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

[camper]

What do you mean Hammil hasn't done anything??

His voice acting career is legendary. If you've watched any Batman/Spiderman animated series since the 90s you've heard him, and if you've played Arkham City/Asylum you've heard him as the Joker.

He's the MOST typecast of the bunch, but he's been working steadily ever since. He doesn't have the movie career Ford does, but let's be realistic here--aside from Indiana Jones and a handful of other movies, Harrison Ford doesn't have the movie career people think he does. Look at his resume, he's got more than his fair share of crappy films under his belt.

Anyway, of all the characters post Jedi films, it's really Luke that was the one who did anything of major substance. If anyone should be in all the new films it should be Hammil because it is HIS story that is beginning, as it is HE who rebuilds the Jedi order. Han, Leia...they're supporting characters, and really not all that interesting anymore other than as plot devices for Luke and his nephews/neices.

[camper]

Originally Posted by Aerodude73

JJ did a pretty damn nice job with the STAR TREK (2009) reboot, & a totally new cast of younger, yet very good Actors/Actresses though, right?

Agreed, I was NEVER a Star Trek fan, other than enjoying Next Generation on TV from time to time.

Abrams made me interested in Star Trek, and I greatly enjoy his take on it and has me wanting more.

[klauswhereareyou]

Wasn't one of the big reasons Hamill's career never took off was because of the toll that the 1977 car crash and alleged heavy drinking had on his face. He was never a great actor, but if he would've kept the preaty boy face I would imagine he would've gotten fare more film work, at least in the 1980's.

[camper]

Originally Posted by klauswhereareyou

Wasn't one of the big reasons Hamill's career never took off was because of the toll that the 1977 car crash and alleged heavy drinking had on his face. He was never a great actor, but if he would've kept the preaty boy face I would imagine he would've gotten fare more film work, at least in the 1980's.

I always thought it was because he was so heavily typecast as Luke.

Harrison Ford wasn't so typecast because he was Han Solo and Indiana Jones, and the two more or less cancelled each other out--plus he took a lot of deliberately non-action films just to take other roles. But notice it's the action films that he's most successful with.

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

Well, in the case of 'Star Trek', he was at least working with established characters. New actors, yes, but characters many already knew and loved. It helped that he brought Nimoy along for the ride as well, which gave fans that extra ounce of familiarity. So, it's a tiny bit of a different scenario, but it's still a relevant one.

That's the catch though - his Trek characters were not supposed to be the same as in the series(alternate universe remember), he just used people familiarity with them to avoid character development. Here, they are going to be the same characters just older. That's where you could run into issues - is Han going to still be the same rogue at 70 that he was at 35 or is he going to be this old man? You stick too close to the characters as they were and it won't be believeable yet that is exactly what a lot of people will want. Luke can't be that Jedi running around anymore, he needs to be more like the Jedi council but will the audience accept that.

[jtwise]

Originally Posted by camper

I always thought it was because he was so heavily typecast as Luke.

Harrison Ford wasn't so typecast because he was Han Solo and Indiana Jones, and the two more or less cancelled each other out--plus he took a lot of deliberately non-action films just to take other roles. But notice it's the action films that he's most successful with.

That's my understanding as well.

[mrr1]

Originally Posted by klauswhereareyou

Wasn't one of the big reasons Hamill's career never took off was because of the toll that the 1977 car crash and alleged heavy drinking had on his face.

I blame it on the fact that in Return of the Jedi he had the same hair as his Aunt Beru did in the original Star Wars movie.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

That's the catch though - his Trek characters were not supposed to be the same as in the series(alternate universe remember), he just used people familiarity with them to avoid character development. Here, they are going to be the same characters just older. That's where you could run into issues - is Han going to still be the same rogue at 70 that he was at 35 or is he going to be this old man? You stick too close to the characters as they were and it won't be believeable yet that is exactly what a lot of people will want. Luke can't be that Jedi running around anymore, he needs to be more like the Jedi council but will the audience accept that.

You touched on a really interesting point.

It's been such a huge time gap between Episode VI and the upcoming VII that we haven't had a chance to see these characters evolve at all since '83. It will be jarring, to say the least, to see them portrayed in a believable way that basically doesn't reflect their younger selves at all anymore. And if the stories are true and Abrams does plan to make Han, Luke and Leia our leads in this film, he will have to find a way to lure us back into their lives and want to follow them again.

I have a lot of faith in Abrams and I know he will do a fine job, but this could have the potential to be as un-appealing as the fourth Indiana Jones. I don't foresee that, though. It's just an incredible challenge that Abrams has on his hands. I do not envy him, but I admire him greatly for taking this project on after some initial reluctance.

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

It's been such a huge time gap between Episode VI and the upcoming VII that we haven't had a chance to see these characters evolve at all since '83. It will be jarring, to say the least, to see them portrayed in a believable way that basically doesn't reflect their younger selves at all anymore. And if the stories are true and Abrams does plan to make Han, Luke and Leia our leads in this film, he will have to find a way to lure us back into their lives and want to follow them again.

And I think that is where he is going to have problems. With Trek, Kirk and Spock becomes friends basically because old Spock says they have to be but the development isn't there. He uses the fact that people know the characters are friends in the prime universe to just allow it to exist. With Star Wars, he is going to have to move those characters along in a realistic fashion and resist the urge to do what others would and show Han still cruising around, Luke running around being a Jedi, etc. He can show glimpses of the characters we remember but it can only be glimpses and I don't know if he can do that. Good thing is he has a cowriter who worked on the original movies who I think can help there.

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

That's the catch though - his Trek characters were not supposed to be the same as in the series(alternate universe remember), he just used people familiarity with them to avoid character development. Here, they are going to be the same characters just older. That's where you could run into issues - is Han going to still be the same rogue at 70 that he was at 35 or is he going to be this old man? You stick too close to the characters as they were and it won't be believeable yet that is exactly what a lot of people will want. Luke can't be that Jedi running around anymore, he needs to be more like the Jedi council but will the audience accept that.

When one watches the Saga in chronological order, the transition from Ep III's versatile Obi-Wan to old Ben Kenobi in Ep IV is quite seamless and believable. I don't think audiences will have a problem accepting that in Ep VII.

The major worry for me is them turning this into a teen Twilight-like franchise with all the overly young casting. Mid 20s is perfect imo.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

And I think that is where he is going to have problems. With Trek, Kirk and Spock becomes friends basically because old Spock says they have to be but the development isn't there. He uses the fact that people know the characters are friends in the prime universe to just allow it to exist. With Star Wars, he is going to have to move those characters along in a realistic fashion and resist the urge to do what others would and show Han still cruising around, Luke running around being a Jedi, etc. He can show glimpses of the characters we remember but it can only be glimpses and I don't know if he can do that. Good thing is he has a cowriter who worked on the original movies who I think can help there.

Exactly. I can see why hardcore Trek fans were upset over the two Abrams Trek reboots(?). It attempts to cater to fans and non-fans who probably don't know of or care about Kirk, Spock and Bones. So he contrived an alternate universe in which to put his own spin on each of them, and yet he still didn't make things too radically different. Somehow he made that work, for me at least, but he found more success when he came up with new ideas and situations instead of retreading old ones.

He can't put a drastically new spin on Han, Luke and Leia. This isn't a reboot. It's a direct sequel to a series of films most kids today probably find dated, sadly, but adults are obsessed with. You can't go and "hip" Star Wars up, since it's not expected to be a fresh take on the series, and our primary stars are all older.

He will have to come up with a bunch of new characters to make this more interesting and marketable. We can have new aliens (obviously) and new droids and new space ships. A new, visually exciting villain (along the lines of Darth Maul) would be a huge plus too. Luke can live back on Tatooine. Han and Leia can live on Endor (heh), but probably a new planet not seen before in the films, or maybe Cloud City. We'll need just the right balance of old and new elements to make this work for everyone.

This could either be a mess or a masterpiece. Let it be the latter please.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

The major worry for me is them turning this into a teen Twilight-like franchise with all the overly young casting. Mid 20s is perfect imo.

So like a Robert Pattinson-type (27).

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

So like a Robert Pattinson-type (27).

Well played .

[Aerodude73]

Since this thread is about the STAR WARS Film(s), I'm specifically referring to his post-SW career IN films, of which there are How many films in that repertoire?

Not sure about his voice acting career but I'll take your word for it.


As for Harrison's career, sure there may be a few blips in there, but Seriously? You think he's not a huge star still, even with a handful of "crappy" films in there?

Originally Posted by camper

What do you mean Hammil hasn't done anything??

His voice acting career is legendary. If you've watched any Batman/Spiderman animated series since the 90s you've heard him, and if you've played Arkham City/Asylum you've heard him as the Joker.

He's the MOST typecast of the bunch, but he's been working steadily ever since. He doesn't have the movie career Ford does, but let's be realistic here--aside from Indiana Jones and a handful of other movies, Harrison Ford doesn't have the movie career people think he does. Look at his resume, he's got more than his fair share of crappy films under his belt.

Anyway, of all the characters post Jedi films, it's really Luke that was the one who did anything of major substance. If anyone should be in all the new films it should be Hammil because it is HIS story that is beginning, as it is HE who rebuilds the Jedi order. Han, Leia...they're supporting characters, and really not all that interesting anymore other than as plot devices for Luke and his nephews/neices.

Originally Posted by klauswhereareyou

Wasn't one of the big reasons Hamill's career never took off was because of the toll that the 1977 car crash and alleged heavy drinking had on his face. He was never a great actor, but if he would've kept the pretty boy face I would imagine he would've gotten fare more film work, at least in the 1980's.

I'm pretty sure you are correct there (which is prob Why he went into Voice acting: Nobody sees your face )

[Walts Ghost]

The 4 Most Important Star Wars Stories Of The Year (So far)

Big news 2014 continues with more on Star Wars, specifically Episode VII and the view from the outside of the Disney/Abrams Death Star.

Everything Star Wars is LOCKED DOWN like nobody’s business. The Disney/Star Wars team is monitoring the internet activity of anyone with story-level involvement and access to the slightest bit of information. As we rapidly approach production, things are solidifying and Disney/Star Wars is getting ready to board the Abrams Denial Train (previous passenger Benedict KAHNberbatch).

It’s going to be dodgy territory for entertainment news reporting on Star Wars from here on out, so let’s begin by putting our cards on the table: Please pay close attention to what we are and are not reporting. Especially with something like Star Wars, we stand by what we’ve reported only as far as we can – which is to say meetings don’t always lead to castings and scripts can get tossed around or out at the drop of a hat.

Speaking of whole scripts being booted, let’s get to it:

ABRAMS VS. ARDNT

We’ve heard that the big difference of opinion between JJ Abrams and screenwriter Michael Ardnt was the story direction of Episode VII. We know Ardnt (Toy Story 3) got booted from Episode VII scripting duties and was replaced by Lawrence Kasdan with some JJ for good measure. We’ve heard that Ardnt was much more into the story of the Solo kids, while JJ felt – and still feels – that this the story of the Skywalker line.

Since Ardnt walked almost all of his ideas have been tossed and Abrams/Kasdan are pursuing the Skywalker-centric version they wanted. Mark Hamill’s part has been beefed up so much he might end up shooting 6 months on the movie, our source estimated.

PLEMONS IS IN

Jesse Plemons of Friday Night Lights and Breaking Bad was heavily rumored to be under consideration for a lead role in Star Wars Episode VII. We heard that this is basically a locked deal, at least as locked as anyone can be at this point.

We expect Plemons’ involvement will be announced early on, but the Disney/Star Wars PR Plemons Plan, currently, is to confirm his involvement without naming his part. So we’ll get a confirmation, but not an official confirm that Plemons is playing Ben Skywalker, Luke’s son. Plemons’ character would be the main protagonist of Episode VIII. EIGHT!

Boba Fett Retcon

Strap in, a lot of you aren’t going to like this.

To counter-act the prequels, the Boba Fett spin-off movie planned for 2018 has an interesting twist pitched by Episode VII writer Lawrence Kasdan: the spin-off will start with a complete stranger killing Boba Fett and taking his armor, starting a Man-With-No-Name bounty hunter tale. So: someone kills the Boba Fett from the prequels and takes his armor and name. One this is for certain is that Kasdan didn’t like the prequel and wants no Bobba Fett Clone in the spin-off film.

Sounds a lot like a Western and it sounds like it could restore a fan-favorite character that was totally a little boy with thousands of versions of his father running around. Or it could just be a lot of stupid rib-elbowing about this stranger doomed to fall into a Sarlaac pit in the most anti-climatic franchise exit ever.

Lastly I was told by 3 sources, reps etc, etc…(so call who ever you want) that Captain American director Joe Johnston is on top of the list to direct the spin-off, which makes sort of sense since he began his career as a concept artist and effects technician on the first Star Wars film. REMEMBER NOW before you all go and say he’s directing the project, I never said he has the job, just that he’s on top of the list, lets get that perfectly clear.

OBI-ONE. NOT TWO. ONE.

In response to a rumor that Obi-Wan would have some sort of offspring, we’re told that it’s absolutely not true. That being said, the Kenobi family will come into play. Could be niece nephew, no real details on that one. It could be a Force Ghost or a something else, we just know it’s not his daughter or grandkid.

That’s all we’ve got for you at the moment, but we’re still on the never-ending hunt for Star Wars news. Until Episode IX, or at least until they cast all of us as senators in our own New Republic Planet, we’ll be here with you.

Source

[Kirk Out]

I say more luke skywalker the better, I wanna see how much of a badass in the force luke has become

[Tok]

Do we know for sure if they aren't recasting the original stars? I wouldn't be surprised if they do. Abrahms recast Star Trek because the original stars were past their prime.

[Jumpman]

This is why I'm staying clear of the Disney Star Wars films. Everything in these rumors sounds ridiculous...especially the Boba Fett idea.

He died in Episode VI. Move on.

The best and only good idea for these Disney Star Wars films is to do a trilogy that tells the tale of the Jedi Sith Wars, way before the Skywalkers. It doesn't mess up the Saga and it would be completely fresh.

The Skywalker tale is done. What else is there left to tell after Episode VI?

[Buddy Ackerman]

Originally Posted by Tok

Do we know for sure if they aren't recasting the original stars? I wouldn't be surprised if they do. Abrahms recast Star Trek because the original stars were past their prime.

That's not why he "recast" them.

[DisneyBlu]

We’ve heard that Ardnt was much more into the story of the Solo kids, while JJ felt – and still feels – that this the story of the Skywalker line.

I'm with JJ. Focusing on the Solo kids would be odd.


Episodes 1 - 3: Anakin Skywalker
Episodes 4 - 6: Luke Skywalker
Episodes 7 - 9: Ben Skywalker

vs.

Episodes 1 - 3: Anakin Skywalker
Episodes 4 - 6: Luke Skywalker
Episodes 7 - 9: Solo kids

Continuing to focus on the Skywalkers makes more sense to me.