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

[tigertron]

They're probably filming locations, but they should really hurry up and announce the cast already.

[Edword]

Is there ever going to be any decent news about this

[kong73]

I'll still see it when it comes out.... It may be better that way

[kong73]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

never said I would. But I also would not think people would look at a picture of 57 year-old me and say "he looks good!"

Carrie looks better than she did, agreed. Let's move on...

Yeah! Let's move on.... I'll act like you never said that about our princess

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by tigertron

They're probably filming locations, but they should really hurry up and announce the cast already.

He stated most of the cast is complete in his announcement but they are not announcing it yet.

[iamsometal]

Originally Posted by R3P0

He stated most of the cast is complete in his announcement but they are not announcing it yet.

I'm willing to bet they make they make the official press release on May 4th. I don't think J.J.'s mystery box style of marketing a movie could work for Star Wars.

I'm frankly pretty tired of the super-top-secret Bad Robot method of filming, but I also don't want to know every detail and be inundated with so many trailers that I can predict everything that will happen in the film before I see it. Hopefully there will be a happy medium.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by spanky87

Carrie Fisher looking pretty nice a few days ago:

...good start but she better get more serious and lay off the donuts before filming. She's not that old - there are plenty of actresses her age that are attractive: Kim Catrall, Joan Allen, Dana Delany, Mimi Rogers, Geena Davis, Bo Derek, Sela Ward, Rita Wilson.

[Walts Ghost]

They even say their main players are already cast. They're probably waiting until may 4th to announce everything at once. It's going to be one big bulk announcement, and what better day to do it than Star Wars day.

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by Edword

Is there ever going to be any decent news about this

Probably not but I think the last time there was some decent news about a Star Wars film was when they announced they were going to make the Prequel films - all been bad news since then

I like how it is already an "early draft by Michael Arndt" - time to really distance yourself from it. Can't wait until that draft leaks out and we can see what he planned. I get the feeling it is probably going to be better than the film we get.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

Probably not but I think the last time there was some decent news about a Star Wars film was when they announced they were going to make the Prequel films - all been bad news since then



I like how it is already an "early draft by Michael Arndt" - time to really distance yourself from it. Can't wait until that draft leaks out and we can see what he planned. I get the feeling it is probably going to be better than the film we get.

From everything I've heard, the Arndt draft was a mess, and that's the reason he was booted out. No one was happy with where it was going, so when Kasdan finished his spin-off film script, they asked if he'd come work on 'Episode VII', and he said yes. Apparently his script for the 'Boba Fett' film is really good, and that's why they asked him back for this one. He's got a major hand in the films right now, and I think that's a good thing. The more people trying to make a series closer to the original trilogy, the better off we are. Shooting on real sets and on film is definitely a step in the right direction, and having Kasdan is another.

[Col. Zombie]

Originally Posted by iamsometal

I'm frankly pretty tired of the super-top-secret Bad Robot method of filming...

Agreed. Star Wars isn't some franchise that needs to have hype built up for it. The hype is already there...constantly. And it's not like BR does an impeccable job of keeping things tight lipped. For example, everyone already pretty much knew that Cumberbatch was playing Khan so that by the time the film was released it wasn't that big of a surprise. But I'm guessing that Abrams is going continue his douchebaggery to some degree while he has his grubby little hands on Star Wars.

I don't want them spoiling the movie for me, but some updates sure would be nice. Sort of like the way Peter Jackson updates his fans, but we'll certainly never get anything like that out of JJA.

[Elandyll]

Don't worry.

Something tells me that starting from May 4th, we will have a near constant stream of Star Wars news leading all the way into 2015

[ChainsawJedi]

I fail to see how shooting on "real" sets and opting for film over digital is going to make any difference as to how good or bad these new films are going to be.

[iamsometal]

Originally Posted by Col. Zombie

I don't want them spoiling the movie for me, but some updates sure would be nice. Sort of like the way Peter Jackson updates his fans, but we'll certainly never get anything like that out of JJA.

This!

The Hobbit video blogs were a perfect way of giving us just enough information to keep us teased steadily yet they never spoiled anything.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by ChainsawJedi

I fail to see how shooting on "real" sets and opting for film over digital is going to make any difference as to how good or bad these new films are going to be.

It takes the series back to the original trilogy. That's a step in the right direction. It won't make the movies good out the gate, but it definitely makes it more interesting than completely going digital like the prequels did.

[ChainsawJedi]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

It takes the series back to the original trilogy. That's a step in the right direction. It won't make the movies good out the gate, but it definitely makes it more interesting than completely going digital like the prequels did.

Why does it make it more interesting?

If the original films were made in the silent era, would you be positing that the new films should also be silent too?

Personally, this malarky about practical effects and shooting on film sounds like nothing more than simple fanboy service to me.

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by Col. Zombie

And it's not like BR does an impeccable job of keeping things tight lipped. For example, everyone already pretty much knew that Cumberbatch was playing Khan so that by the time the film was released it wasn't that big of a surprise. But I'm guessing that Abrams is going continue his douchebaggery to some degree while he has his grubby little hands on Star Wars.

everyone knew Khan was going to be in the next movie right after the 2009 Star Trek was released and they started talking about the next film. The surprise was gone before the even started filming

I have to agree a little - filming on real sets and using film isn't going to cut it for me. Yeah that's how they did it for the first 3 films but they had no other choice. One thing I can say positively about the prequel films is that they all looked nice and that is in part due to the cgi sets and digital film. They couldn't physically build the sets they needed and have them look as good as they did if they used real sets so I really don't mind the cgi. If the film sucks, I am not going to go "thank god they used real sets and real film for it". The proof will be on the screen and I don't care how it got there.

Walts Ghost, you made me think of something interesting. If the original draft was a mess and they got rid of him and brought in Kasdan because his film was so good, could we have a situation where the spinoff films blows the big sequel out of the water? Since they didn't have him writing it to begin with, sound like they were maybe a little concerned that he wouldn't do a good job. Has happened before - Downey was paid a rather small amount to do the original Iron Man because there were concerns yet look what happened there. Maybe Kasdan's film will be the one that people really get behind and enjoy.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

They even say their main players are already cast. They're probably waiting until may 4th to announce everything at once. It's going to be one big bulk announcement, and what better day to do it than Star Wars day.

Originally Posted by Elandyll

Don't worry.

Something tells me that starting from May 4th, we will have a near constant stream of Star Wars news leading all the way into 2015

The 4th is strong with these two posts!

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

It takes the series back to the original trilogy. That's a step in the right direction. It won't make the movies good out the gate, but it definitely makes it more interesting than completely going digital like the prequels did.

Youll never make everyone happy im sure some love the all digital look, I prefer the look of the original trilogy, the right mix of CGI with live action always looks good as long as the CGi does not look like crap ala SE versions

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by ChainsawJedi

Why does it make it more interesting?

If the original films were made in the silent era, would you be positing that the new films should also be silent too?

Personally, this malarky about practical effects and shooting on film sounds like nothing more than simple fanboy service to me.

It has nothing to do with that.

I just like that they're going for the look and feel of the original trilogy. To me, that's interesting, and shows respect to what came before. I like the prequel trilogy a lot, but I miss the physical sets and locations that the original trilogy had. I'm sure the new film will have a mix of both, and that's a good thing. But there's something really cool about physical sets, practical effects, makeup, and film that really makes movie magic special to me. You don't have to agree with me, and that's fine.

The prequels, while beautiful and game changing for effects work, also lack the spark and magic of the original trilogy for me, and a part of that, at least to me, is the lack of practical effects and sets. The other part of that is weaker scripts, and weaker direction certainly, but the films themselves aren't horrible. Especially 'Revenge of the Sith'. It just comes down to some films rely to much on CGI, when practical could be used, and it's just nice to see films using big sets for practical work again. Lucas is known for loving his new toys, and the prequel trilogy showed he was enjoying playing with them. That's fine, but when it started to become more about that than the story and the acting, that's where the problem fully lied.

But that's not what really matters, it's just a bonus in my mind. What really matters is how the script comes together, the story it sets out to tell, and the actors they have involved bring the characters to life. I think we can all agree that all we want is a great return to a galaxy far, far, away.

Originally Posted by R3P0

Youll never make everyone happy im sure some love the all digital look, I prefer the look of the original trilogy, the right mix of CGI with live action always looks good as long as the CGi does not look like crap ala SE versions

Indeed.