These Annie Leibovitz ‘Star Wars’ photos are exactly what we’ve been waiting for
Today is May the 4th. If you say it fast enough, it sounds like “May the Force . . .” which means that today is Star Wars Day. So May the 4th be with you, gals. Always.
What better way to celebrate this day than with amazing new Star Wars images from the upcoming The Force Awakens. Vanity Fair teamed up with legend-status photographer Annie Leibovitz for some behind-the-scenes first looks, along with some cast portraits. Up until now, most characters have been kept under tight lock-and-key somewhere far, far away. But today, just in time for May the 4th, we’ve got a look at some of the key roles in the film. Hello, Adam Driver and Lupita Nyong’o! Warning: you’re going to be filled with so many Force feels.
Adam Driver is playing Kylo Ren. All along it’s been suspected that he’s the guy wielding that three-pronged lightsaber. Turns out, it’s true. He’s on the wrong side of the Rebel Alliance (or as it’s being called now, the Resistance), which means that he’s probably chummy with the Sith. Considering the Empire fell in Return of the Jedi, what group has risen from those ashes?
That doesn’t matter right now. Look at those next generation Stormtroopers!
There’s also Nyong’o, and so far her involvement in the movie has been shrouded in secrecy. It’s actually still being kept secret, but we now know she’s going to be completely CGI — and please, oh please, we hope she’s not related to any Gungans. Her character’s name is Maz Kanata, but whether she’s on the light side, or the dark side, remains to be seen.
That’s not all. Even though we’ve seen him before in both trailers, it’s always a good time to check out Oscar Isaac’s pilot Poe Dameron. Vanity Fair calls him “dashing.” While we’re gonna go ahead and agree with that assessment, no one will ever take the place of scruffy-looking Nerf-herder Han Solo (just saying).
If TRUE behind-the-scenes Star Wars pictures are more your thing, Leibovitz also snagged some images of those involved in the making of Star Wars. I’ve never wanted to be invited to a meeting more in my life.
Check out composer John Williams (who also composed the Harry Potter films, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park), Kathleen Kennedy (a long-term producer who’s worked a great deal with Steven Spielberg, and is now the Lucasfilms president), Lawrence Kasdan (who co-wrote Force Awakens, along with Empire and Jedi and Raiders of the Lost Arc), and J.J. Abrams (of Lost, Felicity, Alias, Cloverfield, Star Trek, literally EVERYTHING fame) hanging out and making important Star Wars decisions.
Feel like the Force is strong with you now? You can check out all these images and more in June’s issue of Vanity Fair. And not that I’m counting, but Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in 227 days on December 18th, 2015.
All images via Vanity Fair.
