Latest Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Poster Pays Tribute to "Revenge" of the Jedi

As we approach the final week before the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the marking machine at Disney and Lucasfilm is kicking into overdrive. The official Twitter account for Star Wars has spent the better part of today resharing some of the classic teaser posters for every movie in the franchise, but another they revealed even earlier has a lot of classic fans ecstatic. Shared yesterday, Lucasfilm has revealed a poster inspired by The Rise of Skywalker by artist Rich Davies which itself is a reference to the iconic original poster for Star Wars: Episode VI from back when the film was originally titled "Revenge of the Jedi," not "Return." Check out the two side-by-side together below!

As the story goes, as it was finally named, Star Wars: Episode VI was always intended to be titled "Return of the Jedi." Series creator George Lucas received feedback from series writer Lawrence Kasden that the title was weak, inspiring Lucas to change it to "Revenge of the Jedi." The sequel would go on to be completely filmed and in the can with that title and with marketing materials printed and released into the wild (featuring the Drew Struzan art above) calling the third film by that name. Eventually, Lucas had a change of heart, deciding that a noble Jedi wouldn't seek out revenge anyway, changing the title back to "Return of the Jedi." Following this, the original poster has become not only a fan favorite but a prize collector's item.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will star Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. New cast members include Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, and Keri Russell, with returning veteran actors including Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor. The official synopsis for the film reads:

"Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come."

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in U.S. theaters on December 20.