Several years after Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi shook the fandom, director Rian Johnson looked back at his entry into the franchise and provided a look at some never-before-seen moments from behind-the-scenes.
Among the many images provided through Empire are looks at actor Andy Serkis enjoying his time with Supreme Leader Snoke. Johnson said of "The Joke's on Snoke," "This was a beautiful maquette that our creature department built for reference on set, because in the movie Snoke is entirely CG. But we had this maquette there, so it was a very nice photo-op to have Andy with his character."
One of the BTS images, titled "The Red Room," also showed star Daisy Ridley attached to wires, preparing to film the famed battle sequence in the Red Room. Johnson explained the actor did much of her own stunts and that the image also highlights the number of practical effects the scene used, since there were few green screens used to film the fight.
"Phasmagorical" featured actor John Boyega as Finn and Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma, though it is uncertain if Christie was in the suit in the image. Johnson explained that Boyega put his all into the fight scene and enjoyed filming his character's confrontation with his former captain.
The image titled "Grounded Falcon" showcased some of the experiences the cast and crew shared during downtime, like when the weather didn't permit filming. The director stated, "At some point it started raining, and the entire crew huddled underneath the Falcon for shelter... It felt like the coolest camping trip of all time."
Finally, "A Porg in the Hand" shows puppeteer and actor Brian Herring, fiddling with a porg puppet to bring the popular creature to life. In addition to the porgs, Herring also performed BB-8, the fathiers of Cantonica and several other creatures that appeared in the film.
The Last Jedi was released in 2017 and, while it received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and audiences, the reaction online was characterized by significant negativity. Following the film's debut in theaters, actor Kelly Marie Tran became the victim of harassment on the Internet and was compelled to leave social media. When it comes to the sequel trilogy's story, The Last Jedi is often blamed for one of the reasons for the three films' disconnect.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi is available for streaming on Disney+.
Source: Empire.com