Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will wrap up not only the new Star Wars trilogy that started with 2015’s The Force Awakens, but it will also conclude the current Star Wars saga from Episodes I to IV. That’s over 40 years of storytelling to put a bow on, with a lot of moving parts that have to align to stick the landing. So it’s no surprise that the final moments of the Skywalker saga kept changing on set.

Daisy Ridley revealed at Star Wars Celebration that the original ending she read was tweaked, which changed things for the actor.

“J.J. had told me [the ending], and then I read the script, and then it was sort of shifting. The ending was always pretty similar, and then I was told there was sort of a new — I guess a slightly different beat added that I was told, which was awesome. Because it’s nice to be told the thing and then you can like experience it with the filmmaker. But also, we don’t know how it’s gonna turn out.”

Ridley went on to say that she is unsure if the new beat added will make the final cut. “We did the thing on this side of the camera,” the actor teased, “so we don’t know how it’s gonna turn out. So I’m as excited to see it as everyone else.”

Moreover, Ridley knew the original ending to Episode IX back when its then-director and co-writer Colin Trevorrow was still involved. (Argo screenwriter Chris Terrio joined Abrams in rewriting the movie.)

Rise of Skywalker is not J.J Abrams’ first Star Wars movie to undergo key story changes during production. According to Mark Hamill, The Force Awakens was originally set to end with Luke using his Force powers to levitate large rocks on the island where Rey finds him. (Not to mention that the original opening to TFA, according to Abrams on the movie’s commentary, featured Luke’s blue lightsaber falling through space on its way to eventually ending up in Maz Kanata’s possession.)

The events leading to the end of Rey’s journey seem very intertwined with those of the Skywalker saga. The first teaser trailer showed Rey, Finn, and Poe on an alien world overlooking what’s left of the Death Star from Return of the Jedi — with Rey still using Luke’s lightsaber. Revisiting the ruins of this battle station, along with the return of Emperor Palpatine, points to one hell of a finale.

We’ll see how it all comes together when The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20. Get your tickets here.

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