J.J. Abrams Says ‘The Rise Of Skywalker’ Must Be 'Conclusive'

So many unanswered questions still swirl around the “Star Wars” universe and director J.J. Abrams knows he has his work cut out for him. With “The Rise of Skywalker” spelling the end of the Skywalker saga as fans have long known it, there’s a great deal of weight riding on “Episode IX,” even if it’s not the last of the “Star Wars” movies.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Abrams discussed these very concerns and the role he had in developing the final segment in an age-long epic spanning three different generations. Alongside Oscar-winning screenwriter Chris Terrio, Abrams must not only close out the Skywalker saga but also answer a multitude of still-hanging questions, from the true backstory of Snoke to the parentage of Daisy Ridley’s Rey.

Abrams said, “We went into this movie very much in the mindset that this has to be conclusive. It has to. You have to get some answers. You have to learn some things.”

“The Rise of Skywalker” cast may be daunting with several new characters, yet “Episode IX” is as much about the past as it is the present. Abrams added, “… there are a lot of questions about Finn’s past, about Poe’s past, obviously Rey and Kylo, and then some of the new characters we meet.”

The “Star Wars” director also understands the importance of ending the film on a particular note. There might be loads of more “Star Wars” content releasing well into the future, from “The Mandalorian” to the untitled Obi-Wan series, yet the Skywalker saga timeline has come to its inevitable close.

To Abrams, the pressure isn’t in answering all the fan theories or various questions, but tying everything from “Episode 1” to “Episode 9” into one fluid and meaningful “Star Wars” experience.

“Ending’s are very difficult because they need to take everything that’s come before, in this case eight films prior, and draw it to a close. So I wanted to make sure in addition to the central story, the main character or characters, I wanted to make sure that you felt that when you were done with this film, you felt like you had some more insight into all of them,” Abrams related. "That was really important to us.”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” unleashes the Force in theaters on Dec. 20.