Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rian Johnson
Written by	Rian Johnson
Based on	Characters by George Lucas
Produced by	Kathleen Kennedy Ram Bergman
Starring	Mark Hamill Carrie Fisher Adam Driver Daisy Ridley John Boyega Oscar Isaac Andy Serkis Lupita Nyong'o Domhnall Gleeson Anthony Daniels Gwendoline Christie Kelly Marie Tran Laura Dern Benicio del Toro
Cinematography	Steve Yedlin
Edited by	Bob Ducsay
Music by	John Williams
Production company	Lucasfilm Ltd.
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates	December 9, 2017 (2017-12-09) (Shrine Auditorium) December 15, 2017 (2017-12-15) (United States)
Running time	152 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$300 million[2]
Box office	$1.334 billion[3]

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (also known as Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi) is a 2017 American epic space opera film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015), and the eighth episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". The film's ensemble cast includes Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro. The Last Jedi follows Rey as she seeks the aid of Luke Skywalker in hopes of turning the tide for the Resistance in the fight against Kylo Ren and the First Order while General Leia Organa, Finn, and Poe Dameron attempt to escape a First Order attack on the dwindling Resistance fleet. The film features the first posthumous film performance by Fisher, who died in December 2016, and the film is dedicated to her memory.^[4][5]

The Last Jedi is part of a new trilogy of films announced after Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012. It was produced by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman and executive produced by The Force Awakens director J. J. Abrams. John Williams, composer for the previous episodic films, returned to compose the score. A number of scenes were filmed at Skellig Michael in Ireland during pre-production in September 2015, but principal photography began at Pinewood Studios in England in February 2016 and wrapped that July.

The Last Jedi premiered in Los Angeles on December 9, 2017, and was released in the United States on December 15. It grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2017 and the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time by the time its theatrical run was over. It is also the second-highest-grossing Star Wars film and turned a net profit of over $417 million. The film was well received by critics and received four nominations at the 90th Academy Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects, as well as two nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards. A sequel, The Rise of Skywalker, concluded the sequel trilogy in 2019.