That might be good news for a vocal segment of Star Wars fans that have bemoaned the lack female roles in the six previous films as well as the just-announced new cast. In Tuesday’s big announcement, newcomer Daisy Ridley is the only woman among the crop of actors joining the franchise, who include John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow.
Analysts Also Say Star Wars: Episode VII’ Box Office Could Hit $2 Billion! “Star Wars: Episode VII” has a good shot at joining “Avatar” and “Titanic” in hitting $2 billion at the worldwide box office, industry analysts said Tuesday. “The casting for this new film is perfect from a commercial standpoint,” BoxOffice.com Vice President and Senior Analyst Phil Contrino told TheWrap “Bringing back the original cast is brilliant, because it cements the link with the franchise's incredible legacy, and so is going without A-list actors in the new roles, because it keeps the focus on the brand,” Contrino said.
I hope Star Wars VII becomes the top grossing movie ever. If any movie deserves that spot, the legendary star wars does.
ReplyDeleteagreed :)
Deleteno film will ever live up to that much expectation
DeleteSo long as it beats Titanic at the box office I'll be happy.
DeleteSo long as the film is GOOD I'll be happy.
DeleteI hope SW7 destroys the twin towers of bad taste: Titanic and Abadah.
DeleteIt ain't gonna hit two billion if women don't watch this movie. And as of now, Disney seems to be content with not appealing to women.
DeleteLet's hope today's rumor is true. 6 new cast members. One is female. Unacceptable.
I have to agree with everyone who just wants the movie to be good. We know it'll make money but I just want that original charm/magic back. Bring back the feeling the originals made.... the mystique!
DeleteSurely there must be more than one woman. It's completely ridiculous. I'm sure there are more with all the rumours about wanting a mixed race woman, with Lupita and Maissie supposedly auditioning.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIf certain women don't watch the movie simply because the cast isn't equally gender-balanced, even if the movie kicks ass, those women just have bad taste/judgement and I don't think there's quite enough of them to make a serious impact on the gross income Disney will recieve from this film. It's not like people will be boycotting the film with accusations of sexism; that'd be ridiculous. There are much bigger problems in the world that should be of a much higher priority. What should matter most is what makes the movie awesome. I guarantee that there will be another female lead of some kind in this or future episodes in the ST.
Delete@AnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 4:16 PM
DeleteSo you're saying sexy male Jedis don't appeal to women?
True Nathan, but I think the girls would like to see more than one character in a film that represents them... Or is that asking for too much?
DeleteYou probably can't understand, as 99% of Star Wars characters are your gender.
@dopeyjoe, if the cast had been 10 women and only two men, I bet 5 bucks you would be scratching your head. You may even react negatively.
DeleteThis is a huge problem, but certain men like you don't recognize it as a problem because the current status quo for film is already overly-masculine. In the view of many men, less women=better movie. This attitude is archaic and wrong.
As far as the rumor goes, I have a feeling it is false. I wouldn't be surprised if Disney dumped the second female role just to make room for more young male leads. After all, they are following the Marvel model, where women are the solitary trophy to be won.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 6:08 PM
DeleteIt sure is ignorant of you to assume my opinion... Just because Im male does not in anyway mean that I enjoy movies with more men over movies with more women. That's a proposterous statement. I will agree that the film industry has laid down a standard for primarily masculine characters, but so have stories written throughout centuries of history. If episode VII were to have a primarily female basis, you bet your ass I'd be scratching my head because EpVII is already known as reflecting characteristics of the OT, which had a primarily male cast of characters. It just wouldn't make sense in the chronology without a logical explaination. Not once have I ever felt that less women means better movies. Take your filthy PC fascism elsewhere because its really not as big of a deal as you're making it. All you're doing is making completely bullshit assumptions and basing your arguement off of them; which, in my eyes, makes you seem weak as you do not have any real foundation for your arguement. My statements are in no way sexist and I'm offended that you'd think so.
Let me also note that upon reading your comments, both my girlfriend and older sister laughed at how ridiculous your statements are.
Delete@AnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 6:01 PM
DeleteI've worked in places where 1/5 people were male. All of the bosses at my current job are female. I could choose to play the victim and whine and complain about it, but who wants to live their life like that?
And really, it's a non-issue -- unless you choose to make something out of it.
DeleteI'm all for equality for everything and everyone, but who or what is hired to play a part should not be a vehicle or be a politically correct buzzword. Man or Woman, Black or White, Young or Old, etcetera. The three most important things are: 1) good story, 2) good acting, & 3) believability of the scenarios. We've gotten so wrapped up in the 21st century with social labeling, political agendas, and farcical criteria that we've lost sight of what the basic premises are. These movies are fantasy and fictional, not what's going on here on Earth. If anyone wants a film that revolves around humanity and it's inability to stop doing wrong to it's own diverse groupings, or to stop being so self-caressing of itself and it's wounded pride, then that's the places for the ideal "Hey, lets' play to the numbers" films. Whoever or whatever the next actor/ actress to be announced, let's hope they can act & not just to make the film more masculine or feminine. . .
DeleteIronic that I see more guys excited by the concept of a woman with a bow and arrow in a slew of recent movies than the ladies. Hollywood is telling us what is good and what is bad. We just go along for the ride on the band wagon I guess.
DeleteAnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 7:02 PM
DeleteTHANK YOU! I'm with you there 100%
Why do political agendas of the modern age even have to be a topic of conversation on a fan site such as this?
Because people like you argue against such simple moral standards so this pathetic argument about how women are somehow not capable as men or should be put on a back seat while men are in the front, still droans on.
DeleteIn my opinion, focusing on a single female character overcoming her surroundings in a story that's primarily male characters examplifies the great potential of the strength of womenkind so much more than if you lose the story arcs by adding in characters that don't belong, just to make it "fair" by the standards of narrow-minded fools like you. You obviously have no further understanding of the subject and are hopelessly generalizing the opinions of men to the point of making yourself sound like an imbecilic internet troll. Just stop.
DeleteI hope you realize that by continuing your arguement, you are in no way benefitting any cause no matter how much you think posting your hateful crap on a Star Wars fan site will do so. You're just supporting my prementioned point that you're a PC fascist troll.
Deletewow you really don't get it
DeleteOn the contrary, anon, it seems that YOU are the one who's failing to "get it." You've obviously realized your mistake and now have no ground to argue upon.
DeleteI haven't read a lot of these comments so please forgive if I missed some crucial point. I, as a feminist/egalitarian agree with dopeyjoe's last statement about "PC fascists"... some people take this political stuff a bit too far and it annoys people on both sides. Bill Maher had some interesting things to say about that recently and I agree with him. I mean I'm super liberal and a lot of the crap I see coming from the liberals I find irritating.
DeleteI think JJ abrams is somewhere in the middle between these 2 viewpoints... I don't think he's a sexist or racist as He's said in the Tavis Smiley interview he likes to give minorities and women a better shot to get into acting. But on the other hand things he's said in interviews don't indicate to me that he's super PC. I think he's just a regular liberal-ish dude who's cognizant of the Bechdel test, but you won't see him in some feminist rally burning up bras or anything like that if that makes sense to y'all.
*referencing the post @ 7:28
DeleteI'm pretty sure it's Mara Jade:
ReplyDelete- There's one big role yet to confirm: it's a FEMALE ROLE.
- Karen Gillan's red-hair to be used in Episode VII: http://io9.com/karen-gillans-hair-will-appear-in-star-wars-episode-v-1561922775
- And the best one: Domhnan Gleeson: A red-haired young man? Who can be but the son of Luke and Mara, Ben Skywalker?
I'm guessing the female yet to be cast is the mixed race character. Unless they totally dropped her from the script.
DeleteStill dreaming of the EU garbage??? C´mon...
DeleteLol. There is no Mara Jade in the movies. Episode IX will be released and the EU nuts will still think Mara Jade will appear.
DeleteI'm not a EU nuts, I haven't even read the Thrawn trilogy, I just think the logical prequel will feature the descendence of the main characters, and why would you create them from scratch if you have already existing characters that people know and are fine?
DeleteI don't expect to see the same plotline as the expanded universe, but I'm sure they will bring characters from the EU.
And honestly, the three reasons I gave in my previous message are not confirming, but at least they're good ones.
"In order to give maximum creative freedom to the filmmakers and also PRESERVE AN ELEMENT OF SURPRISE AND AND DISCOVERY for the audience, Star Wars Episodes VII-IX WILL NOT TELL THE SAME STORY told in the post-Return of the Jedi Expanded Universe. While the universe that readers knew IS CHANGING, IT'S NOT BEING DISCARDED. Creators of new Star Wars entertainment have FULL ACCESS to the rich content of the Expanded Universe."
DeleteSo you're telling me there's a chance ...
Deleteoh god why are we still talking about eu characters.. Isn't the character supposed to be mixed race? Do you really think Lupita Nyongo is going to be Mara Jade and sport a ginger wig?? please stop with the eu already
DeleteHaha Lupita playing Mara Jade would be great. Okey it's true that we're having a black girl reading the script in a photo. Maybe instead of Mara Jade, Luke has a black wife and so black descendence. Who knows
DeleteAnon 2:18,
DeleteBecause some people like some of the EU characters and you're on a Star Wars rumor site. But you already knew that ...
Amazing…astounding…mind-boggling…
DeletePeople keep saying that Luke's role will be similar to "old Ben" in the ST, and yet they think he'll have a wife and a son.
Newsflash for you, folks: this is Star Wars, not Married With Children.
Jedi NEVER marry and NOBODY comes back from the Dark Side, except for the Chosen One, because he was EXCEPTIONAL. Yoda made this very clear in the ST, even wrongly believing that Anakin couldn't be redeemed.
Some elements from the EU may be used for inspiration, but Luke having a family will NOT be one of them; much less will they bring Mara Jade and Ben Skywalker to life. Simply because bringing former dark-siders back to the light and having Luke fall in love and marry were two of the WORST ideas to come out of the EU, easily and by far.
I'm not that sure Luke won't have a family. He's not the kind of Jedi from the prequel trilogy, in the same way many religions become more openminded with time.
DeleteLet's see...
Yoda didn't say that nobody comes back form the dark side. I think he said "forever will it dominate your destiny". That's actually vague enough that he can't really ever be wrong. He was a smart guy.
DeleteAs for Luke having a family there is no reason why it's not possible. The Jedi of the Old Rebublic didn't but they were toppled mostly due to ignorance and arrogance. I don't think it's a given that Luke would (or should) adopt all of their beliefs. It would make sense for the Jedi Order to evolve.
More Mara Jade BS, I guess you missed the 4 times Lucasfilm and Disney announced that NO EU WILL BE IN THE FILM. They said this again a few days ago, what are wrong with you fan boys?
DeleteI did since they didn't say that. Check your facts please.
DeleteAnonymous... Read this: "In order to give maximum creative freedom to the filmmakers and also PRESERVE AN ELEMENT OF SURPRISE AND AND DISCOVERY for the audience, Star Wars Episodes VII-IX WILL NOT TELL THE SAME STORY told in the post-Return of the Jedi Expanded Universe. While the universe that readers knew IS CHANGING, IT'S NOT BEING DISCARDED. Creators of new Star Wars entertainment have FULL ACCESS to the rich content of the Expanded Universe."
DeleteAlso Viral is on Vacation so I'm holding down the fort :)
ReplyDeleteHopefully this rumored casting will stop people from whining about the lack of women in the cast. It's kind of ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteNo kidding. There could be a movie called Being Manly and there would be idiots crying about the lack of female characters.
DeletePersonally, I don't have a problem with the lack or abundance of female cast members. Personally I don't think that film, especially sci-fi needs to be a platform where race of gender needs to be represented equally. Just enjoy the movie and please stop making the casting about some sort of overly contrived social issue.
DeleteStar Wars has proven that it can create strong female leads. It's a shame that boys have dozens of beloved male lead characters over six movies to choose from while women only have two.
DeleteOf course, so many male fans only want to maintain the status quo. What do they care? They're already getting what they want.
Please. If everyone realized that you didn't have to look up to someone of your own gender we wouldn't have this problem. I grew up looking up to Leia as a kid because she was bad ass, snarky, and was a good character. Her gender had nothing to do with it. If a character is well written and well acted then race or gender shouldn't matter.
DeleteNobody likes female characters BECAUSE they are female. Nobody likes male characters BECAUSE they are male. That has nothing to do with it. Both men and women are people, and when you're writing characters that can potentially be in any position you can think of, gender doesn't matter at all. You are writing made up characters. These characters can do anything you want them to. You are capable of writing absolutely anything you want to write about, so having a vagina should not suddenly make you incapable of fitting the role. It's sexist. Plain and simple.
DeleteLOL. I am now convinced that Star Wars fans are the worst. I love Star Wars, but the problem is that Star Wars means different things to different people and if a sequel or prequel doesn't conform to their expectations then it is garbage...OR SEXIST? Good grief. It's marketing. This is a formula that has worked (to the tune of something like $27billion). I have no doubt that someday they will start to expand and change what a Star Wars cast looks like. But Disney certainly won't take many risks in their first shot out the gate. The good news is, they will be making spin offs which will no doubt explore some of the more, uncommon Star Wars themes. It'll be good, for everyone.
DeleteIf the new cast was disproportionally female, some of you sexists would be whining about that. Is it too much to ask for an action movie with more than a single young woman in it? I don't think that is asking for much.
DeleteIf the new cast was disproportionately female, some people wouldn't like it because it wouldn't "feel" like Star Wars to them. Anyway, it seems as if there is at least one other significant young female character in this movie. And, on a side note. People need to stop using the word sexist so loosely. All you're doing is diluting it's meaning and desensitizing people and distracting people from what it really means. There is a difference between someone who wants to experience something similar to one that has brought them much joy and someone who believes that women are inferior to men.
DeleteIt's hysterical how uncomfortable men get when there are women in action films. Especially strong women who aren't naked all the time. The female characters of a film are usually in the top list of my favorite characters in the film because the sheer lack of them makes them rather special. It's so depressing. 6 star wars films and not a single female jedi? not a single female villain? a female sith? Are people allergic to vagina's or something?
DeletePersonally, I love Star Wars and would have no problem with female Jedi/Sith/whatever. I loved Ahsoka and Asajj Ventress in The Clone Wars...They were far more interesting to me than Obi Wan and Anakin. That said, there's a reason why Star Wars is male-centric...BECAUSE IT'S THE MAJORITY OF THEIR FANBASE. If men didn't like Star Wars, then Star Wars wouldn't exist. Where are the cries for more female Avengers or female superhero movies in general? The audience isn't there for it. I can guarantee if Disney made a movie about Storm or Jean Grey it would be the least successful Marvel movie made. Because females aren't their target market. I'm not saying that's right or wrong. Titanic is the highest grossing movie at the box office of all time. That's because of women, but that formula doesn't work for Star Wars. Star Wars' main audience is children (well, for the past couple decades anyway) so until little girls and women start spending money on Star Wars, it will be marketed toward men, and really, boys.
DeleteOh please there is no excuse. All men are going to see this film. It's pretty logical to cast a fair few females so females will go see it too. There's a reason there won't be many females in this film, and trust me, it has nothing to do with marketing the film for men. (as though it even needs to be marketed for men anyway)
DeleteWell, you're quite indignant. And since there is no reasoning with you then all I can say is, dream about more females in Star Wars all you want. In the mean time, Disney will make billions doing things that the public as a whole is comfortable with.
Delete@AnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 4:26 PM
DeleteMost guys I know get turned on by women in action movies. Who do you hang out with?
Are sexist twits actually twisting this whole thing so that wanting females in a film is somehow a bad thing?
DeleteNathan, try listening to the argument. How many of these action movies feature strong women who don't showcase their sexy bodies or end up getting rescued in the end? These films also feature the singular female in a world of men. It's not about getting "turned on." How about investing in their characters?
DeleteAnd as for previous comments, you actually ARE a bit sexist. Essentially you guys are saying that women don't fit in Star Wars because it is traditionally a "boy" property. How is this different from a bunch of boys in a treehouse with "no girls" signs everywhere?
I'm not sure I agree that Star Wars is a "boys only" movie... my sisters are fans too... we grew up watching the movies together on VHS and my older sister is the one who bought the OT trilogy on Blu Ray that I'm "borrowing".
DeleteAs an egalitarian I would say that SW by and large has more male than female fans... but I think that could change. Take game of thrones or Harry Potter for example... fantasy tv show with mostly female audience? Batman Dark Knight? Hell, a woman took me to see that movie haha. Was there anything like that when we OT kids were growing up?
* sorry meant to say "fantasy tv/movies"
Delete@AnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 6:17 PM I'm not sexist at all. I am however pragmatic. As I stated earlier (perhaps with not enough emphasis) Ahsoka and Asajj Ventress are two of my favorite star wars characters. The way in which this is different from a boy's club with "no girls allowed" is that for 30+ years females have been allowed to enjoy Star Wars. Nothing has stopped them. However calling for more females in an intellectual property that is marketed towards males is like someone calling for more gunfighting and macho brawls in Jane Austen books. They were made for a particular audience. Men don't in general have a problem with women in movies or even lead roles. The Hunger Games is a huge success. Game of thrones is a huge success with generally even proportion of the sexes in leading roles. I'm not saying changing Star Wars is a bad thing or that it won't happen. What I am saying is that you can't expect Disney to invest billions of dollars into something that has proven hugely successful for 3+decades and to completely change the formula of it's success in it's first outing. We WILL see lead roles portrayed by more women and non-caucasians in Star Wars, we already are albeit in smaller proportions with the new casting announcement. I have no doubt that we will see a Star Wars movie with a female in the leading role in the not too distant future. And it will do well. But you simply cannot expect Disney to risk jeopardizing their significant investment the first chance they get.
DeleteI'm just going to put my two cents in and say that while I have no problems with non-white or females in Star Wars, my problem is that John Boyega, A BLACK MAN, may very well be the main character (he got top billing in the announcement), and people are still pissed. I've even seen some on this site say that they hope John isn't the lead because they want to see Daisy in the lead. Too which I say, then you're racist. It seems here that some (not all) of these people care more about gender than race.
Delete*non-white characters
Delete*to
This saga of films is what it is. I for one am open to a saga were we could have a female majority for days, but let's see that saga created, not remolded out of pre-existing materials. That's originality, but apparently not exactly what women are looking to accomplish. What's wrong with that idea, ladies? If you like petitioning strictly for simply seeing more feminine, why not this? Easier methinks to target something already in existence for your wiles than to ask Hollywood "where the hell is a majority female cast saga?" especially for science-fiction. Now there's a concept, but no woman I know will attempt that. This gender issue is not about equality anymore, it's about domination by "fighting fire with fire". "But guys do that!" you'll say. Yeah, and look how ineffective it's worked, too. Want to see the movie you've never seen, read the book you've never read, hear the music you've never heard? Then it should be created, not recycled from pre-existing materials, as they all started on their own at some point too. Want to do things differently from a man? Don't fight fire with fire, throw water on the blaze. . .
DeleteGame of the thrones is great example of modern fantasy.
DeleteIt is full of strong female characters. There is equal number of male and female characters in GOT. It is not male, nor female-centric.
Andy both male and female viewers love GOT. Because both have characters with whom they can relate.
Star wars should do the same.
...yeah,think it`s definitely the mixed race character - wonder why they haven`t announced that one? - remember the bad robot tweet from a week or two back showing an apparently mixed race actress holding the script,surely that`s the actress who got the part (really pleased they went for unknowns for the leads).
ReplyDeleteOh yeah. Her...
DeleteBecause of this cast announcement they have caused massive discussion and hype, now they have to do something on May The 4th. Right?
ReplyDeleteMaybe. Maybe not. So far, all this clandestine planning has left the vast majority here to do battle by messaging.
DeleteNotes/
ReplyDeleteThis is just the primary cast. The Maisie chick falls into the supporting cast category. This movie has dozens of cast members.
There has been concern about the actors being cast so close to production without adequate physical preparation. A: Most of these people were cast months ago, and have been alreast been training heavily. B: Since this film (starts) in peacetime, there would be very little need for extremely fit characters going into battle anyway. After all, whom would they be battling?
As for Oscar playing a Fett like character, I reckon he's far too good an actor to spend the majority of the movie with a helmet on.
How do you know that the film begins in peacetime? The Rebels/New Republic/whatever could just as easily have spent the past 30 years putting down regional warlords, pirates and anyone else who might have taken violent advantage of the sudden post-Empire power vacuum.
DeleteAs for leads, keep in mind Star Wars is an ensemble event. There are no standalone 'leads.'
ReplyDeleteAre you unaware of Luke skywalker?
DeleteYou're right to a degree. Obviously Luke/Vader are the "main characters" but, when I (and no doubt others) think of Star Wars, it's really a mix of everyone and everything. Star Wars is successful, not because of it's main characters, but because of the world it encompasses. Han, Luke, Chewie, Leia, R2D2, C3pO, Yoda, Boba Fett, Lando, Vader, Jaba...these are all as important as the next and as anyone who their favorite character is and you will probably get a different answer from everyone. That's the beauty of Star Wars.
DeleteTilda Swinton.
ReplyDeleteMara Jade will be dead.Killed by an unknown Sith Lord before the movie starts.Gleeson will be their child.Luke is a widow.
ReplyDeleteSorry to be so pedantic but a widow is a woman that has a husband die. A widower is a man who has had a wife die. Just thought I'd clear that up for you.
DeleteSo, what's a window?
DeleteWhy don't you look it up.
DeleteA widow Is a woman who's husband died.
DeleteYes. You mean "widower".
DeleteAnother thought on Max von Sydow's character: Could he be the poorly-explored OWEN Kenobi, Obi-Wan's brother, mentioned in some of the novels? (The notion of him being related to the Larses on Tattooine was abandoned.) According to Wookiepedia, Obi-Wan was born 57 years before the Battle of Yavin, and had some faint memories of playing with his brother in his youth. Let's say that his brother was two years younger than him. 30 years after the battle of Yavin, Owen would then be 85 ... which JUST HAPPENS to be Max von Sydow's exact age! Also, it would beautifully explain why the two look so similar without being absolutely identical.
ReplyDeleteMay it be that the family resented Obi-Wan being "taken" by the Jedi Order and somehow "saved" Owen, though he was perhaps equally Force-gifted? And did Owen, "saved" from the Jedi, somehow blunder into the dark path instead? Perhaps the big shocker this time could be that the new "dark lord" turns out to be the brother of Luke's old mentor?
You know, my first thought was that the whole "Owen Kenobi" thing was always a cover for a sloppy bit of continuity in the ROTJ novelization (in which Obi Wan tells Luke that he was taken to live with "my brother Owen on Tatooine".)
DeleteBut the more I think about it, the more that does sound like an interesting idea to have von Sydow play Obi Wan's long lost brother as a self-taught dark-side master. He didn't get chosen by the Jedi, but he had just enough of the Force with him that he was eventually able to master the coarse, violent, easy path of the dark side.
He probably wouldn't be part of the Sith line from the earlier films, as that died out with Palpatine. But I think it would be a good way to show that the dark side is not the sole provenance of the Sith.
Plus, if this were something that came from Lucas' notes, it would explain why he made Timothy Zahn switch to the Joru'us Cabaoth character instead of using his original idea of a clone of Obi Wan that had gone insane.
An interesting idea indeed!
Totally agree with both of you. If done correctly this could be a winning idea.
DeleteI wonder if those rumors of Obi-wan having a daughter were actually referring to this character instead? It certainly would make a lot more sense.
I hadn't thought of THAT, either!
DeleteWhat if the "daughter" character is the offspring of the brother, and she ends up fighting against him along with the new Jedi?
This is all probably way off of the story they're actually using for Episode VII, but I'm liking it more and more anyway. ;^)
Or she could make for an excellent sleeper agent to infiltrate the Jedi, there's a lot of possibilities. But yeah, we're probably way off.
DeleteMara Jade will be dead.Killed by an unknown Sith Lord before the movie starts.Gleeson will be their child.Luke is a widow.
ReplyDeleteThe rumored black female "lead" is being kept quite because she will play Asokah. Netflix season of clone wars sets it up for the story line to consist of the Jedi learning to accept their dark side rather than suppress it. Luke will do this and Asokah will return to defend his plan.
ReplyDeleteUmmm, I don't know about that one. If I had to guess I'd say that she probably shows up in Rebels at some point down the line though.
Deleteif you look at the picture again from yesterday. there is a curly headed person sitting just off camera at the bottom left. her hair looks very close to the female black girl that was rumored before... could be that they are just saving some surprises for us
DeleteWouldn't Ahsoka be in her 80s in Episode VII?
DeleteIn this sci-fi universe, they could always work around that. She could be put in carbon freeze shortly after the time we last saw her and sleep through the intervening decades, being thawed in time for Ep VII.
DeleteBut I don't know if they will bring in Ahsoka. I think they will keep the live-action movies a more or less self-contained universe. If she were to turn up in Episode VII and presented as Anakin's former apprentice, a LOT of people would say: "Huh? Anakin's apprentice? I don't remember Anakin having any apprentice in Episodes II and III?"
If there is another new character (who would most likely be female) to be introduced, maybe there is a 'connection' with one of the new cast members, that might have as much to do with who they are than it does with their SW character.
Delete@ Cenindo
DeleteDon't characters age while in carbon freeze?
Need 1 more female lead, i say Mara !!
ReplyDeleteI hope not, Mara Jade reminds me of an 80s dominatrix. They would have to seriously re-imagine her in order for that image to leave my mind.
DeleteREAD the EU Article, NO MARA, NO EU.
DeleteAnynymous 4:06, that's not true. But they will pick and choose what they want to use.
Deletekurmumako,
DeleteThey will pick and choose what they want to use from the EU for INSPIRATION only.
This means certain EU characters/situations will be explored somewhat, not brought to life on the screen exactly as seen in the books, comics, videogames, etc.
This sort of thing is known as a plot device, and that's how it works. So don't expect to see a green-eyed redheaded, former "Hand of the Emperor" named Mara Jade married to Luke Skywalker.
Seriously, wonder what the red wig is for..
ReplyDeleteYes... me too...
DeleteCould Domhnall Gleeson be Lukes son?
ReplyDeleteNo.
DeleteI really hope that's the case. Hopefully JJ doesn't make the jedi into boring loveless nuns like the prequels again.
Delete4:29 PM:
DeleteBeing monk-like, completely devoted to the Force and spirituality IS the whole point of being a Jedi. Not to mention that attachment becomes a weak link that can be exploited just as easily as the Emperor did with Anakin.
Non-attachment is just as much of a weak link though. The Jedi are suppossed to be the "guardians of peace and justice", not necessairily monks.
DeleteJedi, guardians of peace and justice. They're mythological wizards in space. As I say, the prequels stepped the line into nun territory. I mean they're not allowed to love? Seriously? That's a terrible message to give off to an audience where love is a bad thing. If they keep to that lifeless and loveless crap then I will be very disappointed.
DeleteAttachment saved the galaxy though, which is why I loved the OT.
DeleteHan's attachment to Luke caused him to risk his life on Hoth. Luke's attachment for his friends caused him to risk his life on Bespin, even though he failed. Lando risked his life and the freedom of Bespin for the gang, the gang risked their lives to save Han, Luke risked it all to redeem Vader because of his attachment for his father. Etc.
Bring back humanity to the galaxy! xD
The Jedi in the PT felt very different from Obi-Wan, Yoda and Luke in the OT. They acted like weird, emotionless aliens who lacked common sense.
DeleteLuke would've freed the slaves. 'Nuff said.
DeleteThe Jedi were no "wizards in space" lol. They were knights. And like all folk knighted and initiated into an order, they had to take vows of chastity, poverty, non-attachment, etc.
DeleteKnights Templar, Shaolin monk-warriors, Aztec priest-warriors…there's plenty of examples of this sort of order in real life. Only those who have absolutely NO idea of our own world's history are unaware on how the Jedi Order worked and most importantly, why.
I can only hope that Abrams and Kasdan do NOT dumb down the ST only to satisfy the ignorant who call themselves SW fans, w/o even fully understanding the whole thing to begin with.
The only one dumbing down the jedi is you. The OT proved you don't need to take vows. All you need is goodness and focus. "non-attachment"??? Oh you mean the non-attachment that Luke had to Vader which then helped him turn to the good side and saved the entire galaxy by then destroying the empire? Yeah, love and attachment is a really terrible thing.. The prequels fucked up the Jedi. George himself got confused and didn't understand the jedi then changed it. Luckily that order is long gone thanks to the ultimate failing that neglect and a lack of love is actually bad, (look at what happened to Anakin who everyone bitched about all the time as opposed to love) Now Luke is now in charge to bring in some common sense to the jedi order. Which should be a loving accepting order than keeps peace over the galaxy. Not a bunch of stale, loveless, idiots who only show strength via the use of a lightsaber. a.k.a the prequels. THAT was dumbed down. The way the OT handled the jedi on the other hand was perfect.
DeleteHELLO, I THINK THESE ARE THE ROLES
ReplyDeleteOscar Isaac : Empire kaiser
Adam Driver: Han Solo son
Daisy Ridley: Han Solo daughter
John Boyega: luke skywalker apprentice
Domhnall Gleeson: luke skywalker son
Max von Sydow: Empire general
=oD
I've read most of the EU and enjoyed all of it, especially the X-Wing, Thrawn and Jedi Academy series. I would hope the movies somewhat follow the EU books at least. I personally wouldn't care much for movies that are complete off shoots from dozens of years of lore already out there.
ReplyDeleteBut perhaps they could interweave story lines and leave open ended stories for both film and book if they are creative enough. I just don't want to see alternate universes in film and book.
That's pretty much what they're doing. Although the interweaving will probably be on a much smaller scale than some would hope. The reality is that the new movies/games/etc WILL be an alternate universe to the EU.
DeleteLast article here had 333+ comments. Good to see this site is doing well.
ReplyDeleteEU haters are so stupid. We may not have stories of the EU but at least we could have inspired the other EU characters.
ReplyDeleteWrong.
DeleteThe stupidest thing is for EU lovers to continue thinking or hoping that they'll see a Mara Jade, Ben Skywalker, Thrawn, etc. on the screen, when you yourself have just said it: the EU will be used only for INSPIRATION.
That's what he said though ...
DeleteAND What the fuck did I said? "We could have (movie characters)inspired the other EU characters.
Delete2 Characters need to return that aren't in the cast at this point.
ReplyDeleteWedge and Lando. They need to be in the next film if not this one.
Cant wait til they cast a redhead as Lukes wife/exwife even if her name isnt Mara just to show the EU haters that they have no clue either. We were told they would use character descriptions from the EU so stop WRITING IN ALL CAPS WHENEVER SOMEONE MENTIONS THE EU.
ReplyDeleteYeah right.
DeleteThey're gonna show Luke with a wife, right out of the blue, and the chemistry between them will be perfect, and the casual viewer won't even care that only the LEADING character's romance was played off-screen.
You EU fanboys don't really know much about good story-telling and character development, do you now?
Then again, you prefer reading that fanfic over true literary works, so I guess it figures.
Its 30 years later, alot has happened obviously.
DeleteThe EU wasn't fanfic, those books were published by legit companies, not fanboys in basements then put online.
True lliterary works. . Hahaha
Besides, we've had enough romance in Star Wars. Who cares about Lukes romance. Let that shit happen off screen.
DeleteWho cares about Luke's romance?
DeleteWell, about any self-respecting writer, who understands that the majority of people will want to know how Luke hooked up with his wife, all that they went through to be together, etc.
Besides, Jedi don't marry. Only one was foolish enough to do that and we all know how well THAT went for the entire galaxy. So Luke won't even be married, don't worry.
It's dumb not to allow Jedi to marry and then allow the Force to be strong in their family. Keep in mind that a former Jedi's offspring were instrumental in saving the galaxy from the Empire.
DeleteJedi should be able to marry and behave like normal human beings if they want.
The Jedi weren't allowed to marry under the Old Jedi Order.
DeleteAnd look where that got them.
There is no reason to assume that Luke is going to hold the new Jedi to the same restrictions that the old Jedi were bound by.
Hell, he may not even know what the old Jedi Code even contained if Palpatine managed to erase all traces of the old Jedi Order from history. That would certainly make plenty of sense for him to have done that.
It wasn't the Jedi forbidding attachment or relationships that doomed them. It was their dogmatic, outdated, narrow-minded views concerning the Force and its many mysteries, as the Emperor wisely put it.
DeleteAttachment does lead to suffering, indeed. And again, having loved ones becomes a huge chink in your armor that can be easily exploited by your enemies, just like the Emperor and Vader proved it.
It has always amazed me to see how many people missed the whole point of the SW saga. But then again very few know Buddhism, which was Lucas' main source of inspiration for the Jedi and their ways, so it comes as no surprise.
Once you folk who keep wishing that Luke is settled down, living the pedestrian life of the "avg. Joe" learn and understand a bit about Dharma and the Buddhist laws, you will be able to see what SW is really all about.
If the Jedi were celibate, they would have been virtually extinct thousands of years ago. They must reproduce, but not form attachments. The ideal situation for womanizers :-)
DeleteYeah but jedi are jedi and buddhists and buddhists.. 'Inspiration' does not mean 'exactly the same'. The OT showed that love conquers. The downside is if you manipulate your love and turn it into obsession and power and control, which is what Anakin did with Padme because of Palpatine's manipulation and the fact the stale idiots around him who are supposedly 'jedi' doomed Anakin and never bothered to show him any sign of love. No wonder he clung all his hope onto Padme and no wonder he was manipulated and in turn heped kill all the Jedi. They were freaking bastards to him.
Delete"And again, having loved ones becomes a huge chink in your armor that can be easily exploited by your enemies."
DeleteAnd... what was it that allowed Vader to finally remember his true self and to return from the dark side?
Don't you think that Luke just might have a somewhat different view of the role of love and attachment to loved ones than the old Jedi Order did?
Anon @ 6:39 PM
DeleteBy your logic, Luke would have to live alone as a hermit since his attachment to his friends is so dangerous. You know, the same attachment that was vital to helping him save the day. You seemed to have missed that point in the saga.
@ John Caliber
DeleteYou got it. No way I'm buying the idea that the Jedi Order was able to function through celibacy for a thousand generations. Jedi having Force sensitive offspring, like Luke and Leia, just makes more sense.
Ok, EU lovers, let me ask you something…
ReplyDeleteThe novels, comics and such after RotJ have covered entire DECADES after the battle of Endor. You already know what happened after the Emperor was killed, the Empire overthrown, so on and so forth.
If that whole story has already been told by countless authors before, why even bother to make a new trilogy?
Because the new trology takes place after all of that would be my guess
DeleteOnly in the minds of those who've followed the EU closely, KyloSkwlkr.
DeleteThe majority of people who will watch the ST don't know the first thing about Mara Jade, Thrawn, the Yuuzhan Vong (which I really like, btw), J & J Solo, Chewie's death, etc. Nor do they care. Otherwise, they would know all about that now.
Moreover, SW isn't TLotR. These films could never be an adaptation of a bunch of novels that have become best-sellers only b/c they have the magic words Star Wars on the cover, and not b/c they are classics of literature.
Some of the novels are good, granted, just not strong enough to be made into films. Ditto for the characters and all other EU-related stuff.
$$$
DeleteThat was the easiest question I've ever answered.
DeleteBut we were told it takes place 30 years later. They are going to have some explaining to do. Obviously some things have happened since ROTJ.
DeleteIm not saying I want the new movies to follow the EU storyline but a few of the characters and places would be nice. The Star Wars universe would feel a little emptier to me with out them
DeleteNo more explaining than the back story we received in the OT.
DeleteI thought that was what the opening crawl was for: to put the audience up to speed with what they're about to watch on the screen.
DeleteBesides, all the stuff that's happened in those 30 some years will obviously be related to the direction that these films are headed. And that doesn't necessarily will have anything to do with the EU whatsoever.
"The Star Wars universe would feel a little emptier to me with out them"
DeleteSee, that's the point exactly.
In order for these films to work to their fullest potential (assuming they'll be good to begin with) the SW Universe has to get rid of a lot of excess baggage; some of which is more harmful than helpful to the saga, btw.
RocketKnight13,
DeleteIf the EU is such an integral part of the SW Universe (more than that, if it's actually CANON to the eyes of so many; worthy of being adapted to the screen in these new films, according to them) then Disney should have no need to produce new films. They should be making tons of $$$ through the novels, games, etc.
Q: You know what makes more money than novels and games?
DeleteA: Movies, novels, and games.
And you always make more from "starting fresh". It's why every comic book series is reset to issue #1 every year or two.
DeleteEU lovers:
DeleteDo you guys honestly think JJ has read all this stuff and will incorporate it into the next trilogy?
No, probably just a few bits here and there. Regardless of JJ's reading habits or even the quality of the EU material it makes more sense to create a fresh starting point to give the vast majority a chance to get on the bandwagon. There will be probably be nods to the old EU though since the most profit would be made from pleasing everyone.
Delete"Q: You know what makes more money than novels and games?
DeleteA: Movies, novels, and games."
Of course. But that doesn't mean the movies have to be based on those novels and comic books (and these won't be ;-)
Right, they'll just borrow some EU ideas so that they can appeal to as many people as possible.
Delete"C'mon, buddy. We're not out of this yet!"
ReplyDeleteLuke, we're going to have (more) company!!!
DeleteChewie Roooar
ReplyDeleteThey need to do this good! If they bring the classic´s spirit to this movie, I will be really happy :)
ReplyDeleteJust curious. when everyone attached to this movies says they are going for the OT Feel. what do you think that means? OT as opposed to a... gone with the wind feel? no. it means as opposed to all of the other junk that wears the label. "star wars" Its the OT that captivated the world. the other stuff is baggage that the makers of this movie realize they have to distance themselves from in order to get back to SW true spirit and nature.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more... JJ is anti clutter and it shows.
DeleteThere's gotta be someone from the Fett lineage, right? This is Disney, after all, they will utilize every commercial asset they have. They're already bringing back the base 6 characters. They're already playing the script of bringing in an elderly European and recognizable actor. I'd be downright surprised if they didn't incorporate the ultra popular Fett lineage somehow.
ReplyDeleteSpin off movie.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDon't you have to insert them into the main movie to spin them off?
DeleteSo there is still hope that Ksenia Solo will be cast?
ReplyDeleteno
DeleteI don't think so as it looks like it's the role Daisy went for and was cast, and this new female role is supposedly a mixed race character with Ksenia is not.
DeleteGame of the thrones is great example of modern fantasy.
ReplyDeleteIt is full of strong female characters. There is equal number of male and female characters in GOT. It is not male, nor female-centric.
Andy both male and female viewers love GOT. Because both have characters with whom they can relate.
Star wars should do the same.
But at what expense? How can you make a statement like that if you have absolutly no idea what the ST's plot will be? A narrow-minded, premature judgement to say the least.
Deletethat's the most dumb thing i've ever heard dopeyjoey and they fact you actually think you're being clever is even more interesting. You're being so stupid you actually therefore don't realise how stupid you're being.
DeleteRe-read what you just posted and tell me that's not a perfect example of irony.
DeleteStar Wars' plots aren't typically gender-specific, so what's the problem with a more balanced cast?
DeleteIf the story doesn't call for it, then it shouldn't matter! That's the problem. None of us have any idea what the ST's plot will be so making assumptions like this is just pointless.
DeleteFor all we know, the focus could be entirely on the female role overcoming her oppressive, male surroundings and being as feminist as possible. Would that make you happy?
Delete''dopeyjoeApril 30, 2014 at 8:16 PM
ReplyDeleteBut at what expense? How can you make a statement like that if you have absolutly no idea what the ST's plot will be? A narrow-minded, premature judgement to say the least.''
Every character can be male or female. So story has nothing to do with it. They can make same stories in star wars with both male or female characters.
So your point of view is narrow-minded...
You keep dodging my replies... This in itself is enough evidence to come to the conclusion that you are an uneducated internet troll with nothing better to do with your time than spread unsubstantial, irrelevent bullshit on a Star Wars fan sites when we've finally gotten some real information concerning EpVII. Just quit dampening our spirits. You're really not benefitting anyone.
Delete''dopeyjoeApril 30, 2014 at 8:28 PM
DeleteYou keep dodging my replies... This in itself is enough evidence to come to the conclusion that you are an uneducated internet troll with nothing better to do with your time than spread unsubstantial, irrelevent bullshit on a Star Wars fan sites when we've finally gotten some real information concerning EpVII. Just quit dampening our spirits. You're really not benefitting anyone.''
Sorry but in my opinion you are trolling. And your comments are sexist, and very narrow-minded...
Something that is irrelevent to you it is not irrelevent to others....
Yet again you fail to provide any solid foundation for your arguement. Another clear piece of evidence to support my theory that you are a PC fascist internet troll: I've been posting under this google account for well over a year on this site. You've only posted as an Anon on this one thread, for all I know...
DeleteI guess all that really matters is I know I'm not sexist; My girlfriend, friends and family know I'm not in the least bit sexist, so why the hell should I take a troll's opinion of me like your's into account at all? How childish of me. I'm sorry for giving you so much of my valuable attention. Please carry on with your hilarious antics. There's nothing more for me to say.
DeleteThe Anon in this thread is being ridiculous. You cast to fit the story, not vice versa.
DeleteThe film, literature and overall entertainment world would be such a boring place otherwise!
Delete''AnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 8:51 PM
DeleteThe Anon in this thread is being ridiculous. You cast to fit the story, not vice versa.''
And story like I said has nothing to do with gender. Same stories can be told with both female or male cast.
So 50% male and 50% female cast would not affect story in any way.
I'm done with this.
DeleteAnon 9:00,
DeleteThat is totally false.
Females and EU....*hangs self*
ReplyDeleteIm about to do the same.
DeleteYep ...
DeleteDoes anyone know if there is a high rez version of that photo with all the cast members and JJ reading the script anywhere online? I wanna zoom in on that shit.
ReplyDelete''dopeyjoeApril 30, 2014 at 8:39 PM
ReplyDeleteYet again you fail to provide any solid foundation for your arguement. Another clear piece of evidence to support my theory that you are a PC fascist internet troll: I've been posting under this google account for well over a year on this site. You've only posted as an Anon on this one thread, for all I know... ''
I never post as Anon.
And only troll is you. Because you are rude, and you are calling people names just because you disagree with their point of view. And your comments are very sexist.
As for arguements. People only need to read your rude and narrow-minded comments...
Sorry but I will always cheer for more female characters. Because I love diversity. This is not male only world.
"I never post as Anon."
DeleteWHAT?
The irony is that the Anon is actually trying so hard not to be sexist that's they're being sexist. Unfortunantly I doubt they'll ever grasp that fact.
DeleteThat's what we call "reverse-tolerance."
DeleteExactly.
DeleteAnon is not sexist, but dopeyjoe is.
DeleteWe live in 21. century. And his comments are from 19. century
*Sarcastic applause*
Delete''AnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 8:56 PM
ReplyDeleteThe irony is that the Anon is actually trying so hard not to be sexist that's they're being sexist. Unfortunantly I doubt they'll ever grasp that fact.''
How?
Cheer for diversity is not sexism. Cheer for male-centric cast is.
Wanting more female characters is not sexism.
Yes, it is. It's called reverse discrimination and often leads to patronizing attitudes.
DeleteReverse discrimination would be if whole cast is female.
DeleteEquality is not discrimination. Your whole perception of discrimination is twisted.
Nope, that would be reverse discrimination taken to the extreme. You are calling for equality for the sake of equality regardless of how it fits into the framework of the plot.
Delete