When J.J. Abrams announced the return of the evil Emperor in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, a lot of fans were slightly taken back. After all, the dark lord of the Sith was tossed to his doom in Return of the Jedi — though, to be fair, he did return in the extended universe. Well, according to the man himself, actor Ian McDiarmid, who has played Palpatine in five movies now (including the prequels), Jedi was indeed supposed to be the bad guy’s last hurrah.
“I thought I was dead!” McDiarmid told Digital Spy in a recent video interview. “I thought he was dead. Because when we did Return of the Jedi, and I was thrown down that chute to Galactic Hell, he was dead. And I said, ‘Oh, does he come back?’ And [George] said, ‘No, he’s dead.’ So I just accepted that. But then, of course, I didn’t know I was going to be doing the prequels, so in a sense he wasn’t dead, because we went back to revisit him when he was a young man. But I was totally surprised by this.”
RELATED: RANKED: All the Major Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker Deaths!
Returning cast members for The Rise of Skywalker include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast are Naomi Ackie (Doctor Who), Richard E. Grant (Logan), Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings), and Keri Russell (The Americans), who will also be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian. The role of Leia Organa will once again be played by Carrie Fisher, using previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In addition to directing, J.J. Abrams co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Terrio (Argo, Justice League). Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, and Abrams will produce, with Callum Greene and Jason McGatlin executive producing. Composer John Williams, who has scored every chapter in the Star Wars saga since 1977’s A New Hope, will return to a galaxy far, far away with Rise of Skywalker.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now playing everywhere!
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
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Best Buy Exclusive Set
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance
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Rey (Daisy Ridley) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX
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Memory of Victory’s Past in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX.
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Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX.
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General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) in STAR WARS: EPISDOE IX
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(Left to right( Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), BB-8, D-O, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX
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Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX
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Rey (Daisy Ridley) n STAR WARS: EPISODE IX
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BB-8 and D-O in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX
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The Millenium Falcon in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX.
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Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX.
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Kylo Ren’s restored helmet in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX.
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Rey (Daisy Ridley) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX.
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C3PO (Anthony Daniels), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX.
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Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX.
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