'Star Wars: Episode 8' news, spoilers: Luke and Rey's relationship to be explored, says director Rian Johnson

(Facebook/starwarsmovies)"Star Wars: Episode 8" will premiere on Dec. 15.

One of the most hotly anticipated films of this year — and there are a number of them — is the second installment to the new "Star Wars" trilogy, Episode 8. The first film, "The Force Awakens," resulted in a number of questions being raised, including Rey's relationship to Luke Skywalker. And if director Rian Johnson has anything to say about it, Episode 8 will delve into it more.

While speaking to USA Today, Johnson admitted that Daisy Ridley's Rey and Mark Hamill's Luke do have a connection. But what kind of connection is it exactly?

"It very much feels like what we all go through in adolescence, the dawning of this new chapter of our lives," Johnson explained, saying that the subject of family in the forthcoming film is "a huge part of especially Rey's character, something that was a really powerful part of her setup and something I really wanted to dig into with this."

And while many fans have speculated that Luke is Rey's father, there are also those who think that she may be a Kenobi. Nothing can be known for sure at this point, though, so eager fans will have to wait until the film premieres.

But that isn't to say that Rey will be the only one of the new characters to be under the spotlight. John Boyega's Finn and Oscar Isaac's Poe will also have their fair share of focus when it comes to deepening backstories and exploring "what really makes them tick."

As for Episode 8's official subtitle, Disney and Lucasfilm have yet to announce one, but Johnson revealed that he already thought of the title years ago. In fact, he had included it on the first draft he penned for the film. And while there may be a bit more waiting time before it is officially unveiled, there have been rumors stemming from a trademark filing that Episode 8 will be subtitled "Forces of Destiny."

"Star Wars: Episode 8" will premiere in theaters on Dec. 15.

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