Spiegel Stuff: From the Archive: A Star Wars Christmas

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

From the Archive: A Star Wars Christmas

All the Easter Eggs in The Rise of Skywalker
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Out in theaters now, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the conclusion to an epic nine-film series—and Vanity Fair has been behind the scenes for most of it. Beginning in 1999 with The Phantom Menace, Annie Leibovitz and Vanity Fair have gotten exclusive access behind the scenes of the galaxy far, far away, talking to George Lucas as he returned to the world that he invented, then J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson as they took the reins for the most recent trilogy. In these stories, unlocked from the archive in celebration of all things Jedi and Sith, catch up with a 17-year-old Natalie Portman on the verge of global stardom, a production team that traveled to a real volcano to capture lava for a key scene in Revenge of the Sith, and Oscar Isaac on the set of The Rise of Skywalker, wondering why he'd traveled all the way out to the Jordanian desert only to film in front of a greenscreen. (There was good reason, we promise.)

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Review: The Rise of Skywalker

Richard Lawson reviews the final Star Wars film—for now—and finds it "relentlessly ardent in its grasping for mythos."

Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Oscar Isaac Poe Dameron with Chewbacca, D-O, and BB-8.

Behind the Scenes: The Rise of Skywalker

After four decades, Star Wars is drawing to its epic conclusion. Lev Grossman goes behind the scenes with director J.J. Abrams and the cast for the inside scoop on The Rise of Skywalker. With exclusive photographs by Annie Leibovitz.

From 2017: Gathering Force

When last seen, in the clifftop payoff of The Force Awakens, Daisy Ridley's Rey was face-to-face with Luke Skywalker. What happens next, to be revealed when The Last Jedi hits screens, is closely guarded. But from Ridley, Mark Hamill, director-screenwriter Rian Johnson, and producer Kathleen Kennedy, David Kamp gets exclusive insights into the future of Star Wars, including how the cast and narrative have been rocked by Carrie Fisher's death—while Annie Leibovitz captures legends new and old.

From 2015: An Empire Reboots

There's not too much riding on the new Star Wars movie just the $4 billion investment Disney made when it bought George Lucas's production company and the expectations of countless persnickety fans. Learning about the genesis of Episode VII—The Force Awakens, Bruce Handy is relieved to find that director J.J. Abrams, his cast, and his crew seem to have identified the essential ingredient: fun.

From 2005: The Last Battle

Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith is set on eight different planets, with an entire army of Wookiees and what promises to be the ultimate lightsaber duel. Annie Leibovitz shoots the movie's behind-the-scenes heroes while Jim Windolf gets the inside scoop from director George Lucas—including why a PG-13 rating may be necessary.

From 2002: Love in a Distant Galaxy

The fifth Star Wars movie, Episode II—Attack of the Clones, features the forbidden romance between Jedi-in-training Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Naboo's young queen turned senator (Natalie Portman), which will produce those Empire-fighting twins Luke and Leia. With top security clearance from director George Lucas, Annie Leibovitz shoots exclusive portraits of the cast, including Mace Windu and Jango Fett, while David Kamp gets insights into Anakin's path toward Darth Vaderdom, the promise of a big-battle finale, and a total stonewalling on the subject of clones.

From 1999: The Force Is Back

On May 21, 1999, George Lucas will release The Phantom Menace, the first of three prequels to his culture-changing, deeply iconic Star Wars trilogy, which has grossed more than $1.8 billion since the first episode opened in 1977. As the lever builds, Annie Leibovitz pays an exclusive visit to the Tunisian-desert set that stands in for Tatooine, the Skywalkers' home planet, while David Kamp talks with the legendary director.

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