Photographer Annie Leibovitz has been shooting the familiar faces of Star Wars for nearly 40 years. With a relationship that long, even the highly secretive Lucasfilm is inclined to let Leibovitz take a peek or two behind the curtain. In this exclusive behind-the-scenes video, director Rian Johnson admits that, in fact, Leibovitz was, “in a way, our first audience” for The Last Jedi. She was certainly one of the first non-Lucasfilm witnesses to see Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie in action without her chrome-plated Phasma helmet. But thanks to Leibovitz’s exclusive portfolio, our David Kamp cover story, and many more insights to come, Phasma isn’t the only Star Wars phenomenon being unmasked by Vanity Fair this week.

In the exclusive video above, cast members Oscar Isaac and Daisy Ridley reflect on the experience of returning to the Star Wars set, as both plucky Resistance fighters and menacing First Order villains strike dramatic poses. Though the cast is careful not to reveal too much, John Boyega does say that in The Last Jedi, “everything’s been shifted in an opposite way to what the audience expected after VII.” And Mark Hamill, who told Vanity Fair all about his own ideas of how Luke’s story should progress, teased that this new installment is “so much different, in many ways, than the other episodes and yet I think is very satisfying in delivering what the fans want to see.”

But surely the most poignant footage in this video is the glimpse behind the scenes of one of the final Star Wars photoshoots involving Carrie Fisher, who strikes a regal pose with her constant companion, Gary, at her feet. In honor of Fisher, Vanity Fair has added a legacy solo cover featuring the princess and general who inspired generations. The Summer issue of Vanity Fair will be on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on June 1, and nationally on June 6. Readers in search of the full Vanity Fair-Star Wars experience, including all four covers, a commemorative poster, and early access to our digital editions, with lightsaber effects by Industrial Light & Magic, on May 24, can purchase here.