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

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Lucas wanted creative freedom to shape the movies as they shot and edited, a more fluid and less constrictive model than traditional methods. I think there's merit to that, but ultimately, I think it's better to nail a film via solid writing before you start shooting and then plus it, instead of trying to find it while you're shooting.

Lucas is happiest when he's editing, he cut his teeth on a few documentaries and that style of filmmaking - creating it in the edit - stayed with him ever since. Trouble is, Lucas ended up putting the method before the story, revelling in his newfound digital freedom so much that he forgot to put a compelling narrative and interesting characters in there, amongst other things. Starting a multi-million dollar movie with a skeleton of a script that's being frantically re-written by the day is nothing new of course, however we're not talking about some dumb action movie but three establishing parts of an enduring modern mythology.

Still, it's not like JJ delivered anything better with STID, though as has been said it's more the fault of Orci, Kurtzman and Lindelof for delivering an absolute stinker of a script. Heck, I think STID is a bigger insult to Trek than the prequels were to Star Wars, but as long as those three pricks aren't let anywhere near Ep VII, we should be okay.

[aiman04]

'Star Wars' Female Casting Confirmed?

Hello!

Let's pretend for a moment you're the kind of person who doesn't want to dig through a major Star Wars: Episode VII spoiler to get to the juicy casting news about two fresh-faced females getting parts. NO SPOILERS HERE.

Now that I'm not alone in my assertions, thanks to The Tracking Board who backed me up, here's what you spoilerphobes were missing:

Elsewhere in the realm of Star Wars news, the shoot is still doing early, low-key, establishing stuff in Abu Dhabi. Word is John Boyega is either on a flight right now down there to start shooting or he flies down early next week.

When we started to get word that John Boyega was going to be cast in Star Wars, we started getting tips of him hanging around Pinewood Studios before we got the full on reading photo. With the knowledge that proximity may, at this point, be the best indicator of casting (let’s face it, everyone’s signed so many Non Disclosure Agreements, they might not even be able to confirm any official statements, let alone comment on their clients), we think we know of the two additional female roles we were waiting for.



First up - Katie Jarvis - an actress from Essex, Mia from Fishtank. If you’ve seen Fishtank, you probably think this is a cool choice. She’s a capable actress but doesn’t have a specific type of role that’s been assigned to her persona.



Second - Maisie Richardson-Sellers - we can confirm reports that Maise Richardson-Sellers has been around the Star Wars production. It’s looking like rumors from last month that the Oxford-graduate will be taking a female role might turn out to be accurate.

Here's the nitty gritty from The Tracking Board:

This will be the feature debut of Richardson-Sellers who has appeared in the short films “Americano and Rum” and “Our First World.” Jarvis has appeared in the British series “10 Minute Tales” and the BBC Films drama “Fish Tank” with Michael Fassbender.

Richardson-Sellers is repped by Creative Artists Management and Luber Roklin Entertainment. Jarvis is with Artist Rights Group.

These girls are gonna kill it next December.

http://www.latino-review.com/news/st...ampaign=lrnews

http://www.tracking-board.com/j-j-ab...for-star-wars/

[Aragorn the Elfstone]

It really is so entertaining reading the over-the-top criticisms of STID.

[Delta09]

Originally Posted by aiman04

Filming officially commenced. Working title Star Wars: Episode VII.



Bad Robot @bad_robot #dayone pic.twitter.com/18jtSH7xYM

Originally Posted by Guydowood

Attachment 86365

I can't believe this is finally happening! I'm so excited!

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Andy Serkis praises the screenplay of Episode VII..."brilliant", "beautiful", "wonderful".

http://talkbacker.com/movies/andy-se...tiful/id=32811

Sweet!

[The Edge]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

No, it's true - JJ likes to use a lot of lens flare in his movies. It is his signature or something

Yet, another reference to JJ and lens flare..... Can't we get off it already?

[aiman04]

A note from JJ Abrams to cast & crew, written on one of the pages of the script (with watermark of Dawn Gilliam, script supervisor).



Dearest Cast and Crew, What an honor it is to work beside all of you, on Star Wars Ep VII. I can’t thank you enough, for all work past and future. Let’s take good care of not just ourselves, but of each other. Amazing, but true: the world awaits this film. Let’s give ‘em something GREAT. xo JJ

[Astro Zombie]

Originally Posted by aiman04

A note from JJ Abrams to cast & crew, written on one of the pages of the script (with watermark of Dawn Gilliam, script supervisor).



Dearest Cast and Crew, What an honor it is to work beside all of you, on Star Wars Ep VII. I can’t thank you enough, for all work past and future. Let’s take good care of not just ourselves, but of each other. Amazing, but true: the world awaits this film. Let’s give ‘em something GREAT. xo JJ

[Guydowood]

I can't wait until they release a set photo of Hamill, Fisher and Ford in their costumes.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by Guydowood

I can't wait until they release a set photo of Hamill, Fisher and Ford in their costumes.

I can't wait for the first teaser trailer, then full trailer.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by Guydowood

I can't wait until they release a set photo of Hamill, Fisher and Ford in their costumes.

Are we going to see Leia's hair buns again?

[camper]

Originally Posted by aiman04

A note from JJ Abrams to cast & crew, written on one of the pages of the script (with watermark of Dawn Gilliam, script supervisor).

Wow, even the note has lens-flare

[R3P0]

All I can say is the first time we see Luke in the movie he better be as badass as he was the first time we saw him in ROTJ. The Cloak the force powers and no vocals just Luke being a badass Jedi.

[camper]

Originally Posted by R3P0

All I can say is the first time we see Luke in the movie he better be as badass as he was the first time we saw him in ROTJ. The Cloak the force powers and no vocals just Luke being a badass Jedi.

Jedi Knight II shows him being very competent in the force, having learned a lot more and able to complete a lot of the super duper flippy dippy type stuff that the later games and movies showed him doing.

But I agree, we should see him be far more competent and doing a lot more if he's supposed to be so powerful. I'm willing to accept he wasn't as much of a badass as young Obi-Wan and young (er) Yoda, or even Count Dooku, because he was taught to fight like an old man by old men, and was fighting an old man. But we should see him at least as limber and fluid as Dooku was.

In short, Luke should be more like the Jedi fighting in the Prequels than he was in the Original Trilogy.

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by camper

Wow, even the note has lens-flare

[iamsometal]

Originally Posted by aiman04

A note from JJ Abrams to cast & crew, written on one of the pages of the script (with watermark of Dawn Gilliam, script supervisor).

[Show spoiler]

Dearest Cast and Crew, What an honor it is to work beside all of you, on Star Wars Ep VII. I can’t thank you enough, for all work past and future. Let’s take good care of not just ourselves, but of each other. Amazing, but true: the world awaits this film. Let’s give ‘em something GREAT. xo JJ

I keep feeling reassured that the continuing saga is in very good hands. SO EXCITED!!!!

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by camper

Jedi Knight II shows him being very competent in the force, having learned a lot more and able to complete a lot of the super duper flippy dippy type stuff that the later games and movies showed him doing.

But I agree, we should see him be far more competent and doing a lot more if he's supposed to be so powerful. I'm willing to accept he wasn't as much of a badass as young Obi-Wan and young (er) Yoda, or even Count Dooku, because he was taught to fight like an old man by old men, and was fighting an old man. But we should see him at least as limber and fluid as Dooku was.

In short, Luke should be more like the Jedi fighting in the Prequels than he was in the Original Trilogy.

Im not so much as talking about the fighting im just talking about his presence. When he walked into Jabbas palace in the black cloak and said nothing just waved his hand and the green guys just fell back and slept that was badass. That was the presence of OMFG this guy is the bomb.

[Elandyll]

About Luke, on one hand he had the potential mentoring of three powerful Jedi Masters (Force Ghosts ones though), but being pretty much the last of his kind will have been severly limiting, no?

OTOH, it is possible that he set out on the search for exiled Jedis on the Outer Rim that might have survived, so that he could learn the forgotten technics of Jedi fighting.
Also, I guess Holocron Archives could come in play (they were made canon by the Clone Wars series), but even so theoretical knowledge can only replace so much physical training and sparing with a Master.

In a way, this is why (both because of Hamill's age and the character's circumstances) I mostly expect Luke to have become merely a "decent" Lighsaber user, but an actual monster in the use of the Force, having had to probably concentrate his study in that domain with Yoda's Force Ghost's help.

As per the "badass" aura he was projecting at the beginning of ROTJ, I agree, I cannot wait to see Hamill back in the robes

[camper]

Originally Posted by R3P0

Im not so much as talking about the fighting im just talking about his presence. When he walked into Jabbas palace in the black cloak and said nothing just waved his hand and the green guys just fell back and slept that was badass. That was the presence of OMFG this guy is the bomb.

Gotcha. Yeah, agree completely. The difference between Luke in Empire and in Jedi was very different.

I hope they continue that, and we see that same drastic a change from Luke in Jedi to Luke in 7.

[camper]

Originally Posted by Elandyll

Also, I guess Holocron Archives could come in play (they were made canon by the Clone Wars series), but even so theoretical knowledge can only replace so much physical training and sparing with a Master.

Weren't they thrown out as canon along with the rest of the expanded universe? I thought flim canon was entirely its own thing and the only thing that mattered.

[Elandyll]

Originally Posted by camper

Weren't they thrown out as canon along with the rest of the expanded universe? I thought flim canon was entirely its own thing and the only thing that mattered.

The Clone Wars series (the latest one) was made canon along with the 6 films, and the Holocron archives are a big part of the ongoing story in there if I recall correctly.