ST What's "the hook" that Lucasfilm will be betting on, which sells Ep IX as a must-see blockbuster?

Episode IX needs a hook.

Something which sells the movie in its marketing, generates talking points and watercooler buzz, click-bait articles on your favourite websites, gets youtube channels speculating, social media buzzing with tweets and forum threads spinning -- all converging to get fans and general audiences curious, interested and excited.

The golden question ive been asking myself, ever since viewing TLJ: "Is there actually enough left for me to care about anymore, in Episode IX?". And that's a scary question. Because I really want the answer to be yes, but i'm not so sure...

TFA had Harrison Ford and Han, and people literally went wild the moment they first saw him via the teaser trailer. They were SOLD from that second. TLJ had Luke Skywalker, and people were, again, sold right away and salivating at the mere thought of seeing him in action. Rogue One had Darth Vader - and people squealed with glee at the thought of seeing him on screen again, knowing James Earl Jones would soon be booming in their ears.

And now: Episode IX isnt going to be just any film. Its going to be expected to become a well-over-a-billion dollar performing blockbuster - a must-see, tentpole and unmissable event. And in order to accomplish that, people, we need to get a lot of bums in seats. We need to get them talking, get them excited, and get them hooked.

But... how exactly will they accomplish that? And how would you do it?

I think there's an interesting discussion to be had delving into this, which encompasses more than what people might initially expect. We will need to acknowledge / talk about "that TLJ debacle" and "the Solo box office rejection / performance".

Solo is demonstrating that it can't be taken for granted that audiences will show up, simply because a film has "Star Wars" somewhere in the title. Some will suggest that Solo is further evidence the brand has been damaged by TLJ - and Episode IX may need to overcome a general feeling of distaste and disenfranchisement among fans and general public stemming from that. Some will say that "Episode" films should be considered largely separate from anthology films, and people will be more likely to show up for the former - even if they were disinterested in the latter. People may bring up talking points such as 'franchise fatigue', something Episode IX may need to be mindful of too. All of this means theres a lot of people that need to be given a good reason (HOOK) to get out and see Episode 9, despite Solos under-performance, and in spite of any lingering negativity or badwill stemming from their thoughts regarding TLJ.

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The original plan and answer, it seems, was that the Episode 9 main hook was going to be: Carrie Fisher / Princess Leia.

It was going to be "Leia's film". and she was going to shine in it. Audiences love the Leia character, and love Carrie Fisher. And I can fantasise about scenarios such as Leia redeeming Kylo in the eleventh hour (mother redeems son - juxtapose with son redeems father of the OT) - and I would have been sold.

But Carrie has passed on - so thats, sadly, not to be. (probably - not without CGI or recasting - which im not going to get go into detail about here).

The next potential hook, you'd have assumed, would be Luke! Audiences also love Luke Skywalker, and have intimately been aware of and known him and his story for decades. But... Lukes dead now, and audiences the world over know it. His death struck a sour chord for many, during a film that did the same. Bringing him back as a force ghost seems possible, even likely... could this be something Ep IX does - and flaunts - to help convince audiences to see the movie?

And it can't be Han, of course, because hes gone with TFA. Running out of beloved OT characters is problematic - and it brings us to the next two questions:

- Can Ep IX be enticing enough, without having the benefit of leveraging OT nostalgia with the biggest classic characters?
- Are the remaining Ep IX characters from (and narrative) from TFA/TLJ enough, on their own, to reel audiences in?

So with the above in mind, heres a few questions Ill throw out there. Do any of these excite you?

- "The must-see conclusion to the Kylo Ren Story. See how it ends"
- "The final chapter in seeing Rey complete her training, and find out where she stands in all this"
- "See what happens to Leia [knowing Carries passed away, of course], and whether the rebellion can survive and continue to rebuild without her"
- "Find out whether the rebellion can, once and for all, destroy The First Order and bring peace to the galaxy".

Do enough people care about what happens to Kylo or Rey, to support selling a film blockbuster of this scale? Is it a little too morbid to leverage peoples curiousity about how Leia will be addressed, and whether the rebellion can survive without her?

Perhaps Disney will change strategy and market the film differently - by explicitly referring to it as "The last chapter in the Skywalker saga". A bold move, and signifying perhaps that after Episode 9, we'll be moving in completely new territory and away from anything involving a Skywalker. Now they could use imagery and taglines like, "See how the Skywalker saga ends. See how this generational chapter closes. Be prepared to say goodbye to the legacy and family you love and have known for over 40 years".

Could Disney opt instead to bring back Lando, another OT favourite, and could he be propped up front and centre? What about Yoda? Or Force Ghost Luke? How important was nostalgia and OT characters in successfully selling TFA / TLJ?

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So, with that starting board for discussion in mind, how do you expect Disney and Lucasfilm will approach turning Episode 9 into an unmissable, must-see event? Can they rely on simply knowing the film will be called "Star Wars: Episode IX" --- aka - can the Star Wars name alone sell Episode IX, after TLJ / Solo?

And if not, what sorts of factors, decisions and solutions will they need to consider in order to get a billion-dollar-plus worth of bums in seats. How would you go about it?

My personal expectation thus far: Disney is going to market this film as "The last chapter of the Skywalker saga - see how it ends. Say one final goodbye to all the characters you've known for 40 years" and formally announce that it ends with Episode IX, before moving onto whatever fresh, new trilogy comes thereafter. They will reveal that Luke comes back as a Force-Ghost in the marketing materials, and make it clear that hes in the film and this is your *last* chance to see him on screen, and maybe even rumours of at least one scene with Leia returning somehow (unused footage? force ghost cgi?) would add to the intrigue...

... because even the most soured-fan who viewed TLJ, the most disappointed fan who saw Solo - wouldnt want to miss the chance to get in a cinema with their friends, and witness the cinematic farewell to everyone, should they be told this really is the end. And that whatever comes next is, truly, going to be new territory.

 

Have a shot in the trailer of the X-Wing being lifted out of the waters of Ach-To hinting at Luke’s return.

But yes this is now the billion dollar question. I don’t think enough people care what happens now. There is no big baddie, all of the fan favorites are gone, and Kylo vs Rey is just too predictable. Honestly the shock value RJ brought to 8 really sets them up for failure imo. I really think they have to advertise this as the last Skywalker film, even though the Skywalker kids are gone...

 

Frankly, for them to "wrap up" this trilogy, it's almost like they need two more films to do it. I think trying to squeeze things in will just be a recipe for disaster.

 

Funny you mentioned that, because earlier tonight I was thinking I wouldnt be surprised (or mad) if they actually announced they would turn this trilogy into a 4-or-5 movie arc instead - and focus/prioritise that for now, over the Rian/GoT creators trilogies/Boba anthology.

And - lets be honest - I honestly think that would be a good idea, or an idea worth exploring at the very least. (To help fix the narrative mess created by TLJ using 2 movies instead of frantically trying to tie it up in one - as you said. But I dont want to dwell too much on those details just yet - the 'TLJ effect' is a very distracting debate for a lot of people).

 

Yes, I agree. That'll depend on whether LFL, execs, shareholders a) take what's happening with the box office lately seriously b) willing to expand on it. It'll also depend on whether or not there will be any change in the higher echelons of LFL.

 

If the Knights of Ren are in the film, I would advertise the hell out of them!

Seven darksiders at the same time onscreen, sells itself.

Bonus if they all have red lightsabers this time.

 

The Knights of Ren won't sell the film. The casual film audience, who will drive the box office (as we will watch it anyway), won't have a clue who they are.

I don't think there's enough buzz around the ST's big 4 to have them lead the marketing and interest. The Rey parentage issue is settled for example, in the minds of the GA.

With no Carrie, it seems like in hindsight they could have left Luke alive, or his fate ambiguous, to tease the interest. FG Luke isn't a hook, but if they plan to bring Luke back to life somehow they he can't be a hook in that case either, as Luke's resurrection would be something to keep quiet about, something LFL like to do with big plot points.

 

I guess one scenario I forgot to mention in the OP: Episode IX could backtrack / retcon key TLJ decisons. The biggest example being: have Reys parentage be (retconned essentially and) revealed to be a Skywalker-sized revelation or mystery-still-unfolding. I'm not sure whether this would help bring in a billion-dollar-audience, but it would help add some credibility if they marketed the film as "the final chapter of the Skywalker saga" if it was more than just Kylo closing his arc (who I dont think enough people care about).

However, @Storm_Cloud , should Episode IX do this - it might just serve to piss off the general audience (who definitely seem pretty pissed off after Solo ,and to a debatable degree after TLJ) and backfire. I agree with you - killing Luke was a big mistake. But of course, Carrie dying was unexpected. But even still, they could have easily edited out a couple scenes at the last minute to keep Luke alive.

If Luke is 'brought back alive' somehow, or a force ghost, they cant afford to keep it a secret. I'm sure they'd like to (much like how Denis Villeneuve wanted to keep Harrison Fords reappearance in Blade Runner 2049 a secret - but couldnt) - Episode IX would need to be flaunting him from the get-go to generate interest.

 

I mentioned this elsewhere, but it must be sold as the end of the Skywalker saga. Make the tagline "Every saga has an ending" to echo "Every saga has a beginning" from TPM.

 

Reminds me of this beautiful Lord of the Rings: Return of the King trailer:



Return of the King was, of course, the cinematic end to Lord of the rings. But several of the taglines in this trailer could very easily translate and be applied perfectly to a "Skywalker saga is ending" type hook / angle - and could easily be imagined as a good strategy to market Episode IX. Those trailer lines are:

Every single one of those lines could potentially fit Episode IX beautifully, in fact. Basically telling the audience we're reaching our conclusion/destination, consequences will be unfolding, so dont miss out / get on board and see how it unfolds.

 

Death of Kylo Ren?

 

Things that would get me excited:
-Knowing FG-Luke is there to pass on his legacy
- Leia being instrumental for the government getting its act together (leaving a heretofore ignored plan to deal with FO/galactic threats, people generally rallying around her beliefs)
-and that the Skywalker saga wraps up well

Largely absent the above, my interest for future saga films will probably approach zilch. Improving the story around the ST characters would be great, but for me that's secondary to the characters I grew up with so if what happened in the OT and those involved are really just ground to completely nothing in 9, I wouldn't really care about anything else happening from there.

While for me I think maintaining the OT is a necessary condition to enjoy 9, some other things that would pique my interest as pertains to the ST are:
-Seeing the KoR and Kylo diving into dark side stuff, especially training (haven't seen any of that on screen really).
-Poe & Finn teaming up throughout.
- Phasma in all the trailers, and she unceremoniously dies (edit: AGAIN) after 22 seconds of screen time.
-Maz gets a meaningful role (second favorite new character, and given the shaft so far plot wise).
-Rey training and facing some challenges while really delving into her motivation for doing any of this (seems to be a bit out of place in TFA when all she wants is her family again, seems ludicrously out of place in TLJ basically being dragged between Luke & Kylo while "knowing" that Kylo could be redeemed (I know, Snoke had a hand in it, but his hand was the equivalent of free candy from a shady van we are all warned about)). Decent motivation here would be finding her family within the Rebellion. Or, that she is a Skywalker. She was my favorite new character, and I think TLJ really did her a poor one (as with pretty much everyone else though).
-I would also appreciate a retcon or reinterpretation of the new force-balance aspect of the light side and dark side as well as the force downloading of Rey's abilities (but I guess that's really just an extension of the balancing act of the force).

But, none of this would make a big difference in my enjoyment of the film if the OT is just wantonly killed off in the end.

I do hope that 9 is the end of the Skywalker saga and that stories in different times will come around afterwards. I also agree that this would be a good marketing ploy (similar to LOTR: ROTK) to both fans and general movie goers. And no, I don't think the SW brand is enough to garner enough guaranteed attention (which Solo is an example of, though it's not a saga film). On the one hand, TLJ wrapped up with what felt like a finality to it. On the other hand, as you mentioned, the OT3 have passed on (FG-Luke is still possible) so that will likely dilute interest as well, unless it's explicitly shown how they will be instrumental to wrapping up the saga. So without a open hook left from TLJ, marketing will have to pick out something(s) to grab everyone's attention for a strong finale to the ST.

 

I want them to promote it with a bunch of Jedi facing the KoR and Kylo -- Anakin, Luke, Ben, Yoda, and Rey against a team of darksiders.

I'd ignore everything I dislike about the ST if E9 dangled such a gem.

 

- Treat Kylo Ren like the villain he is and kill him in the end.
- Focus primarily on Rey and Finn's path as heroes.
- Actually have a Force user that is a person of color.
- Give Hux his dignity back. The man inherited the entire Trooper program, why do I want to see a bumbling idiot running it?
- Stop trying to pit Women against Men, especially if they are fighting for the same dang thing!

 

The Jedi are dead. The past has died.
As long as they do not resurrect Luke (+ promote this in trailers) and give him a good character arc I have doubts that IX is going to match up with the TFA/TLJ figures.

 

Show Rey training a small group of FSU. With the tagline: Every generation must teach a new generation.

 

But people love Jedi. Rey is not a Jedi (although she has some books now)
For me SW is about Jedi and not about FS people doing something. If I want to see such things I watch X-Men

 

Star Wars is more then the Force. It is a story being told. Why do I like TLJ and seem to be in the minority? Because for the film's faults, it is a good story to me as it took the saga into new directions. Overtime you may see it or you may not. The Force does not equal Star Wars to me. This is why Solo ranks at the bottom for me.
Back to the Hook.
They have many options on how to hook the audience in, they have Ray, Poe, Finn, and other characters that will help them. This is a new generation coming into the saga that has been being told for over two generations.
I qoute the Great Bambino here "Heroes get remembered but legends never die..."

 

Bring back generations of force ghosts. Luke, Yoda, Anakin, Ben and Qui Gon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Force ghost Luke
Lando returns
Vader’s castle
Knights of Ren
Force ghost Anakin
Old worlds like Endor

They still have hooks to play.

 

reading that made me realize.
-Kylo Arc have already met its conclusion. He wanted to finsh what Vader started and he became the "Emperor".
-Rey IS already an accomplished Force User by the end of TLJ.
-Eh, it sounds like impossible without the Deus Ex Machina. Rebellion isnt the faction with dozens of ships and army like it was in RotJ. Its 12 people on MF.

So no, these qustions wont hook me personally up. We already have most of the answers. TLJ really felt like a 3rd part of the trilogy.

 

Personally - I would want the first trailer being a callback to ROTJ.

"Master Yoda, you can't die"
"Strong am I in the Force, but not that strong."

Then see an image or representation of Luke. Everyone is expecting Force Ghost. I hope he's more than that. Then retcon the hell out of TLJ and make an enemy worth fearing.

 

That's bold, for sure. Basically saying that Luke was that strong, even if Yoda wasnt. I dont think its that far-fetched or difficult, either, to retcon his apparent death / ascendance in TLJ - to actually being some sort of temporary planal transfer force power we hadnt seen before, one which didnt involve his one-way death.

Whether something like that is ridiculed by general audiences ("wtf - he died in TLJ? Whats going on here?") would be the magic question. But, as you astutely mentioned, some creative marketing juxtapose with relevant quotes (such as that Yoda one) could work wonders.

Continuing on from that, I think its quite likely Episode IX will retcon something from TLJ (whether its Lukes death, reys parentage etc) and use that as 9's hook.

But as someone pointed out earlier - audiences might want to know Luke is actually going to do something compelling this time around, and merely being a presence again wont be enough living or dead - before they want to jump on the bandwagon. Because a hell of a lot of people know they were promised Luke in TLJ, and didnt feel like he delivered. (eg: Seeing him in an epic battle).

 

That's why they need another villain. Maybe Kylo awakening something greater than himself (found by Knights of Ren). Because nothing about the FO is worthy of a bad ass Luke scene at this point.

Snoke could have been that Thanos like character but RJ ruined that one.

 

It's all up to the trailers. Personally, I like the minimalist approach. The trailer that would work for me is...

JJ Abrams in a black room, announcing "Hi everyone. I'm JJ Abrams. Fans have been debating on online forums for two years on how I can wrap up this sausage in a way that's makes a billion dollars, makes fans happy and makes sense as an end to a 9 part saga that includes Episode 8 which left no hooks anyway and yet keep them coming back for more movies. Two years and no one can agree on a solution.

Wanna know how I pulled off the toughest writing assignment in history? Coming to theaters, Christmas 2019."

Fade to black with big white question mark.