The first official clip from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker provides a hint of the film's story structure. Ever since Disney unveiled the final Star Wars 9 trailer in late October, they've been ramping up marketing efforts for their upcoming blockbuster. With only a few weeks to go until The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters, things are in full swing with a plethora of new images, character posters, magazine covers, and much more hyping up the film's arrival this holiday season. And in typical Disney fashion, they're running an extremely calculated campaign that's extremely spoiler-averse.
To date, The Rise of Skywalker promotional materials have been so vague with several out-of-context shots, it's somewhat difficult to piece together a basic story structure based on what's been made available. Released footage has showcased the new planets audiences will see, but there hasn't really been any clues regarding the order in which they'll appear during the final movie. But if the latest bit of marketing is any indication, a trip to the desert world Pasaana will come early on.
During an appearance on Good Morning America, director J.J. Abrams was on hand to unveil an exclusive clip from The Rise of Skywalker. This bit is from the Pasaana speeder chase that's been heavily featured in marketing thus far. In his interview, Abrams confirmed the sequence takes place "early in the movie," implying it's from act one. Watch the clip in the space below:
Considering Disney's Star Wars marketing strategy, this is the ideal scene to release as a clip during promotion. It's another look at a set piece that's already been highlighted multiple times and continues to keep all of the key story details under wraps. Though fans now know Pasaana takes place in the beginning of the film, it's still a mystery why they're there and how they encounter the First Order. Even the jet troopers were previously unveiled in prior advertising efforts. This clip follows the classic Star Wars model of showing things without really revealing anything, closely guarding all of the secrets. All the dialogue reveals is that the existence of the jet troopers comes as a surprise to the heroes, who haven't faced anything like them before. It's a small comedic beat that feels perfectly at home in a Star Wars movie.
What remains to be seen is if Disney's approach will ultimately pay off. On one hand, The Rise of Skywalker set new franchise ticket pre-sales records, indicating audiences are very excited for one last adventure in the galaxy far, far away. Unlike box office bomb Solo, The Rise of Skywalker should be a return to form for Star Wars, from a commercial perspective. At the same time, some viewers have expressed displeasure with the way marketing's gone, arguing the aforementioned final trailer is the weakest of the bunch. Surely, this is intentional on the studio's part as a means of avoiding spoilers, but a case can be made they could have done things a little differently down the homestretch. But if The Rise of Skywalker ends the saga on a high note, any concerns over marketing will be moot.
Source: Good Morning America
