Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker cast takes over Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight
By Matt Moore
Jimmy Kimmel Live! continues to be the late night home for the biggest movies, this time for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will bring to an end a saga that first began in 1977. But before the movie hits theaters and the final chapter is told, the cast is coming to Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight for a very special episode.
It is a good time to be Disney. And while it is hard to imagine a time where that wasn’t the case, it is especially true in 2019. The company’s streaming service Disney+ is a hit thanks in part to the Star Wars series The Mandalorian. Earlier this year, Avengers: Endgame became the biggest movie of all time. And now the company is days away from releasing The Rise of Skywalker in what is the most anticipated movie since…Endgame.
Jimmy Kimmel must count himself among those happy for Disney’s dominance. The company rewarded the late night host with a new contract at ABC and continues to provide him with exclusive access to the talent behind Disney’s biggest projects.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has benefited from Disney ownership by becoming the late night home of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Episodes featuring full cast interviews for movies like Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Far From Home have become some of the more buzzworthy productions in Kimmel’s late night career.
That will certainly be the case tonight as Kimmel welcomes the cast of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The movie is set to be released on Friday, Dec. 20. Here’s who fans will see sit down with Kimmel tonight:
- J. J. Abrams
- Daisy Ridley
- John Boyega
- Oscar Isaac
- Billy Dee Williams
- Anthony Daniels
- Naomi Ackie
- Kelly Marie Tran
- Keri Russell
Director J.J. Abrams is joined by eight cast members for a total of nine guests. Is that a nod to Rise of Skywalker being episode IX of the Star Wars saga? Perhaps but fans no doubt noticed a couple of names absent from the list. No Adam Driver or Mark Hamill means the lineup is a little incomplete. It is also possible that Kimmel and Disney have a surprise or two up their sleeves.
This will be the fifth time that Kimmel has hosted a Star Wars panel on his show. He has done it for every release since Disney took over the franchise, including The Force Awakens, Rogue One, The Last Jedi, and Solo.
Tonight’s lineup features a nice representation of Star Wars both past and present. Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Daniels can provide perspective on how things have grown since the original trilogy. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac should reflect on what the new trilogy means to them. And newcomers to the Star Wars universe like Naomi Ackie and Keri Russell will likely comment on getting a chance to play in a world that is so important to so many fans.
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The special Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs at a special time. Catch it on ABC tonight at 10:00 PM ET and then again at its regular 11:35 PM time slot. Be sure to check back with Last Night On for all the highlights.