I suppose that everyone is already talking about the next chapter of Star Wars with Episode 8, which still has yet to reveal its subtitle. After what has become a critical and commercial success of The Force Awakens, parent company Disney is going to put everything they have in the next film. This is what is known about Star Wars Episode 8 with its release date as well as what to expect.
Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, has had a lot to say on twitter, saying that "it wraps on Friday July 22nd 2016", according to CinemaBlend. So, it is up to fans like me to speculate what will happen in this next movie, so I am going to come up with a plotline.
Considering how much The Force Awakens borrowed its plotline from Star Wars: A New Hope, the original 1977 film, then I am just going to say that Disney will want to play it safe with their return to form with following the mold laid out The Empire Strikes Back.
In that film, it began with Luke begin summoned to go to Dagobah to learn from Yoda. Yoda was the wise old Jedi master since before the time of The Phantom Menace, but in this reality, it looks like Luke Skywalker is the wise Jedi master in Episode 8. Besides his sister Leia, he is the only Jedi left.
Episode 7 ended with Rey (Daisy Ridley) showing up on Luke's doorstep to give him a lightsaber. Luke is probably happy to see Chewie and R2-D2, and then he is probably going to train Rey in the ways of the Force.
In the meantime, there will be a plotline where Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)will be scouring the universe in search of that rebel base that managed to come together in order to stop that giant massive Death Star galaxy-killer. The Empire Strikes Back began with the Empire finding the Rebels on Hoth, so where will the First Order find the Resistance?
Hey, I know! Maybe the First Order could find the Resistance in space as they make an Exodus. Perhaps Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) will have to lead the X-Wing fighter squad to stop the First Order fighters, while Finn (John Boyega) is assisting the main Resistance fleet in order to settle down at some hidden point in the galaxy. Then, Kylo Ren could capture part of the Resistance, and attempt to torture them so he can find the rest of them, as well as Rey.
Now, here is where the story could get interesting. The Empire Strikes Back had a major plot-point when Luke Skywalker realized through the power of the Force that Leia and Han were in trouble, and he forgot his training with Yoda to rescue them. Perhaps Episode 8 will flip the script, and Rey will hear the cries of her friends in trouble, but Luke Skywalker will tell her that she needs to complete her training. Then Rey will actually choose to complete her training!
As you may recall from The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker rushed to save his friends, and his friends ended up saving him. He also learned the truth about Darth Vader being his father.
There seems to be some issues with Rey and her parentage, as she was left on that desert planet of hers by some unknown someone. There are theories that Rey could be Luke's daughter or even Obi-Wan Kenobi's daughter. There are some on PopSugar saying that Jyn Erso, the main character from Rogue One could be her mother. J.J. Abrams, director of The Force Awakens, has been trying to tell the media and audiences that it doesn't matter, and who knows, maybe it is just a red herring.
Whatever the case, Star Wars: Episode 8 will be out on December 15, 2017.
