Episode 8 Bits: A New Female Lead, Notes On A “Casino” Scene, And The Return Of A Jedi Master?
While that newRogue Onetrailer grabbed all of the recent headlines, production onStar Wars: Episode 8has continued in full force. In today’s edition of Episode 8 Bits:
It seems that Frank Ozrecently journeyed to London and went to Pinewood Studios. And sinceEpisode 8is filming at Pinewood Studios, you are officially allowed to start pondering whether or not Yoda will return for this next film. After all, Oz famously voiced Yoda and operated the Yoda puppet in the earlierStar Warsfilms. When Yoda went CGI, Oz continued to lend his voice to the character. However, it’s not clear if he’s on set to contribute more Yoda or if he’s being called in to assist in another capacity, maybe to lend his expertise to the production and help consult on new characters. Let’s remember the last time we saw Yoda in theStar Warstimeline though – as Luke and his friends celebrated the destruction of the second Death Star, Yoda was among the Force ghosts who popped up for one last goodbye. Is it possible that Luke is chilling out with ghost Yoda on a regular basis? And is it possible that Oz has returned to voice (and maybe operate) him again?
The Force Awakensmade it pretty clear thatOscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron is one of the best-dressed men in the galaxy, but he also gave his pretty rad leather jacket to John Boyega’s Finn. Naturally, a man who values looking good (even when you’re fighting in a down-and-dirty resistance group) needs to obtain a new outfit.Making Star Warsclaims to have seen Poe’s newEpisode 8Wardrobe:
For additional details on Poe’s new clothing, hit that link and read on.
Making Star Warsalso published a slew of minor but intriguing new tidbitsgleamed from their sources. Naturally, you should take all of this with a grain of salt, but the site has been accurate enough in the past for us to at least take this somewhat seriously. These could be considered spoilers (albeit incredibly minor spoilers), but you know you.
First, the less spoilery stuff. The site reports that pick-up shots of an “evacuation sequence” were shot this week involving Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron andLaura Dern’s unnamed Resistance leader. This scene supposedly also features a bunch of people evacuating into smaller ships. It certainly sounds like the First Order has the Resistance on the run…
Second, they speak of a “casino sequence” that will be like the Cantina scene inStar Warsor the bar scene inThe Force Awakens, but “on a larger scale than we’ve seen before.” In other words, prepare to see a whole bunch of new aliens and creatures and characters who will eventually receive backstories and get action figures. Most intriguing is the news that Luke Skywalker will play a role in the scene as he searches the casino for someone. I thought for sure that the bulk of Luke’s time inEpisode 8would be spent training Rey in the wilderness, so this is an intriguing development. Making Star Wars can’t confirm that the casino scenes are the interiors represented by the exteriors that were shot in Dubrovnik, Croatia, but it seems likely. After all, the streetsweredecorated with all kinds of flashing, casino-esque lights.
Now in production#W8ForVIIIhttps://t.co/I3og06AxF6
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill)August 26, 2025
Just don’t expect Mark Hamill to chime in on any details. It’s hard to tell when he’s being serious or just messing with us. The man is a regular joker, using social media to tease fans and drop great dumb jokes and generally be a big pain the butt for anyone who arrives at his digital doorstep with questions aboutEpisode 8. Note the tweet above. I love this guy. So I have no idea what to make of the tweet below, where Hamill shares an image of his screenplay (complete with very extensive watermark) and promises to share plot details if he gets 21,000 people to share it. As of right now, he’s not even close. But hey, it’s a good gag.
Time 4 a#SWSecret-@rianjohnsonOK’d release of stunning#Ep8plot point-Tell 21,000 friends!#HAMILLION#StayTunedpic.twitter.com/B9nQM6A5st
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill)August 20, 2025
Of course director Rian Johnson (who is equally good at being silly on Twitter) had the best response.
And while we’re sharing good Rian Johnson tweets, here’s his response when someone asked him if BB-8 would be inEpisode 8:
Entertainment Weeklyhosted a Q&A with Adam Driver and otherMidnight Specialcast members following a screening of the film.Episode 8came up and Driver offered some searing story details:
Oh, Adam Driver. You scamp. However, he did speak about the differences between J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson as directors:
Their temperaments are different. I feel like there was so many moving pieces in the first one – just trying to solve it and set the vocabulary for what it was. There’s a lot of that anxiety is gone, because people have developed a language. I think it’s more of a testament to Rian coming into something very established and making it [his own]. I can’t wait to get on set, just because he’s so unassuming and intelligent and approachable. The script they’ve come up with is really great.
His answer makes it sound like, at the time of the Q&A, Driver had not yet begun filming. It’s not clear if he’s reported to set since then, but we’ll probably know soon enough. Security aroundEpisode 8is fairly air-tight, but something will inevitably slip through the cracks.
Hey @HamillHimself look what they’re building for you in#CeannSibéal#Dingle#Ireland#StarWars#pintspic.twitter.com/0oSPtHb9vp
— Marian O’Flaherty (@oflaherty_news)June 02, 2025
It’s no secret that filming on Skellig Michael was a huge pain in the butt for the cast and crew ofThe Force Awakens, so it wasn’t surprising whenEpisode 8only scheduled a few days on the rocky, heavily protected island. Portions of Luke’s new home of Ahch-To was recreated on sets at London’s Pinewood Studios, but other sets are under construction at Ceann Sibéal in Ireland, as you may see in the image above. So in the end, the Ahch-To sequences ofEpisode 8will consist of scenes shot on Skellig Michael, scenes shot in Ceann Sibéal, and scenes shot at Pinewood Studios. Movie magic and whatnot will make them all blend together just fine. And unlikethat April Fool’s jokeabout world famous English Market in Cork, Ireland being used for a sequence, there is no mistaking this. Those sets are clear recreations of those odd structures glimpsed on Luke’s island at the end ofThe Force Awakens.
Daisy Ridley won Best Breakthrough Performance at this year’s MTV Movie Awards and afterward, she wasasked the usual collection ofStar Warsquestions. After confirming thatRogue One’s Jyn Erso is not Rey’s mother, she said that this is a less important question than people seem to think it is:
I think the amazing thing about [Episode VII] is that Finn and Rey don’t come from anywhere, and they find a place. So to me, it’s funny that people think it’s so important because I don’t really think it is.
SinceThe Force Awakensconcluded with Rey arriving on Ahch-To to (hopefully) begin training under Luke Skywalker, that means she’s going to be a Jedi, right? Not so fast:
I don’t know if I am a Jedi… I don’t think I am. We’ve had this debate as to whether Leia is because she uses her Force powers. Just because she’s not like,oh I’m going on an adventurelike Luke doesn’t make her any less Forceful.
Speaking of female leads inStar Warsmovies, John Boyega recently introduced a screening ofSecrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journeyin the U.K.where he referred to new cast member Kelly Marie Tran as a “lead.“Right now, we have nothing to back this up and know nothing about her role in the film, but it’s an interesting thing to consider. DoesEpisode 8have room for another major character since it already has to find time for Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren to do their thing? Apparently. But even if she’s not a proper lead, this will be a huge role for the relative newcomer, whose past credits includeComedy Bang! Bang!andLadies Like Us.
