Previously Unreleased ‘Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker’ Concept Art Shows Off Some Spoiler-Filled Moments
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerdisappointed me personally, but I’ll be the first to admit it had some great visuals. Whatever that film lacks in storytelling, it mostly makes up for withJ.J. Abrams' direction,Dan Mindel’s cinematography, and the great effects work from Industrial Light and Magic. Like mostStar Warsfilms,Rise of Skywalkerhad a coffee table art book with all sorts of concept art – but usually, those art books tend to leave out stuff that can be considered spoiler material. Now, spoiler-centric art that never made it to print is available for the first time, and it looks pretty damn cool.
It’s been almost one year sinceStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerhit theaters, and I’m still not entirely overmy disappointment. I thoughtThe Force Awakenswas a blast andThe Last Jediwas fantastic, so I had hopes that the trilogy would end on a high note. Alas, it didn’t. But as much as I dislike the film and the choices it made, I can still appreciate this newly releasedRise of Skywalkerconcept art, which you can check out over at theILM website.
Here’s a “megalithic structure” on Exegol, where Palpatine – who has somehow returned – is lurking about like Dracula in his castle. Of the three images, the top one – with the hazy sky and red sun – looks the best.
Beneath the structure, you can find all sorts of ominous statues. “Director J.J. Abrams was looking for an imposing, oppressive environment to anyone who might walk through the abandoned halls,” one caption reads. I love how gothic this all looks, and wish that gothic vibe had made it into the final film.
Here’s Palpatine meeting his demise…again. Dig the skeleton.
Even more Palpatine art. “Revealing Emperor Palpatine was a monumental task that took a lot of trial and error. How decayed would his body look? How many life-supporting machines would there be around him? It was important to convey that the once all-powerful Emperor was no longer in his prime but a shadow of his former self, while still keeping him menacing,” a caption reads.
“The Art Department took vessels from previous films, games, comics and amusement part rides to fill out the ranks. Alongside old favorites, a plethora of new ships were also designed,” a caption for this image reads. When I sawThe Rise of Skywalkerin theaters, I couldfeelthe audience slipping away from the movie as it ticked on. Snickers, groans, and constant seat-shifting. But I will say that the moment when the flotilla of Resistance ships showed up at the end, the crowd went wild, so, job well done,Rise of Skywalker.
Head on over toILMto see more images.
