After "Avengers: Endgame," the most highly anticipated film of the year has to be "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." You can also throw "Frozen 2" in there, but that's another story for another time.
And as the days creep along until the December release of the final film in the Skywalker saga, die-hard fans are reading every inch of interviews, previews and more trying to uncover the smallest nugget of information as to what fans can expect later this year.
Vanity Fair was given unfettered access (aren't you jelly?) to the cast and crew while filming was going on for the film in southern Jordan.
(MORE: GMA's Live Your Star Wars™ Adventure Challenge)Filming of the epic blockbuster was such an undertaking that the magazine reports the Jordanian royal family got involved and helped out with resources.
Here are a few of the most salient details from this month's cover story.
1 - The film will stand on its own merit, but fit into the other eight movies.
As with any "Star Wars" film, you can watch and enjoy by itself. But this film is extra special as we will see the last of and the apparent "Rise" of Skywalker.
“It wasn’t just to make one film that as a stand-alone experience would be thrilling, and scary, and emotional, and funny, but one that if you were to watch all nine of the films, you’d feel like, Well, of course—that!” director J.J. Abrams told the magazine.
(MORE: 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' 1st teaser trailer drops, secrets revealed)2 - Newcomer Naomi Ackie will play a character named Jannah.
While she can't divulge anything about her character, she can regale the magazine on the film in general.
"There’s the kind of spectacular-ness, and the supernatural move-things-with-your-mind magic stuff, but then there’s also this really grounded, rugged nature where everything is distressed and old and kind of worn out and lived-in," she speaks about the aesthetic of the film.
"You get this feeling that it could almost be real. Like, in a galaxy far away, it could almost be the case that you could have this,” she added.
3 - Though he respects what George Lucas did with the prequels, Abrams prefers to use less CGI.
The opening of the article shows that the director mixes the use of green screen and the real desert of Jordan.
He wants to incorporate as much realness to the film as humanly possible.
"I always preferred the look of the original movies, because I just remember when you’re in the snow on Hoth, when you’re in the desert on Tatooine, and when you’re in the forests of Endor—it’s amazing. If you put a vaporator here, there, all of a sudden almost any natural location suddenly becomes a 'Star Wars' location,” he says.
4 - C-3P0 the hero?
In the interviews, Anthony Daniels reveals that his first line of the film is “common emblem," though we have no idea what that means.
Also he adds that his iconic character will do something that surprises everyone.
"He keeps his clothes on," he added, teasing the reporter.
5 - Jedi and Sith one. More. Time.
Check this line in the article.
"'Skywalker' will at long last bring to a climax the millennia-long conflict between the Jedi Order and its dark shadow, the Sith," the writer adds.
Ummm, chills big time.
6 - Who is this Skywalker?
Could it be Rey, are we talking about Kylo, what?
One thing is for sure, old footage of Carrie Fisher will be used to fill the void she left after she passed in 2016.
In fact, the footage is sometimes with her daughter Billie Lourd, who also starred in "The Force Awakens."
“There are moments where they’re talking; there are moments where they’re touching. There are moments in this movie where Carrie is there, and I really do feel there is an element of the uncanny, spiritual, you know, classic Carrie, that it would have happened this way, because somehow it worked. And I never thought it would,” Abrams explained.
7 - Finally, the Knights of Ren
Kylo Ren, up to this point, has been a solo act. He bonded with Rey in "The Last Jedi," but that relationship soured a bit.
It's always been teased that he would lead a group called the Knights of Ren and this article confirms we will see these characters in this film.
Director @jjabrams rehearses a scene with the Knights of Ren on the set of #TheRiseOfSkywalker. Read more on these elite warriors in @VanityFair’s special The Rise of Skywalker issue.
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 22, 2019
Read the cover story: https://t.co/Nq5QF0Wn8V pic.twitter.com/tx25tiMZqd
Adam Driver, who plays the main villain Ren, explained how his character turned to the dark side after being born of the light.
It was quite simple: the expectations of the Skywalker lineage became too much.
"How do you understand the weight of that? And if there’s no one around you guiding you, or articulating things the right way … it can easily go awry,” he said.
8 - Rey coming into her own?
Daisy Ridley says to expect a more confident young Jedi.
Lucasfilm unveils the compete 'Journey to Star Wars: #TheRiseOfSkywalker' publishing program: https://t.co/GuHylP5HO7 #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/h4cXD5DEbx
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 4, 2019
"Calm, less fearful," she adds of her character. "It’s still sort of overwhelming, but in a different way. It feels more right."
9 - More fresh faces to the galaxy far, far away.
There are going to be so many dynamite actors and actresses joining the cast.
In addition to Ackie, you have the empowering Keri Russell, and the Oscar-nominated Richard E. Grant.
We still don't know much about their roles.
"The Rise of Skywalker" hits theaters on Dec. 20.
ABC News and Lucasfilm are both part of parent company Disney.
