Star Wars Episode VII News: Week 8

Michael Arndt Waves Goodbye

     This week, Episode VII news finally picked up the pace after a very sluggish month. First off, rumors of a trailer for Episode VII began circulating. According to Screencrush, the official Star Wars YouTube channel has been posting trailers for the entire Star Wars franchise, and that their most recent, untitled trailer is set to be released on October 30, exactly 1 year after the Lucasfilm-Disney deal and Episode VII were announced. Apparently, this means that an Episode VII trailer is imminent. Never mind that casting hasn't been announced, production hasn't even started, pre-production hasn't even finished, and the screenplay hasn't even been written. It just wouldn't fit with Disney's otherwise sealed lips approach to Episode VII, and to release a trailer when the movie is still two years away wouldn't make sense at all. But more sane Star Wars news is on the way.

     According to Moviefone, Episode VII's release date has been altered. Pamphlets distributed in London's European Brand Licensing Show show the release date for Episode VII as "Spring/Summer 2015". This is a change from the regular May showing of Star Wars movies. This would make sense, however, if Lucasfilm is behind scheduleon making the movie. This is evident, because not a single person has been cast, not even the three main actors of the original Star Wars trilogy, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, which are almost guaranteed to return. Well, maybe not Harrison Ford. Also, the script hasn't been written, or at least completed, because Michael Arndt has been replaced as the screenwriter with Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams.

     This is the first new information about Star Wars: Episode VII since the beginning of September. According to DISNEY ITSELF, Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams have taken over as screenwriters for Episode VII, formerly held by Michael Arndt, who wrote the screenplay for Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3. The company never actually states what happened to Arndt, only saying that he has been a "terrific job bringing us up to this point and we have a ... team already in place ready for production." This might break the hearts of Toy Story fans, but it means that Lawrence Kasdan is writing STAR WARS! The last time he wrote for Star Wars was for The Empire Strikes Back, which, as any Star Wars fan should know, is the best movie of the franchise. This is definitely a positive for the movie, and will improve the story. There really isn't much else to say. I mean, Lawrence Kasdan is writing Star Wars. How much better can it get?

Kasdan (far left) on the "Empire" set

Star Wars Episode VII News: Week 7

Episode VII to be FABULOUS?!

     Late last week, Star Wars news began picking up speed. On the Graham Norton Show, both Benedict Cumberbatch and Harrison Ford were asked if they would be in Episode VII. Their responses were mostly sarcastic and mumbly. This, however, doesn't really mean much, since these two wouldn't actually let slip that they were in Star Wars, and they would control themselves until casting was officially announced. This might have occurred, however, to Anthony Daniels. According to Film Buff Online, while Daniels was speaking about Star Wars at the New York Comic-Con, he was asked by the audience about Episode VII and told them that he couldn't divulge any information, 

     “Walls have ears. And we know what they look like. They’re very big ears…”. But later, when he was talking about his career, he said, 

     “Yes, I am the only actor to be in all seven because I feel -” 

At this the audience gasped.

"Six! Whatever." Could this be an honest mistake, or maybe a Freudian slip? Who knows...

     In other Star Wars casting news, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D actress Ming-Na Wen stated that she would love a role in Episode VII, and doesn't matter which role she plays, as long as she's in it. But this isn't the big news this week: apparently, after calling J.J. Abrams a pig, William Shatner is complementing him.

     Back in March, Shatner was talking about how he hadn't been asked to be in the new Star Trek movie, and then switched the topic to the recent decision to have J.J. Abrams direct the new Star Wars movie. Shatner said that Abrams was being a pig for holding two franchises to his vest. Yet, months later, he is now saying that Abrams "is a terrific director, and he gives you a great ride." While he earlier criticized Abrams for helming both franchises, he now says, "It's going to be wonderful for both franchises. He certainly enlivened Star Trek... He's going to make a fabulous movie." Why the change in tone towards J.J. Abrams? Well, also during the March interview, he hinted that he wanted to be in Episode VII. Could this be why he's complimenting him? To butter him up? Has everything culminated in William Shatner STARRING IN STAR WARS?!

     ...

     Maybe.

     But then again, maybe not. We'll find out soon enough...

Star Wars Episode VII News: Week 6

Episode VII Goes to a "New Generation"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnr18AUym-o

     Casting rumors abound this week on the Star Wars front. First off, Saoirse Ronan said that she "handled a lightsaber" during casting, and that "nobody's got a clue" about the script. Also, Ben Kingsley has denied auditioning for Episode VII, or at least apologized for sleeping through it, according to Den of Geek. According to Comicbookmovie, casting announcements for Episode VII are imminent, due to the upcoming New York Comic Con coming up. This has happened many times before, at Star Wars Celebration Europe, Star Wars Celebration Europe 2, Disney's D23 Expo, and the Los Angeles Comic Con, in which rumors that announcements on Episode VII would be made were shot down. This might be an exception, but it also might not. We'll see...

     This week, Jett Lucas, adoptive son of George Lucas spoke to YouTube channel flicksandthecity ("Flicks And The City"), and teased fans that he already knew what was going to happen in the movie, and was pleased by it. But he also revealed that his father had already been working on Episode VII prior to the Lucasfilm/Disney sale. Jett said, "We knew probably a year prior [to the sale to Disney], he had started writing and researching, starting his whole little process." He also voiced how his father had been "very torn" on the decision to sell Lucasfilm."He’s constantly talking to J.J", Jett continued. "Obviously J.J. was handpicked. [Lucas] is there to guide, whenever, he’ll help where he can. At the same time, he wants to let it go and become its new generation." This is where George Lucas' "creative consultant" status comes in. He could, however, help J.J. Abrams with Star Wars details, and keep Star Wars slightly more consistent. When Abrams rebooted Star Trek, he didn't have Gene Roddenberry to consult with, and made up a lot of details he didn't have. This could help the sequels, and it should be pursued for a new generation.

Lucas in 1988

Star Wars Episode VII News: Week 5

Saoirse Ronan in Episode VII?

     This week on the Star Wars news front, there have been mainly casting rumors. These have been the actors to watch out for:

- Benedict Cumberbatch 

- Saoirse Ronan 

- Ryan Gosling 

- Alex Pettyfer 

- Michael B. Jordan 

- Rachel Hurd-Wood 

- Cillian Murphy 

- Jonathan Rhys-Meyers 

- Abigail Breslin

-Sullivan Stapleton

     Rachel Hurd-Wood and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers were mentioned in early September as possible contenders for Episode VII. No word has been out about them since. Many of the others on the list haven't said a word officially on the subject. Sullivan Stapleton, according to Latino Review, has auditioned for the movie, and has already gotten in trouble for talking about it. Benedict Cumberbatch has resurfaced yet again as a possible cast member, and while he has denied these rumors, many Star Trek fans point out that he also denied playing Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness (spoiler alert!). But one of the most important rumors this week: Saoirse Ronan has confirmed that she has auditioned for Episode VII.

     After she confirmed it to the UK's Sky News, she followed it up with, "So has everyone." When asked further about the film, she said  if she revealed any more, the studio execs would "chop off [her] head with a lightsaber".

     It might seem unlikely that Ronan would get into Star Wars when there are plenty of A-list actors who would love the job. However, J.J. Abrams might be looking for relatively unknown faces for the new movie. This would be keeping after the cast of the original trilogy. Mark Hamill was only known for TV roles, Carrie Fisher was only in one film prior to Star Wars, and Harrison Ford, well, actually, Harrison Ford was pretty popular.

If J.J. Abrams is trying to keep within the spirit of the original trilogy, then big name actors (besides the original cast, of course) would only serve to distract the audience from the movie, which is precisely why Simon Pegg flat out refused to be in Episode VII, despite loving the franchise. When it comes to Star Wars, unknown is better.