‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’ Sees Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley Wrap Up Production


Star Wars fans are no doubt salivating over the news that Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley have wrapped up their parts in Star Wars: Episode VIII, particularly as the duo took to social media to express their gratitude at the experience.

According to Popular Science, Ridley posted on Instagram to commemorate the wrap of Star Wars: Episode VIII, which has been filming around the world almost since Star Wars: The Force Awakens bowed in December, 2015.

“And that is a wrap on Star Wars: Episode VIII. My heart is brimming. #reyout,” she captioned the image, in which she is featured dressed as Rey and holding Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber.

Daisy Ridley’s Instagram has apparently been packed with intense and frequent workout videos, in addition to featuring the occasional lightsaber duel. There’s also anticipation that Rey will end up with a slightly new look in Star Wars: Episode VIII, as Movieweb noted that Ridley herself said she had to hide her new “Rey hairstyle.”

Mark Hamill seems to have finished his part, as well. The man who made Luke Skywalker a household name took to Twitter last week to joke that he had shaved off his “contractually obligated beard,” according to Movieweb, which was a sure indication his part in Star Wars: Episode VIII was coming to a close. It would seem that indications have become reality, as the star also took to Instagram to express his appreciation for the Star Wars: Episode VIII cast and crew.

“Saying goodbye is hard when you’ve had the time of your life,” he wrote. “I can’t thank the cast and crew enough, I couldn’t have done it without you. Loads of love, mh #StarWars #EpVIII #WrapParty.”

It would seem that both Hamill and Ridley have enjoyed their time working together, as evidenced by an image of Hamill riding piggyback on Ridley for her birthday earlier this year. The image was meant to recall the scene in which Yoda, the Jedi master voiced by Frank Oz, is riding Luke, played by Hamill, and advising him about the ways the Force works.

What better way to wrap up shooting on Star Wars: Episode VIII, though, than with dancing stormtroopers? According to IGN, dance troupe Boogie Storm was a featured part of the wrap party, shimmying while dressed in stormtrooper uniforms to the likes of Beyonce and, of course, Star Wars-inspired music. The dance crew was originally featured on Britain’s Got Talent and while Boogie Storm did not take home the trophy, they did manage to take third place.

https://youtu.be/EO_nBlAT19Y

Syco Entertainment, Simon Cowell’s production company, has snapped up the dance troupe and is now planning a world tour, according to Mirror. It would seem the Star Wars: Episode VIII may well have been a part of that worldwide series of stops.

Beyond knowing that the release date for Star Wars: Episode VIII is set for December, 2017, not much else is known. Director Rian Johnson has released some images from the set, including a shot of what appears to be Luke Skywalker’s cloak in a cave and a couple of shots of him wiping down pieces of the set.

While anticipation for this next Star Wars film has been high since Star Wars: The Force Awakens bowed in December, 2015, many fans were quite eager to see if they could catch any glimpses of the potential plot in the production tease that Johnston released a number of months ago.

Star Wars: Episode VIII is expected to pick up right where The Force Awakens left off, where Rey holds Luke’s lightsaber out to him expectantly, hoping he will take the Jedi tool and help the Resistance overcome the First Order. Beyond that, however, little is known, so fans will have to wait until Star Wars: Episode VIII is released in December, 2017, to see what will transpire next in the saga.

[Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images for Harrods]

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