Unlike most film-set photo shoots, there are more than slick costumes and stunning locations on display in these new images from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Annie Leibovitz traveled to London’s famed Pinewood Studios to photograph some never-before-seen characters and confirmed a rumor or two in the process. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the closely guarded Star Wars set, but a few of those well-kept secrets are finally out, thanks to these exclusive photographs from the June issue of Vanity Fair.
First of all, as we suspected, Adam Driver is playing the hooded bad guy Kylo Ren and, yes, the Girls star is the lucky cast member swinging that next-generation three-pronged lightsaber that prompted so much discussion in the first teaser. In case the all-black ensemble wasn’t enough to tip you off to Ren’s allegiance, those ominous snowtroopers behind him are a big clue.
And while we may not know which side of the Resistance (the film’s new term for the Rebel Alliance) Lupita Nyong’o’s C.G.I. character, Maz Kanata, is on, we do know from the caption on this eye-popping rogue’s gallery photo that she’s a pirate.
Don’t let that sway your opinion, though. Smugglers like Han Solo and Lando Calrissian were heroes of the original trilogy, and the rebellion has a long and loving relationship with so-called scum.
Speaking of heroes, this new gallery is also full of faces that Star Wars fans have already come to know and love. The raffish photo of Oscar Isaac’s Resistance pilot Poe Dameron hanging off an X-Wing is classic nerd pinup material.
This behind-the-scenes shot of J.J. Abrams directing Daisy Ridley’s Rey on her trusty speeder gives us another look at the strange creatures inhabiting the desert planet Jakku. We still don’t know her character’s last name, but fans suspect that it’s one Star Wars fans know well.
Avid fans of the franchise may feel a special connection with the portrait of the Star Wars brain trust comprised of director Abrams, producer Kathleen Kennedy, and veterans to the franchise composer John Williams, and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan.
__Watch the Star Wars Cast on Set for Vanity Fair’s Cover Shoot __
