'Star Wars 8' Plot News, Release Date: Despite Parallels, 'The Last Jedi' Not a Remake of 'Empire Strikes Back'
Though the upcoming eighth installment of the "Star Wars" saga will feature some parallels with "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back," it is definitely not going to be a remake of the 1980 American epic space opera film.
According to "Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson, the upcoming film will have characters and storylines of its own, distinct from those featured in the franchise's fifth installment.
"By its very nature, there are some structural parallels. But these are new characters, they're dealing with new things, and that ultimately is what defines the movie," Johnson told Entertainment Weekly.
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Now that "The Last Jedi" is just a few months away from its release, many are wondering just how much of its plot will emulate the previous "Star Wars" films, similar as to how "The Force Awakens" reportedly borrowed some of its storylines from the very first movie in the franchise, "A New Hope." While it is normal for new "Star Wars" films to repeat a bit of history in several respects, fans of the franchise hope that the upcoming film will not be too similar, in terms of its structure and plot points, to "The Empire Strikes Back."
Actor Adam Driver revealed in an interview with Collider last year that the new "Star Wars" movie would have almost the same feel as "The Empire Strikes Back" but will vary in tone.
There are some similarities between the two movies, though.
In "The Empire Strikes Back," Luke underwent training with Yoda on Dagobah that took up most of his time in the film. In "The Last Jedi," Luke will be teaching Rey on Ahch-To.
Meanwhile, another thing that seems similar in the two films is that like Han and Leia's exotic trip to see Lando Calrissian in Cloud City in "The Empire Strikes Back," Finn and newcomer Rose will also have their own journey to a bizarre locale in "The Last Jedi," as they explore the casino metropolis of Canto Bight.
Despite the parallels between the two films, Johnson stressed that any similarity that viewers may notice between them is purely unpremeditated.
Unlike in "The Empire Strikes Back" where Han and Leia's objectives were solely for survival, in "The Last Jedi," Rose and Finn are going undercover for a much deeper reason. Meanwhile, the upcoming film will also explore the aspects of Poe and Leia's relationship that were not featured by any of the previous "Star Wars" films.
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" will open in U.S. theaters on Dec. 15.
