Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Blu Ian

They managed to get Max Von Sydow?

They got me interested, genuinely interested right there. He brings a touch of class to everything he does, so even if JJ turns in another Star Trek Into Shitfest it might still be vaguely watchable.

[aiman04]

Harrison Ford (1)
Daisy Ridley (2)
Carrie Fisher (3)
Peter Mayhew (4)
Bryan Burk (5)
Kathleen Kennedy (6)
Domhnall Gleeson (7)
Anthony Daniels (8)
Mark Hamill (9)
Andy Serkis (10)
Oscar Isaac (11)
John Boyega (12)
Adam Driver (13)
Lawrence Kasdan (14)
J.J Abrams (15)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...ding-lady.html

[Walts Ghost]

'Star Wars: Episode VII' Casting: It's Not Over Yet

If you think the Star Wars: Episode VII casting process is finished, the Force is not strong with you.

Several sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that director J.J. Abrams has another substantial role to fill — and it's a female part. No further details are known.

That might be good news for a vocal segment of Star Wars fans that have bemoaned the lack females in the six previous films and the just-announced new cast. In Tuesday’s big announcement, newcomer Daisy Ridley is the only woman among the crop of actors joining the franchise, which include John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow.

Earlier this year, THR revealed that the production was seeking a mixed-raced female in her twenties. The director did meet with 12 Years a Slave actress Lupita Nyong'o just before the Oscars, although it is not known for what part. And at one point, speculation centered on unknown British actress Maisie Richardson-Sellers. It is unclear if that young female part still exists or if it has been removed due to rewrites.

THR

[Packerfan75]

Glad to see they went with mostly lesser known names. That gives me A New Hope indeed.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

This is entirely inaccurate. Lucasfilm and ILM are separate companies. Lucasfilm has to pay ILM for the services they provide, just like they have to pay for Skywalker Sound to mix the film, and so on. You also have to remember that those $110M figures are 10-15 years old, so it's closer to what...$180M adjusted? They were expensive films, but Lucas was smart, especially on the second and third chapters to go all digital to maintain a reasonable budget which allowed other filmmakers to make equally epic films with massive set pieces and digital extensions and characters a reality. Before Phantom Menace and the huge leap forward in CGI and digital post production a film like that could not have been made for anywhere near what the film actually cost. Menace was a monumental achievement from a technical standpoint and pushed the technology of film forward in much the same way the original film did in 77.

He had to pay for the VFX, yes, however he basically got it done at cost price; LFL and ILM are indeed separate companies but they were still part of Lucas' personal empire.

I'll be damned if I can find the quote, but one of the ILM gurus on Phantom Menace said that the VFX would've cost at least $100 million (in old money ) on its own had they not been doing it under this special arrangement. Lucas, as ever, was being a sly old stoaty stoaty stoat with his cash, bringing in the whole show for a reported $115m.

Phantom Menace had over 2000 VFX shots, you'd be lucky to bring in such a movie for less than a total budget of $250m today. Even when adjusted for inflation, Phantom Menace falls way short of that mark.

[toddly6666]

Is anyone else worried that Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher will feel out of place in the new film? Worried because Ford was just a parodying shadow of his Indiana Jones character in Crystal Skull (meaning, he didnt own the role). And I know that people change and age, but Im worried that im now going to see Fisher as a manic depressant chain-smoking hag. I know we havent seen Fisher in film in years but Im just worried that her older version will ruin her younger original trilogy self sort of in the same way that Hayden's Anakin has sort of ruined the original trilogy Darth Vader. For example, if Princess Leah had originally been played by Julie Christie or Helen Mirren, I wouldnt worry about those actresses reprising their roles much older but there is something disturbing about watching Carrie Fisher in recent interviews that I hope she will leave behind in her returning role.

Mark Hamill Im not worried about one bit - if anything, he seems like the type of actor and person that will make his Luke character even better in which his young and old roles will compliment each other.

[aiman04]

John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, and Max von Sydow.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

Carrie Fisher still looking bulky in that photo? If Luke can lose, so can she.

Bulky? So now we're going to obsess over a few pounds?

Seriously???

Obsessing over any woman's weight is a little silly (and it is often extremely silly) but now we're seriously supposed to give a shit about whether a woman in her late fifties has lost just the right amount of weight to play...what is she playing again...oh, right...a woman in her late fifties?

Let it go.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by Aquel

For me the most pleasing part is that Ian McDiarmid is not on the list, which means no reborn Emperor (which was rumoured a while back). This would have IMO really reduced the importance of what happened in 1-6.

Still cautious as Disney seems a bit too fanatic to please OT fans and I do hope that it dares to venture in new directions like the PT did and isn't a simple rehash of the OT. Even though it wasn't warmly received by a lot of people, the PT had quite some interesting ideas and the design was great (just as with the OT) so I hope we will also see this in the ST.

Maybe they intentionally hides his casting. Because, you know, if Ian McDiarmid is announced, it would be a massive plot reveal.

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

The story was already done before Disney bought Lucasfilm. Lucas and Abrams were working pretty close too, so anything that was done, was on his watch. So if anyone is too fanatic about the OT, it's Lucas and Abrams.

People keep taking jabs at Disney, afraid they'll ruin things, but this is really a Lucasfilm production. Disney doesn't put their hands in unless things get messy. They've left Marvel to their own devices as well.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Plus, Kathleen Kennedy is producing and I trust her more than anyone else involved really, outside of Hamill.

I was reading an interview in Cinefex conducted in 1999 with Lucas and he talks about the reason that he waited so long to get the Prequels under way and it wasn't only because he wanted to wait for the technology to catch up to what he wanted to do with the Prequels, but that he was raising his children during that time and funding a lot of other peoples creative visions in the process, effectively making his family larger and larger. He says that if he hadn't of gone into the Prequels at that point, after his kids had grown up and no longer required his undivided attention, he wouldn't have done them at all, because of the time it takes to complete something of such breadth and depth. I deeply respect the man because more than anything, he's very humble, easy-going and really hasn't changed that much in the last 30 years. Same clothes, same beard, same attention paid to his friends and family over everything else in his life. I'm glad he was able to contribute as much as he could, which I imagine was quite a lot, to this new trilogy and I wish him the best, whether that be living a quiet life with his family and/or creating smaller more diverse pictures the way he wants them.

Very well said.

Originally Posted by Adam_ME

Lucasfilm which was owned by Lucas had to pay ILM and Skywalker Sound, also owned by Lucas? Maybe there's a cost in terms of other movies they weren't working on at the time and the money they weren't making as a result of their commitments to the prequels, but was Lucas seriously cutting checks to himself?

And BTW, the all digital look of ROTS was crap. Seriously, shooting the entire movie in front of bluescreens and greenscreens? Even Episode II had some on-location stuff.

Lucas owned them all, but every company has their own books to check and balance, they will have to account for every resources used. Otherwise ILM won't be able to stand on their own.

[The Great Owl]

I'm thrilled about Max von Sydow being cast for this movie.

He should lend the same classic coolness to this film that Peter Cushing and Alec Guinness lent to the first film.

[The Edge]

Originally Posted by tigertron

I'm almost certain Serkis will be playing something digital.

I'm pretty upset about no Billy Dee Williams though.

Me too ...
Lando Calrissian is forever.

[Tok]

Wow. I'm 12 years old again.

So excited. Don't mess this up JJ and Disney.

[aiman04]

STAR WARS: EPISODE VII CASTING ANNOUNCEMENT - SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION

The cast:

Anthony Daniels: 'Apologies to all those fans at Calgary Expo who asked me about Ep VII. Keeping the secret in front of y'all was the hardest act I ever did.'
John Boyega: 'Honoured to join this amazing universe and thank you for all the support ....May the force be with you #SWVII'
Daisy Ridley: 'Overwhelmed by all the support. This is the greatest day of my life. I'm told I can't say who I'm playing yet, but it's exciting!'

Other stars' reactions:

Josh Gad: 'I can't deal. It's actually happening. Geeking out.'
Mike Shinoda: 'If you guys are wondering where I am, I'll be in line for Star Wars tickets from now until it comes out.'
Kyle Newman: 'Classic. Classy. @starwars Cast.'
Matt Berry: 'Congrats to Daisy Ridley for her Star Wars role. You need to realise that this is purely due to her appearance in Toast Of London last year.'
Chris Gore: 'BREAKING! Donald Sterling cast as bartender who says, "We don't serve your kind here," in Star Wars VII.'
Rob Delaney: '@starwars If Jar Jar's not in it, I'm not seeing it. #IStandWithJarJar.'



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...ding-lady.html

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by Tok

Wow. I'm 12 years old again.

So excited. Don't mess this up JJ and Lucasfilm.

There we go. Yes, don't mess this up, Lucasfilm.

[DisneyBlu]

I have a good feeling about this...

Really though, it's not just that it's a Star Wars movie. And I've had the feeling before even the cast was announced. So I don't know what it is, exactly, but I think this is going to be something special.

But I'm not going to be one of those people with "best movie of all time!!" expectations, the way people were before The Phantom Menace. Expectations are being kept in check, but I think everyone involved - whether it be Disney or J.J. - has a lot to prove and a lot on the line, and because of that, we're going to get a lot of people giving their best. And I think that's going to make for a fantastic movie.

[BLUEGRASS]

Originally Posted by tigertron

I'm pretty upset about no Billy Dee Williams though.

Maybe John Boyega = Lando, Jr.

[jpthomas27]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

but in all likelihood, this still IS the Skywalker saga.

Eps 1-3 were Anakin, 4-6 Luke, 7-9 ???

Took the words right out of my mouth...

Eps 1-6 was NOT the story of Anakin. Eps 1-3 WAS, Eps 4-6 was the story of Luke and most likely Eps 7-9 will be the story of the next gen Skywalkers.

Setting up each trilogy as the story of one generation of the Skywalker legacy would make the most sense.

[aiman04]

The film episodes will be known as The Skywalker Saga.

The standalones will not follow the Skywalker family.

[Aragorn the Elfstone]

Originally Posted by jpthomas27

Took the words right out of my mouth...

Eps 1-6 was NOT the story of Anakin. Eps 1-3 WAS, Eps 4-6 was the story of Luke and most likely Eps 7-9 will be the story of the next gen Skywalkers.

Setting up each trilogy as the story of one generation of the Skywalker legacy would make the most sense.

This.

I never bought into the Lucas kool-aid of Episodes I-VI, as a single saga, being the story of Anakin Skywalker.

Two separate trilogies. One about Luke. One about Anakin. Now we get a third trilogy.

[MWD1001]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Holy crap, I just noticed R2-D2 behind Ford! Haha!

But why is he in a crate? No respect.

Speaking of crates, is that the Covenant of the Ark behind him?