Star Wars: The Last Jedi was a major hit over the weekend, earning over $220 million in the domestic box office. While the film is polarizing, no one can deny the profound impact that Carrie Fisher and her character of Princess Leia had on the immensely popular franchise. Having gone from princess to general, Fisher carved her own mark and defined what it means to be a badass woman. A notion that she had carried with her until her death, and one that has inspired not only her co-stars, but almost every woman on earth.

We had a chance to sit down with our fellow journalists to talk to the female cast of The Last Jedi about what it meant to them to star alongside Fisher and what they learned from her during the production of the film. Check out what they had to say here below.

SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Last Jedi…

When last I wrote about Star Wars, it was late 2015. I’d seen a screening of The Force Awakens, and I left the film feeling pumped. It’d been ten years since any of us had seen a Star Wars film on screen, and while 2005’s Revenge of the Sith was probably the very best of the prequel trilogy, I’d left that film somewhat disappointed – it just wasn’t the unqualified space opera tragedy I was looking for.

The Force Awakens, however, ticked off all of the boxes in the theater:

– Fast-paced
– Fresh, new characters
– Surprisingly heart-warming performances
– Suspense
– Fantastic effects
– Action Action Action

Star Wars: The Last Jedi immediately follows the events of The Force Awakens, with Rey looking to Luke Skywalker to train her in the ways of the Force, while the Resistance is in shambles as the First Order begins to make major power moves. However, there is still a lot we don’t know about the film. Luckily director Rian Johnson, along with stars Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis were at a recent press conference to talk as much about the film as they could without spoiling anything.

Geeks of Doom sat down with fellow journalists to talk to the cast and crew of the film, and discovered a few interesting things about the relationship between Kylo Ren and General Hux, moving on without Han Solo, and how the theme of “never meeting your hero” plays a role in the film. Check it out below.

Based on the earlier looks at Annihilation, Ex Machina director Alex Garland‘s upcoming film promises to be very thought-provoking if not perplexing. For one thing, Paramount and producers are worried that the film may be too smart for the average audience. In fact, this has led to some conflicts that have occurred on set.

It’s not clear what the end result will be, at least not until the film is released, but a new trailer should provide some clarity about the film. Or at least it should try to. Check it out below.

Star Wars films have made more than an impact in film and pop culture, they have also paved the way for major revolutions. These films have opened the doors for young girls to accept their roles as heroes, or in this case Jedi. They don’t have to play the role of the damsel in distress, now they can be fearless warriors fighting the good fight. And we will see more of that now that there are a lot more powerful female characters in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Whether it is Rey (Daisy Ridley) training to become a Jedi, General Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) overseeing military strategies for the Resistance, or Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) infiltrating the First Order, young girls have a lot more characters to look up to.

Geeks of Doom was invited to sit down with their fellow journalists to talk about the incredible changes that have been happening in the past few years and how having more female characters have given their young female fans someone to cheer for and quite possibly be inspired by. Check out what they had to say below.