Continuing a tradition that spans more than 20 years, famed portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz journeyed to the desert valley of Wadi Rum and beyond to document filming of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker for Vanity Fair.
Today we get our first look through her lens, with the magazine’s new summer issue and an in-depth look behind the scenes of the upcoming film’s creation. Two covers (see the gallery below) highlight the light and the dark, and Rey and Kylo Ren take the spotlight in their new costumes for the film.
Inside, and through an online photo gallery, fans will be transported on-location to the Jordan desert, inside the cockpit set of the Millennium Falcon, and behind enemy lines among the new leaders of the First Order.
The article also includes an exclusive first look at actor Keri Russell’s new character, and never-before-scene images of Mark Hamill, Naomi Ackie, and more!
RELATED: All the New Details About Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Leibovitz photographed the cast of The Empire Strikes Back for Rolling Stone back in 1980, and beginning in 1999 with The Phantom Menace, has been visiting and shooting every Star Wars set for Vanity Fair.
You can read the cover story written by Lev Grossman, peruse the Leibovitz photo gallery, watch a special behind-the-scenes video of the shoot, and more on VanityFair.com.
J.J. Abrams returns to direct the final installment of the Skywalker saga. Abrams co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Terrio. The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker cast members 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, Richard E. Grant, Matt Smith, Dominic Monaghan, and Keri Russell, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian.
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 The Rise of Skywalker, opening in theaters on December 20, 2019.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Michelle Rejwan, and executive produced by Callum Greene and Jason McGatlin. The crew includes Dan Mindel (Director of Photography), Rick Carter and Kevin Jenkins (Co-Production Designers), Michael Kaplan (Costume Designer), Neal Scanlan (Creature and Droid FX), Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube (Editors), Roger Guyett (VFX Supervisor), Tommy Gormley (1st AD), and Victoria Mahoney (2nd Unit Director).
#StarWars: The Rise of Skywalker features many new characters, including Keri Russell as Zorri Bliss and Richard E. Grant as Allegiant General Pryde. Get your first look right here. https://t.co/ER4XSJmZ8k pic.twitter.com/vtykcfUEjP
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
V.F. can exclusively confirm that the mysterious Knights of Ren—first seen in #StarWars: The Force Awakens—are back in #TheRiseofSkywalker https://t.co/ER4XSJmZ8k pic.twitter.com/cBrdAOrqSv
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
Sources close to #StarWars: The Rise of Skywalker reveal the film will finally bring to a climax the millennia-long conflict between the Jedi Order and the Sith https://t.co/ER4XSJmZ8k
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
You can enjoy of Annie Leibovitz’s photos from our #StarWars cover story here https://t.co/IeiOgX4lhk pic.twitter.com/ugBR4nEEwH
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
Here’s what we can tell you about #TheRiseofSkywalker: when the film picks up—about a year after the end of The Last Jedi—Rey, Finn, and Poe are all finally in the same place for the first time since The Force Awakens https://t.co/cbjHB1IDSd pic.twitter.com/XWqLCCbsrK
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
How much of the Skywalker saga was planned from the jump? J.J. Abrams and Adam Driver on how they knew the “end in sight even from the very beginning” #TheRiseofSkywalker https://t.co/qJki8VYoTO
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
Keri Russell reunites with J.J. Abrams to play the roguish Zorri Bliss in #TheRiseofSkywalker. https://t.co/tbETn1Z4FP
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
New villain alert! Richard E. Grant joins #StarWars as Allegiant General Pryde https://t.co/MZcbyGMav7
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
Busy at work? Here’s the TL;DR on our #StarWars cover story, featuring all new faces and places you can expect in #TheRiseofSkywalker https://t.co/rmwZhyJCLC pic.twitter.com/2iRMIrjlXO
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 22, 2019
