LOS ANGELES: Carrie Fisher’s death caused a huge disturbance in the Force, but the women of “The Last Jedi” vowed Sunday to honor her legacy in the latest girl-powered “Star Wars” chapter.
The cast came together in a secret location in Los Angeles with director Rian Johnson to build buzz for the latest chapter in the blockbuster space saga, which hits theaters on December 15.
“You get to see women that are not big and strong just because they’re acting like men. They’re doing something else,” said Gwendoline Christie, 39, who plays stormtrooper commander Captain Phasma.
“And also you’re seeing a developed character, or a developing character, that is showing some complex character traits. I’m delighted that something as legendary as ‘Star Wars’ has decided to reflect our society.”
“The Last Jedi” — filmed on the west coast of Ireland and at Pinewood Studios near London — sees the return of the characters introduced in 2015’s seventh installment, “The Force Awakens.”
Christie, flanked by red-robed Praetorian guards as she took the stage, was joined by returning stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domnhall Gleeson, and Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill.
There were new faces too: Kelly Marie Tran as Resistance maintenance worker Rose Tico and Laura Dern, who plays Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo.
Ridley, 25, spoke of growing up in London in a liberal household where sexism wasn’t an issue — and of being overwhelmed by the rapturous response to her appearance as a rare female action star in “The Force Awakens.”
“When I got involved, I knew it was a big deal, but the response was so beyond anything I could have imagined, that it was only afterward that I was like ‘Oh — oh yeah,’” she said.
Tran, 28, spoke of the “honor and responsibility” of playing a prominent female character and wanting to do the role justice.
“And the girls in this movie kick some butt. Every single one is so good,” she said.
Fisher — who played General Leia Organa when she was known simply as Princess Leia in the original 1977-83 trilogy — died last December, having already wrapped her scenes for “The Last Jedi.”
“I watched TV and film obsessively from such a young age, but [she] stayed with me throughout my formative years,” said Christie, who plays warrior Brienne of Tarth on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
“She’s really interesting, she’s really smart, she’s really funny, she’s courageous, she’s bold, she doesn’t care what people think, and she isn’t prepared to be told what to do.”
Written by Johnson, “The Last Jedi” — the eighth installment in the franchise — picks up where “The Force Awakens” left off, with Rey looking to Luke to teach her about The Force.
Lucasfilm has released various trailers for “The Last Jedi,” hinting at dark times ahead for the Resistance — and prompting comparisons with “The Empire Strikes Back.”
“It’s the second movie in the trilogy, and I think we’ve been kind of trained to expect it will be a little darker, and obviously it looks a little darker,” said Johnson, 43.
But he added that he was still aiming for movie that “makes you come out of the theater, run around your back yard, grab your spaceship toy and fly around.”
Hamill, 66, has stirred controversy in the past with candid comments about his thoughts on his character and direction of the story, but was one of the least vocal in the news conference.
He confirmed that his role was “twice as big” as his last-minute cameo in “The Force Awakens” — but gave almost nothing else away.
Like Fisher and Hamill, Harrison Ford is a “Star Wars” institution as loveable rogue Han Solo. But the character is missing from the latest chapter, having been killed off by director J.J. Abrams in the previous installment.
The cast was asked if the Ford’s absence was a wrench but Boyega said central characters Finn, Rey and Poe weren’t given much time to mourn and that “everyone’s keeping it moving” in the new film.
“Rey’s off training, she’s got stuff to go. I got a back injury, I’ve got stuff to do,” he said.
“It’s a dire situation, the Resistance is on its last legs,” added Isaac, who plays Poe.
“The First Order is right on top of us. You have to keep moving to try to survive.”
’Star Wars’ sisters hail girl-powered galaxy
’Star Wars’ sisters hail girl-powered galaxy
Not Italy’s Devil’s Island: Sardinia bristles at mafia inmate plan
- A third of top-risk mafia prisoners could go to Sardinia
- Officials say clans may follow relatives and infiltrate economy
NUORO: In Nuoro, a remote city on the Italian island of Sardinia, a high stone wall rings the local prison, a fortress-like complex once renowned for holding high-profile mobsters and convicted terrorists far from the mainland.
Only a handful of top mafiosi remain detained there and Sardinia is no longer seen as a dumping ground for criminals, instead building an international reputation around tourism.
But that could change under a plan of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government which has alarmed residents. In December, a justice undersecretary said about 750 prisoners held under the rigid “41bis” regime would be concentrated in just a few dedicated facilities across Italy, overseen by special guard units to improve security.
Sardinia has been told it may get nearly a third of them, split between Sassari in the north, already housing about 90, the capital Cagliari, where around 90 are due to arrive this month, and Nuoro — reviving old stigma concerns.
“Sardinia does not deserve to be seen as Italy’s Cayenne,” said Governor Alessandra Todde, invoking the notorious former French Guiana penal colony on Devil’s Island.
Worries of Mafia infiltration
Italy’s 41bis regime, named after the law that regulates it, is among the most restrictive in Europe. Introduced in 1992 after the murder of anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, it imposes near-total isolation on prisoners and was designed to stop bosses running their operations from behind bars.
The law says it should “preferably” be enforced on Italy’s islands. The late boss of the Sicilian mafia, Salvatore “Toto” Riina, was among those once held in Sardinia.
Locals and authorities fear the government plan could prompt mafia clans to move from mainland Italy to be near jailed relatives, creating opportunities to launder illicit money and infiltrate business, particularly in less developed areas, such as Nuoro, a city of 30,000 people.
Silvio Lai, a Sardinian lawmaker with the opposition Democratic Party, visited the city prison last month and said renovation work was already ongoing, potentially making room for at least 30 new maximum-security inmates.
“Weak economies can be infiltrated easily, and Nuoro is about an hour’s drive from the Costa Smeralda,” Lai said, suggesting a mafia foothold in the city could swiftly spread to the island’s luxurious tourist resort.
The Justice Ministry did not respond to a request to comment on the work.
Improving national security
Autonomous mafia groups have never emerged in sparsely populated Sardinia, but magistrates say investigations have been opened into alleged clan penetration in the north of the island, possibly encouraged by the presence of detained mobsters.
“Prosecutors are keeping a close watch on the phenomenon of Camorra (a mafia group based around Naples) investments... especially in the tourism, hospitality and restaurant sectors,” said Cagliari chief prosecutor Luigi Patronaggio.
At a December meeting with regional officials, Justice Undersecretary Andrea Delmastro Delle Vedove downplayed the risk of a mass move to Sardinia, minutes show, arguing that families of 41bis detainees do not typically leave clan-controlled areas.
“This (plan) will ensure greater national security... will make individual prisons safer because only specialized prison guard units will be deployed,” Delmastro said.
However, Maria Cristina Ornano, head of the sentence enforcement tribunal in Cagliari, said police and the judiciary will need increased security resources if more mobsters arrive.
“Once organized crime takes root here, we will not be able to get rid of it. We can see it in parts of southern Italy, which are among the most
