Forget about Luke Skywalker and C-3P0, the biggest star of the new Star Wars movie is the dramatic Kerry landscape.
The new, behind-the-scenes teaser video for Star Wars: The Last Jedi has just been released – featuring footage of Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way. The first to view the trailer were attending Disney’s latest D3 convention in Anaheim, California. Click here to view the new, behind-the-scenes video.
Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens broke box office records around the world in late 2015, bringing the magnificent scenery of Skellig Michael and the Wild Atlantic Way to the attention of millions of people everywhere. The fact that Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, due for release this December, was also shot on location along the Wild Atlantic Way is another fantastic coup for Irish tourism – and we’re absolutely delighted that Ireland features again in this behind-the-scenes teaser video of the eighth movie, released yesterday. Tourism Ireland will launch a new Star Wars campaign in December, taking every opportunity to capitalise on the huge publicity around the film and whetting peoples’ appetites to come and visit the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland.”
The director of Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson, returned to Skellig Michael with his cast in September 2015, picking up the story from the iconic moment in Episode VII, when rebel fighter Rey found Luke Skywalker on the steps of Skellig Michael. The location scouts were so taken with the Wild Atlantic Way that they came back for a second shoot in May 2016. Locations along the western seaboard (in Cork, Kerry, Clare and Donegal) were handpicked to represent the planet Ahch-to in Episode VIII – due to hit the big screen on December 15.
Click here to view Tourism Ireland’s special Star Wars section on Ireland.com. Click here to view Tourism Ireland’s behind-the-scenes film, created during the filming of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
