Mark Hamill On JJ Abrams’ High Level ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Secrecy

With J.J. Abrams back in the director’s chair, Mark Hamill talked about the high-level Star Wars: Episode IX secrecy in a recent interview.

Abrams is known for his mystery box tactics and Star Wars continues to up to ante when in comes to secrecy among blockbuster films. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hamill talked about Star Wars: Episode IX and revealed he hasn’t started filming yet:

“I still have to go over and do [Episode IX]. Most of the parts I have coming up beside Star Wars are voiceover — there’s one big one, very high profile, I can’t announce now, that I’m really excited about.”

The Star Wars franchise is no stranger when it comes to taking extreme measures to protect script details, but Hamill admits his experience reading scripts for the new films has changed drastically since the first film:

“You know how it is these days, every time you sign NDAs. I remember back when I read the first Star Wars [script], I was like, ‘Wow, that’s the goofiest thing I’ve ever read.’ I gave it to my best friend to read, and I said, ‘What do you think of it?’ He said, ‘It’s really wild, it’s crazy, can I give it to Meredith?’ ‘Sure, go ahead.’ It went around to all my friends. Of course back then nobody cared. Nowadays it’s like working for some secret deep state government organization, like being in the CIA. They’re going to send rewrites over to Prague on this dark red paper that gives you a headache to read.”

It seems like Abrams is using his red script tactic once again for Episode IX, however, Hamill says he was allowed to read a script for Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, but even that came with a cost:

“They wound up letting me keep a script when we were doing [The Last Jedi], but I had to lock it up in a safe every night and then carry it with me and never let it out of my sight. And I can understand why — if [a script] gets out it ruins it for everyone.”

Hamill went on to confirm Abrams is rewriting the script as filming is still underway and explained the procedure when he eventually gets his hands on the Episode IX script changes:

“They’re going to fly [the rewrites] over with somebody from the company. They’re going to come and give it to me and wait for me to read it before I give it back. So no pressure! You can’t even keep it overnight. But that’s the way it is now.”

Do you think Luke Skywalker will have a small role in Star Wars: Episode IX? Comment below!

Star Wars: Episode IX stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Matt Smith, Dominic Monaghan, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and Mark Hamill.

Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters December 20, 2019.

Source: Entertainment Weekly