Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

J.J. Abrams returns to his director’s chair for the final instalment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, after Colin Trevorrow stepped down, but with the same promise of an “emotionally resonant finale”. A critical issue in producing the last film was to find a way to handle the disappearance of Carrie Fisher in 2016 and her irreplaceable performance of Princess Leia. The team doesn’t wish to recast or use a computer-generated character, meaning that Leia is likely to make a small appearance based on footage that was previously shot. A better way to honour her 40 year-long career with the Star Wars franchise.

Star Wars: Episode IX release date: December 20