Something’s up with C-3PO. In one trailer for Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, the omnipresent gold droid is seen with deep red eyes, and in another he says he’s taking “one last look” at his friends. If the iconic character’s presence in the Sequel Trilogy so far has been more marginal, he looks set to have some big moments in the upcoming Episode IX – with Anthony Daniels, the actor who’s donned those metal panels across every instalment of the Skywalker Saga, promising some ‘weird stuff’.
“In The Last Jedi I became a table decoration, which I regretted, because Threepio was worth more than that,” he tells Empire in the upcoming Rise Of Skywalker issue. “But he does all sorts of weird stuff in this one. It was a delight, a joy! I get to go out on a high. This is my third ending and I think I’ll be saddest about this one. Return Of The Jedi was… well, it had the Ewoks in it, for God’s sake!”
Inside the mag, on sale from Thursday 28 November, you’ll find brand new images and insights from Episode IX, and all-new interviews with Sequel Trilogy stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Kelly Marie Tran, the legendary Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams, franchise newcomers Naomi Ackie and Keri Russell, and writer-director J.J. Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio. Plus, the issue also comes with a bonus Skywalker Saga magazine – the ultimate celebration of the nine-film epic, with fresh interviews, features, archival material, and more – and a Dark Rey art card, illustrated exclusively for Empire by Rory Kurtz.
Take a closer look at the new covers and more here. Pick up the magazine on newsstands from 28 November – and prepare to take in the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga when Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker hits UK cinemas on 19 December