Empire Magazine began dropping through subscribers letterboxes today, bagging the gorgeous Paul Shipper cover with the Skywalker Saga Ultimate Celebration magazine and the Dark Rey print by Rory Kurtz. Page 68 brings a reveal, a new image of Keri Russell’s character Zorii Bliss, a spice runner on the ice world of Kijimi.
“There was this female character when J.J. was young – I think it was in Speed Racer or something. She rode a motorbike and had this helmet. He goes, ‘I could never see her face and I was always obsessed with what she looked like.’ That was the genesis of this character, because he always wanted to know who she was.”
The issue hones in on a number of characters including actress Naomi Ackie who describes her character Jannah, the leader of a tribe on the Endorian moon of Kef Bir where the wreckage of the second Death Star crashed.
“Jannah’s story links her up with the characters in a really interesting way. She has her own backstory, which makes her very invested in the fight. She has this fierce warrior nature, but a soft centre. There’s a part of her that is seeking connection with people, trying to build a family.”
The January 2020 issue of Empire Magazine hits newsagents and supermarkets on 28th November.