Will the force be with Star Wars: The Last Jedi?

Unless you’ve been hiding in a galaxy far, far away, you have probably heard that Disney has just dropped the trailer for the eighth episode of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Looking at the footage from this recent promo, fans chomping at the bit for Episode VIII can immediately tell that this film picks up pretty much right after The Force Awakens.

Photo: IMDb

At the end of the previous installment, the Resistance had many reasons to celebrate. The Starkiller base was destroyed while The First Order’s planet had imploded. But it appears that the festivities didn’t go on for long, as Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) have all managed to escape from the demolished base to link up with the First Order and their supreme leader, Snoke (Andy Serkis), who is plotting an even bigger and deadlier go at the resistance.

Photo: IMDb

Meanwhile, on the mystical planet Ahch-To, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is not only questioning her destiny but is also training under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). The lead from the original Star Wars series is seemingly astonished by the sheer talent of our current protagonist, but is also terrified as she reminds him of someone with similar abilities.

Photo: IMDb

Photo: Screenshot

“I’ve seen this raw strength only once before,” says Skywalker, presumably talking about Kylo Ren. “It didn’t scare me enough then. It does now.”

Photo: Screenshot

The trailer also features the return of resistance fighter pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) along with Stormtrooper-turned-rebel Finn (John Boyega), both guaranteeing some “whoa’s” from the fans.

Photo: IMDb

On the other hand, we see General Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher), BB-8, Chewbacca and his adorable squawking Porg friend, all of whom will undoubtedly elicit some heart-warming “awws” from the audience.

Photo: IMDb

The Porgs have already drawn some comparisons to the Ewoks from Return of the Jedi, and judging by the reaction of the fandom, they are also the must-have stuffed toy for this coming Christmas season.

Photo: IMDb

The trailer ends with arguably the most defining moment of the trilogy – Kylo Ren offering his hand to the seemingly confused Rey.

Photo: Screenshot

Photo: Screenshot

“I need someone to show me my place in all this”, says our heroine.

So is our female protagonist being wooed to join the dark side? Or perhaps she is all set to become the first Grey Jedi, as I alluded to in my review of TLJ teaser trailer.

Throughout the promo you can’t help but notice how director Rian Johnson’s grim and grubby version of the galaxy is in stark contrast with JJ Abrams’s The Force Awakens, which was almost Spielberg-esque in its brightness and warmth.

Photo: IMDb

Photo: Screenshot

As far as the theme is concerned, the whole trailer appears to focus on a curious connection between Rey and Kylo Ren, who, after taking down his dad Han Solo in The Force Awakens, looks to be on a lethal hunt for her own mom, General Leia.

Photo: Screenshot

Fans understandably will be dissecting the trailer in every way, shape and form for the next couple of months but director Rian Johnson has already warned the Jedi fanatics that they should avoid the latest teaser if they want a completely spoiler-free experience of the movie itself.

https://twitter.com/rianjohnson/status/917049537843183618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nme.com%2Fnews%2Ffilm%2Fstar-wars-last-jedi-director-rian-johnson-fans-avoid-new-trailer-2148404

I know it’s a pretty tough ask, but hey, it’s just a couple of months.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi lands in theaters on December 15th. May the force be with us till then.