Back in 2019, the Skywalker Saga was successfully capped off by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker , but the reception from fans made it clear that it was a divisive ending. Directed by J.J. Abrams, the 2019 blockbuster had the enormous task of wrapping up the core storylines of not just the sequel trilogy, but the entire episodic saga as well.
As it is, it was difficult, but Abrams took the challenge, and this eventually resulted in a final chapter that still left more questions than answers . Some members of the Star Wars community would even point to the idea that the final chapter was rushed to some degree, especially considering the fact that The Rise of Skywalker had to retcon several story elements that were introduced in the previous entry in the trilogy, Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi .
This is on top of the sudden (and surprising) return of Emperor Palpatine. Given all the moving parts, it's no surprise that the last entry in the Skywalker Saga is still making headlines at this point. Now, an interesting tidbit has emerged that will no doubt fuel conversation once more.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE RISE OF SKYWALKER ENDING
ILM concept artist James Clyne shared a new piece of concept art from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker , showing off an intriguing look at Bespin.
In the post, Clyne revealed that he created the design of Bespin “under pressure” since he only “had a day to work [it] out” because of how late in the production it was asked to be included.
The concept art can be seen below:
For comparison, the design of Bespin that was seen in the final theatrical cut of The Rise of Skywalker can be seen below:
Clyne then pointed out that the scale of the Star Destroyer in the scene was “waaay off” because the team was “looking for a dramatic composition.”
The full caption can be viewed below:
“Part of a quick montage at the end of 'The Rise of Skywalker.' Fun building Bespin under pressure. Only had a day to work this out because it was late in the production and we were all under the gun. Note: scale of Star Destroyer is waaay off. Mainly because the team was looking for a dramatic composition.”
A RUSHED ENDING TO THE SKYWALKER SAGA
On the surface, this could hint at a complicated behind-the-scenes development for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The fact that Bespin had to be rushed at the tail-end of production could potentially suggest that it wasn't part of the original draft of the script of the film.
For context, Bespin, which was heavily featured in The Empire Strikes Back , was showcased as part of the quick montage at the tail-end of The Rise of Skywalker to establish the victory of the Resistance against the Sith.
In a way, this isn't surprising, mainly because the planet was only shown in a brief moment, but there's always a chance that the design could've been improved in one way or another.
Given the prominence of the planet in Star Wars lore, it's possible that Abrams and the rest of the writers decided to place it at the ending to pay tribute to the success of Episode V. The realization that Bespin will be included could've happened during post-production, thus leading to the “under pressure” creation of its design.
Based on the concept art, the Star Destroyer was prominently featured, but it was somewhat out of frame in the final cut of the film. If anything, this could be the result of the team is trying to look for a “dramatic composition.” Instead of achieving that, a quick shot of the ship's destruction was shown to potentially compensate for the rushed design.
Whatever the case, this latest piece of concept art should add more clues about the development of The Rise of Skywalker , and it could even reignite the film as a topic of discussion among fans once more.
