Star Wars Celebration is just around the corner, and there are a few things we want to see come out of it, including the first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Star Wars Celebration is an interesting convention. It’s not a convention that produces a large amount of news in the same way San Diego Comic-Con does. It’s quite literally a celebration of Star Wars, its fans and the thousands of different aspects that make up its universe. Over the past few years, however, there have been some interesting revelations that have come out of it. Last year, information about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first anthology movie in the Star Wars franchise, was released. The first look at new planets, announcements on cast members involved and conceptual art from the film all came out of that panel.
Below are some of the most interesting and biggest events to keep an eye on as they occur next weekend.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi panel
I’m going to keep bringing this up because, if we’re being honest, this is what we’re all going to have our eye on. All the information we have right now about the panel is that it will take place between Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy and director Rian Johnson. Other cast members the belong to the Star Wars universe are expected to make an appearance on stage, and don’t count out more news about casting developments. Best case scenario, we see some concept art or the actors show up in costume.
With that being said, let’s address the 800 pound rancor in the room: the trailer. By this time last year, we already had the first trailer for Rogue One. Instead of getting a trailer at Celebration, fans in the audience were treated to a sizzle reel that brought Darth Vader back to the movie series. This year, however, we still don’t have a trailer for The Last Jedi, and although Kennedy hasn’t confirmed we’ll finally get one during Celebration, it seems pretty likely that we will. Kennedy has confirmed that we’ll see the first trailer for the film this spring, and Celebration makes the most sense.
When does it take place? 11:00-12:30 p.m. ET on April 14.
Mark Hamill’s tribute to Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher, the actress who made her mark on the Star Wars universe and the world at large for her brilliant portrayal of Princess Leia, died on Dec. 27. Following her death, messages of love and adoration for the actress poured in from strangers around the world, other industry members in Hollywood and, of course, her Star Wars family. Mark Hamill, best known for his work as Luke Skywalker, penned a beautiful tribute to his good friend and on-screen sister.
Now, a few months later, Hamill is set to take the stage at Celebration and deliver another, hour-long tribute to the late actress. It’s unclear if the panel will be live-streamed, but there seems to be no reason why it wouldn’t. Expect other appearances from Star Wars cast members who may join Hamill to give their own tribute to Fisher.
When does it take place? 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET on April 14
More information on upcoming Star Wars comics from Marvel
There are a number of canonical arms of Star Wars that exist, but one of the most interesting is Marvel’s partnership with Lucasfilm to create new comic book series based on the property. Editor Jordan White (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra), artist Phil Noto (Poe Dameron) and writer Charles Soule (Poe Dameron, Darth Vader) will be on stage to discuss what the future of Marvel and Star Wars comics.
Expect to hear some future developments for what Marvel has planned for comics related to The Last Jedi.
When does it take place? 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET on April 15.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 news
The second installment in the Star Wars Battlefront franchise is expected to get its first look during Celebration. This includes a trailer, information from EA on the game’s development and we may even get a release date. E3 is just around the corner though, and EA will have a presence once again. There’s a good chance Celebration will provide a quick look at the game, with more details being saved for E3. The first Battlefront was released in 2004, but the series was rebooted in 2015 after EA acquired the licensing rights for the franchise.
In Polygon’s review of the game, we said Battlefront was “a game where you crest a frozen ridge on the surface of Hoth and see a thousand lasers turn the sky into a disco and an AT-AT into scrap metal. If a little of the fat has to be trimmed for more people to have that experience, then blaster holes for bullet points seems like a fair trade.”
When does it take place? 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET on April 15.
Star Wars Celebration runs from April 13 through April 16 in Orlando, Florida. Polygon will have coverage the entire weekend. It’s unclear which panels will be streamed at this time, but we’ll provide updates as more information comes out.