Is Star Wars Episode IX Going To Bring Us Back To Jakku?

Tatooine was a desert planet introduced in A New Hope, and characters returned to it by the time Return of the Jedi came out. As if The Force Awakens' Jakku being compared to Tatooine's desert surface wasn't enough, rumor has it that Star Wars Episode IX will also be bringing audiences back to Rey's desert home.

In an interview with the Everything Geek Podcast (via Making Star Wars), Mel Pickup and Mark Pickup—who played scavengers on Jakku in TFA—have confirmed that production for Episode IX will be starting next year, and the crew will be returning to Abu Dhabi, the same location where they shot all the scenes for Jakku.

A return to Jakku doesn't come as a complete surprise. Rey's origin is still completely shrouded in mystery, and it's possible that the movie will try to explain just how exactly she got stuck there. Of course, fans were waiting for this explanation to take place in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but maybe Rey will be returning on her own accord, maybe to settle things with Unkar Plutt.

Colin Trevorrow is set to write and direct the movie after his massive success with the release of Jurassic World. The release of his latest movie, The Book of Henry, wasn't so well-received, however, and some fans are starting to worry if he has what it takes to finish this finale to the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

Star Wars Episode IX is set to release in May of 2019, but in the meantime, we can just cast Star Wars: The Last Jedi in theaters Dec. 15.

See Also: Oscar Isaac Shares Heartbreaking Story About Dancing With Carrie Fisher On The Last Jedi Set