Fans are still buzzing after the debut of the firstStar Wars 8trailer, which arrived duringThe Last Jedi panelearlier today. While the trailer itself is just over two minutes long, there is a lot to unpack from this footage, including the cryptic shot of Finn (John Boyega) lying unconscious, presumably in some sort of hospital, Poe Dameron’s (Oscar Isaac) ship being destroyed, the mysterious burning castle and much more. Fans also got a glimpse of a new planet in this trailer, and now directorRian Johnsonhas revealed its. The name may actually raise more questions than answers, since it is very similar to something else in the officialStar Warscanon.
Entertainment Weeklycaught up with writer-directorRian Johnson, who revealed that the planet seen in theLast Jedi traileris called Crait. There is a shot in the trailer, which you’re able to watch again below, that comes at the 1:16 mark, where a ship is seen colliding on this planet, and, upon impact, it emits a bright red dust, even though the soil itself is not red. That shot is followed by another where numerous ships are flying with stabilizers that scrape the surface, causing several red trails of dust to follow each ship. Here’s what he had to say about this planet below.
“It’s way out there. It’s very remote. It’s uncharted. It’s a mineral planet and so there are mines on it. (There are) beautiful design elements and I hope some really unique ones that we’re able to bring into it. The white dusting of salt over this red, ruby-ish mineral base.”
While this new planet Crait is only seen in those two shots, theStar Wars 8 directorteased that it will have an important function within the story. The filmmaker explained that this planet is the site of an old Rebel base that has since been abandoned. Here’s what he had to say about the scene shown in the trailer, and what these ships will have to face.
“It ends up playing a key role in the movie. (The ships) show up where they have to deal with a very pressing and immediate threat.”
The site also speculated that, since the color red has often signified evil, that there could be some bad omens to be gleaned from this planet emitting red dust from its surface. Traditionally, theSith lightsabershave always been red, and as we saw inThe Force Awakens, Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver) crossguard lightsaber was also red, in honor of Darth Vader, who himself had a hint of red in his eyes. When asked if the red signifies blood, which could symbolize either violence, family, or both, the director would only say, “Go ahead and run with that,” without offering any further elaboration. There is another report though that offers a strange connection many fans may not have picked up on.
After learning about the planet name Crait earlier today, the folks over at Nerdist realized that this planet name is actually a homonym for the Krayt dragon in theStar Wars universe, creatures which are found in the Outer Rim territories. InA New Hope, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) walks past the massive skeleton of a deceased Krayt Dragon, and they have been featured in several novels and the video gamesStar Wars: Bounty HunterandStar Wars: Commander. While it hasn’t been confirmed if there is any connection to the planet of Crait and the Krayt Dragons, it’s possible that the planet may be a home to these dragons, especially since it was said to be quite remote and “out there.” While we wait for more onStar Wars: The Last Jedi, take a look at the new trailer below, with the Crait scene coming at the 1:16 mark.
