Star Wars: Episode IX may feature the legendary Tatooine. A few clues tossed around by fans may have hinted at this possibility.
J.J. Abrams, who took over as director for Star Wars: Episode IX from Colin Trevorrow, already confirmed in previous interviews that the film would conclude the Skywalker family saga. He added that the ninth installment would "unite the trilogies" and what better way to do this than revisiting Tatooine, where the Star Wars saga all began.
The prequel trilogies and the original films started on Tatooine, so it would make sense to end the story on the sandy planet too. Proof of the possible return to Anakin Skywalker's birthplace comes in the form of the gift Abrams and Lucasfilm gave to the Star Wars: Episode IX crew. Aside from the director's note of thank you and a Bad Robot jacket, the crew received two small bottles that contained items from production.
One of the vials contained beans that supposedly referred to a "Jedi eater" and the other contained sand. The note attached to the sand vial may be a clue to the return to Tatooine. The note said the sand came "from a sacred place on a familiar planet." This led fans to believe that Star Wars: Episode IX will feature Tatooine, which is a sacred and important place in the history of Star Wars.
For starters, Tatooine featured in most of the past Star Wars films. It is where several iconic moments happened. Luke Skywalker built his second lightsaber and completed his Jedi training in Tatooine, and it is where Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discovered Anakin Skywalker. The Force practically originated on this planet, with Master Qui-Gon Jinn believed to be "the will of the Force."
Adding fuel to speculations that Star Wars: Episode IX will return to Tatooine is the fact that a film insider quickly debunked the sand vial as from production. It seemed like a last-minute effort to prevent leaks or spoilers from spreading.
Moreover, Star Wars: Episode IX already shot some scenes in the sandy plains of Jordan, which could easily stand in for Tatooine in the movie. If Abrams wants to bring an end to the Star Wars film saga with his movie, then it would be a fan service to feature Tatooine again. The planet has not been revisited in the 14 years since Disney and Lucasfilm started to create sequels. It certainly will be melancholic to see the dusty planet again.
