’m sort of most excited for you all to see.”
Abrams would indicate “the epic space adventure takes place on many worlds and in many places.” That’s not really a surprise given Star Wars has always featured a number of different planets and locations since the very first film.
The film had also been rumored to feature a time jump given the Resistance had been utterly decimated by the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Time jumps also aren’t unfamiliar to Star Wars films. There was a significant jump between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as Luke Skywalker had time to craft brand new lightsaber that he would use to combat Darth Vader in the Emperor’s throne room.
What do you make of Abrams brief details about Episode IX? Does it get you somewhat excited for the final film in the Skywalker saga?