General Star Wars Episode VII News/Speculation Thread

[TheIrishAvenger]

@slashfilm Who said the lead character in Star Wars Episode VII is going to be a male star? https://twitter.com/slashfilm/status/286945768097595395

A female lead would be a nice change of pace IMO.

[Sawyer]

Extra points if she isn't human.

[Kane52630]

or an alien.

[roach]

GL just got engaged to his girlfriend
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...engaged-408012

[Solidus]

Originally Posted by TheIrishAvenger

A female lead would be a nice change of pace IMO.

That's why I would love Emilia Clarke to play a female in this. But that's me.

However that would be just fine, I wonder with that tidbit...if they've already done some casting?

[Solidus]

Originally Posted by roach

GL just got engaged to his girlfriend
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...engaged-408012

Good for him I wish him nothing but happiness.

[Viral]

Originally Posted by TheIrishAvenger

A female lead would be a nice change of pace IMO.

Sounds good but I doubt Disney will make such a risky move with their trilogy starter. Maybe a big female role but not lead.

[Darthphere]

Who are we trying to kid, people are going to watch this **** regardless of the lead. Star Wars is the ultimate no risk, huge reward franchise.

[Bim]

Originally Posted by Tristan_McClark

Love your signature by the way, Bim. What I'd give to see Kiefer Sutherland in Star Wars.

Read that somewhere and loved it enough to put in my sig. I think Kiefer would be awesome

[DCW]

Originally Posted by Solidus

Good for him I wish him nothing but happiness.

[Doc Ock]

Originally Posted by roach

GL just got engaged to his girlfriend
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...engaged-408012

Well I didn't even know he had a girlfriend! Hope this relationship works out and they stay happy.

[Marvolo]

Originally Posted by TheIrishAvenger

A female lead would be a nice change of pace IMO.

Back before the third trilogy was folded into Episode 6 Luke's sister was not going to be Leia. This female Jedi was to factor heavily into the main plot of Episodes 7-9. However, when Lucas decided that he wouldn't do 7-9 he folded that female Jedi into Leia's character and made her Luke's sister. It seems they are resurrecting this character.

[regwec]

it is as well that Leia turned out as the odd fusion that she did. The strange, complex, naive and reassuringly chaste relationship of Luke, Han and her is part of what makes the original trilogy so likeable.

[Doc Ock]

I'm glad Leia ended up Luke's sister. I couldn't see it any other way now. I do like the idea of a female lead character for Star Wars though.

[Iceman]

The relationship between that trio is gold. Perfect mix of qualities that we want to see in main characters & the main reason why everything works so well. Having great main characters who interact well with each other is probably the single most important thing for this new trilogy.

[regwec]

Yes. The difficulty is recapturing that magic either with a very old cast, or with new characters who are discreetly substituted for them. I'm afraid that movies nowadays are probably too 'knowing' to achieve the same innocent appeal. The cast is likely to be chosen on more cynical criteria: Luke nowadays would have to have a sculpted torso and undertake his lightsabre training in his boxer shorts, Leia would probably be played by Megan Fox, and Han would have to have some kind of angsty backstory that explains his selfish and reckless attitude. It wouldn't be the same film.

Fingers crossed that it all somehow works out.

[Destructus86]

I would like to see more non-human characters. I mean, this is Star Wars.. There's like a bazllion different races.

[regwec]

That's one thing the prequels actually did reasonably well, at least in terms of Jedi.

[Spider-Vader]

I hope that rumor about the girl main character is true. It'd be pretty different from what we usually see. Extra points if it's Jaina.

[Doc Ock]

Jaina Solo would be sweet!

[iamlegend]

Originally Posted by regwec

Yes. The difficulty is recapturing that magic either with a very old cast, or with new characters who are discreetly substituted for them. I'm afraid that movies nowadays are probably too 'knowing' to achieve the same innocent appeal. The cast is likely to be chosen on more cynical criteria: Luke nowadays would have to have a sculpted torso and undertake his lightsabre training in his boxer shorts, Leia would probably be played by Megan Fox, and Han would have to have some kind of angsty backstory that explains his selfish and reckless attitude. It wouldn't be the same film.

Fingers crossed that it all somehow works out.

Ugh, ain't this the truth. A guy just can't be an uncaring scoundrel in modern media anymore. They've got to be these broken fixer-upper types with some horrible scars from the past.

[Solidus]

I don't know if that is really problematic. That and Han ended up being the thief with heart of gold. So he was not an uncaring scoundrel. He cared, but it took a little bit for that to be revealed.

If back stories work that is fine, but again ya they don't need to go into that I do agree with that aspect.

I think with the writers and people bringing this together they realize all this. And most importantly I'm sure they understand the camaraderie that is required. Much like Trek 09 really nailed that. You could tell there was true friendship with the cast.

[regwec]

Personally, I hope for more Simon Pegg/Martin Freeman/Noomie Rapace-like actors and less Chris Pines.

I know that attitudes have changed, but when I re-watch the original trilogy, I am struck by how relatively human the cast looks, free of nose jobs and boob jobs and over-worked gym physiques. Of course, Harrison Ford was a good looking guy, but it is treated as incidental to the movies, and the camera treats him no differently from Luke or Chewie.

I think, for a movie where it is essential that you can relate to and like the principle cast, it is helpful if they seem like real human beings (or Wookies, or whatever). This is one of the problems I think a lot of people had with 'Prometheus' in comparison to 'Alien'. Noomie apart, the crew in the former looked like and felt like Hollywood actors. I think the same contrast can be identified between the original Star Wars trilogy and the prequels.

[baerrtt]

Originally Posted by regwec

Personally, I hope for more Simon Pegg/Martin Freeman/Noomie Rapace-like actors and less Chris Pines.

I know that attitudes have changed, but when I re-watch the original trilogy, I am struck by how relatively human the cast looks, free of nose jobs and boob jobs and over-worked gym physiques. Of course, Harrison Ford was a good looking guy, but it is treated as incidental to the movies, and the camera treats him no differently from Luke or Chewie.

I think, for a movie where it is essential that you can relate to and like the principle cast, it is helpful if they seem like real human beings (or Wookies, or whatever). This is one of the problems I think a lot of people had with 'Prometheus' in comparison to 'Alien'. Noomie apart, the crew in the former looked like and felt like Hollywood actors. I think the same contrast can be identified between the original Star Wars trilogy and the prequels.

That's the thing alot of the blockbusters in the 70s and 80s gave you, a sense of reality when the heroes or heroines were played by 'ordinary looking' people and is as much the reason movies of that era such as STAR WARS, JAWS, ROCKY eyc appealed to me. For example I know some fanboys today moan about her casting due to her looks but Margot Kidder's Lois Lane is still my favourite incarnation of the character in any screen adaptation partially because the production goes full throttle with her possible audience alienating personality of being a chain smoking, tough and pushy reporter and by casting Kidder, who was attractive before her drug use spiralled out of control, Donner wanted an actress who had the ability to make audiences warm to the character as the picture went on rather than casting someone 'hotter' who the straight male audience would immediately 'forgive' . Today producers and directors talk alot about wanting audiences to care for their characters in whatever big movie they're part of but cynically, as was the case with PROMETHEUS, you get the impression that by casting better looking actors they're hoping that will do the trick in itself.

[Darthphere]

I think the OT succeeds because there is actual chemistry between the three main actors. In the PT, no one had chemistry with each other making pretty bad acting look much worse. Like when Obi-Wan and Anakin try to joke with each other. It seems so forced and awkward. Unlike Han joking around with, well everyone.