Star Wars: The Last Jedi sizzle breakdown and LEGO speculation

If Lucasfilm’s goal in releasing a Star Wars: The Last Jedi sizzle reel was to stoke the fires of speculation, the company succeeded. It’s time for Brick Fanatics to join in the fun

Following up on the trailer for the much anticipated sequel to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lucasfilm recently released a behind the scenes sizzle reel at D23, full of nothing concrete but loaded with fodder for speculation. Most of the video is behind the scenes shots showing bits of set and scenery, but these are punctuated with split second footage which provides fleeting glimpses of scenes which will appear in the final cut. These are especially exciting for LEGO fans as we can speculate what sets may one day grace store shelves based on Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The mysterious planet where Rey found Luke at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was not named in the film, but was later revealed in the novelization to be Ahch-To, the location of a Jedi Temple, implying that Luke was successful in his quest to find one. We know from the first trailer that Rey appears to be undergoing some sort of Jedi training there, although Luke’s quote at the end of the trailer may imply it is not Jedi training…

These huts, as seen in the new footage, match the stonework seen as Rey ascended the steps of Luke’s island on Ahch-To in the closing moments of The Force Awakens. Perhaps these are the old dwellings of the Jedi Temple’s keepers and now the residences of Luke and Rey? A LEGO set focused on Rey’s training could easily include one or two of these along with the two characters, as a set based solely on the rocky topography could prove a bit bland.

As Luke trains Rey in the fictional universe, stunt coordinators train Daisy Ridley in the real world. Her workout regime for the new film is reported to be intense, with numerous stunts and fight scenes to prepare for. In this screen grab, she is fighting against three opponents. Will additional Force users appear in The Last Jedi? Will there be a new type of enemy, proficient against Force users? As long as they make it into minifigure guise, LEGO fans will be excited whoever they turn out to be.

There has been no Stormtrooper so obscure that the LEGO Group has failed to adapt them into minifigure form. Accordingly, these intimidating soldiers with some sort of new weapon (assuming they are not the litter picking division of the First Order) and distinctive black shoulder pads will surely be incorporated in at least one set. Considering that shoulder pad components have been included in other sets both within the Star Wars theme and beyond, it does not seem unreasonable to speculate that perhaps some sort of specialised element could be created. A battle back including several of these guys seems a sure bet at some point.

Well this is something different. The casino of Canto Bight is unlike anywhere the characters have visited in previous Star Wars movies, so it feels a playset based on this new location is a possibility. Based on which locations have become LEGO sets before, the more action that occurs within, the better chance it has.

There are a lot of possibilities, any of which could make a great mid range set with some new alien figures. The dream would be for multiple sets with different characters that connect to form a larger locale, but fans have been craving such things for year to no avail. Perhaps the fact that it is Star Wars would allow the LEGO Group to bypass the usual reservations about including a gambling table in a set.

Speaking of aliens, there are quite a few that show up in this video. Many, like these adorable little guys, are smaller in stature than most of the more familiar species. The LEGO Group has been releasing more specialised small molds lately, such as the goblins in the Elves. It seems probable that we can look forward to a couple of new species being added to our Star Wars collections. It would be great to populate a Star Wars display with some of these guys. They would be perfect fodder for a Canto Bight LEGO set, of course, but could also be techs in a Resistance scene or slaves of the First Order. They could even double up as baby dinosaurs?

Let us momentarily put aside the fact that in a galaxy where artificial intelligence is obviously advanced to such a level, that the idea of a gunner mount being manned by anything but a computer is ridiculous. We’ll put that aside precisely because this Resistance gunner’s port looks amazing.

From its proportions to the beat up look, whatever set includes this will be highly desirable. Perhaps it is part of a larger fighter? Past sets such as the ARC-170 fighter and Republic Gunship have included such minifigure stations. It seems likely that if we see this installation in a set it will be mounted on a similar vehicle.

It feels as if no rumour has run for longer than that of the Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon re-release, suspected to be set number 75192. An announcement may be coming on September 1, the same day that the Star Wars: The Last Jedi LEGO sets arrive on shelves and all of this speculation becomes moot (well, until fans start wondering about the January launch).

The Falcon’s return here, and in next year’s Han Solo stand alone, make it seem unthinkable that the LEGO Group will not have a version of this Star Wars icon on the shelves.

Who does not enjoy scaled down capital ships in LEGO minifigure scale? Let’s hope no-one, because there are indications in this video that capital ships are going to play a larger role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi than they did in The Force Awakens. This shot shows Chewbacca on the bridge of what appears to be a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser. While it seems unlikely that the LEGO Group will finally take the plunge and do a scaled down version of those oddly constructed ships, a Star Destroyer has plenty of precedent.

The snippet from this scene is particularly out of context. It appears to be a Resistance pilot falling through through the middle of racks of thermal detonators. A weapons depot could make an amazing set if done right. The thought of racks of weapons alone is enough to entice LEGO Star Wars fans. The sets often only have one weapon per minifigure, or a best two, so a weapons depot could be amazing as a way to arm a legion of troopers.

The First Order appears to have fully embraced the Empire’s aesthetic, specifically their preference for odd windows with lights behind them. In any case, there is really no indication of what is going on here or where this is. It could be a portion of a First Order base or a Star Destroyer.

Proper bases have never really been captured in a LEGO set – last year’s miserable attempt with 75098 Assault on Hoth set a low bar and fans still do not have the Yavin IV base. Accordingly, while a First Order base as a LEGO set would be great, it seems unlikely.

Laura Dern joins the cast of Star Wars: The Last Jedi as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, seen here with General Leia. As much as it will be great to get a new Leia minifigure in her fancy new robe, which will surely be included as a cape piece, the new Vice Admiral’s distinctive purple hair will make for a fun element. And stand out against all of the grey.

This particular screen shot is perhaps the most attention grabbing of the trailer. Why is Finn in a cell? Who captured him? Where is this cell located? Will he end up here at the end of the film, leaving him captured like Han at the end of The Empire Strikes Back? It would be great if Rian Johnson turned the standard princess rescue story on its head and had Rey spring him from jail. A small Finn rescue scene with a jail and a couple of guard minifigures would make for a great small LEGO Star Wars set.

Where are Mark Hamill and Rian Johnson hanging out? Is it the base of one of the cliffs of Ahch-To at night? The rock appears to be different, there is no vegetation. Another planet then? Why is Luke there? As this latest tease intends, there are so many questions.

Whatever the answers it seems a certainty, especially with some preliminary images and animations from the LEGO Group, that we will get a proper old man Luke Skywalker figure to join Leia and Han from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens range. Even if we don’t get him straight away.

Is it too much to hope for an old man Lando as well?

This scene reveals what looks to be a Resistance hanger within a large capital ship. It explodes seconds later, as shown in the trailer, implying that there will be capital ship battles on a large scale in this film. However, the more important visual here is that A-Wings have made the jump from Rebel Alliance to Resistance. The LEGO Group has released a squadron of A-Wings through the years, so it will be interesting to see how a LEGO Resistance A-Wing compares with its predecessors.

There is no indication of where this is, it looks like it could just be props in a backlot waiting for their moment of glory, but it is fairly clear that these vehicles are speeders. If there is one Star Wars vehicle that the LEGO Group loves more than Jedi Starfighters, it is speeders. These appear to be some new variations and would make great low cost sets.

Although nothing incredibly new or significant was revealed in this short video, there is certainly plenty to speculate on in terms of vehicles and locations that could appear in future LEGO Star Wars sets. What do you think of these predictions? What are yours? Share your thoughts in the comments and across our social media.

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