It’s not clear how different Colin Trevorrow’s take on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker would have been from J.J. Abrams’ version, or even if it would have had the same title. The Jurassic World director was attached to helm the conclusion to the Skywalker Saga for two years before departing the project over creative differences. However, while speaking with Collider, Trevorrow revealed that he helped design a new spacecraft that would have appeared in the film. In fact, it’s currently on display at the newly-opened Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim.
Trevorrow’s ship was called the TIE Echelon. According to /Film, it’s one of four full-size ships that can be found at the park. You can check out a photo courtesy of author and filmmaker Bryan Young below.
This is the new TIE Echelon fighter… pic.twitter.com/3VyH6AvJOK
— Bryan Young (@swankmotron) May 30, 2019
“It was just a natural part of the process,” said Trevorrow. “The Imagineering team asked us to develop a new ship for the park while we were designing the film. I took it pretty seriously—it’s not every day you get to be a part of something like that.”
Trevorrow wouldn’t share any details about how the ship would have factored into any specific scenes, but he did provide some background info on the inspiration for its design.
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“It was part of an upgraded First Order fleet,” added Trevorrow. “An armed troop transport—the equivalent of a Blackhawk stealth helicopter. We wanted it to evoke memories of earlier ships while still being its own thing. If you look at the elements, it’s kind of a hybrid of designs from VII and VIII, with some familiar elements from OT TIE Fighters like Vader’s Advanced x1. There’s a lot of history in it.”
When he was still planning to direct The Rise of Skywalker, Trevorrow was working on the screenplay with Derek Connolly. Following his departure, Abrams rewrote the script with Chris Terrio. It’s entirely possible that some elements from Trevorrow and Connolly’s draft, like the TIE Echelon, made their way into the final film. Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until the movie opens in December.
What are your thoughts on Colin Trevorrow’s design for the TIE Echelon? Give us your impressions in the comment section below!
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