Star Wars Episode IX: Duel Of The Fates - 10 Things We Learned From Colin Trevorrow's Leaked Script

9. The Opening Crawl Opens The Film VERY Differently

Star Wars Episode IX Duel of the Fates
Lucasfilm

It's apparent right from the off that Duel of the Fates was going to be VERY different compared to The Rise of Skywalker. Both films position the First Order as a powerful force in the galaxy, and with the Resistance on the back-foot. However, whereas The Rise of Skywalker introduces that element out of nothing, instead spending time to establish Emperor Palpatine's role in the story, Duel of the Fates unpacks how exactly the First Order responded following the Resistance's escape from Crait in The Last Jedi.

The opening crawl can be seen in the image above, but just in case it's not loading, here it is again:

"The iron grip of the FIRST ORDER has spread to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Only a few scattered planets remain unoccupied. Traitorous acts are punishable by death. Determined to suffocate a growing unrest, Supreme Leader KYLO REN has silenced all communication between neighboring systems. Led by GENERAL LEIA ORGANA, the Resistance has planned a secret mission to prevent their annihilation and forge a path to freedom…"

As you can see, the First Order here have pretty much conquered the galaxy. They're a new Empire, and have stamped down on rebellious acts by introducing a new wave of terror across the galaxy. Summary executions become the norm, and they also prevent all forms of communication between different planets and systems.

It's with this in mind that the Resistance hatch a plan to cut through the silence. There's an old Jedi beacon on Coruscant that'll evade the First Order's technology, and if they can get it online, then the galaxy will surely come to their aid.

I'll get to the more intricate details of the plot shortly, but this is a strong opening gambit. It keeps things simple, shows how the galaxy has changed in however long it's been since the events of Episode VIII, and builds upon that film rather than tossing it aside.

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WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.