The Star Wars Saga

[Danny Franks]

I've never quite understood why Benicio Del Toro is considered a good actor. Not thrilled that he's in it, but hopefully his role will be minor or just voice work for a CGI character.

 

I usually like Laura Dern though, so I'm intrigued by what her role could be. Rey's mother seems too obvious, but sometimes obvious is good.

[Ronin Jackson]

I wonder if Kelly Marie Tran was the one they were doing "chemistry tests" with Boyega for.

[Ronin Jackson]

So there's plenty of talk of late about gay characters in the Star Wars universe:

http://www.inquisitr.com/2859946/j-j-abrams-hopeful-for-gay-characters-in-star-wars/

Mark Hamill saying interpretations that Luke is gay are valid:

http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/649880/Luke-Skywalker-gay-Mark-Hamill-finn-poe-JJ-Abrams-star-wars-gay-characters

 

I think it's fine if there are gay characters and their sexuality has some relevance to the story. But honestly even heterosexuality hasn't been a huge aspect of the Star Wars universe. There are four characters, and two couples, in the entire Star Wars universe so far: Han and Leia,  and Anakin and Padme, whose sexuality has been relevant to the story. The latter two mostly out of the necessity of them having children. Han and Leia in the Empire Strikes Back is the only example so far in the entire trilogy where romance worked a little bit. Other than that? Lando hits on Leia in Empire. Setting aside non human characters, Luke, Obi-Wan, Palpatine, Mace Windu, Tarkin, and pretty much every other bit player in the entire saga have no hint of sexuality or romantic inclination. Frankly romance isn't something that's been organic very often  to the Star Wars universe and there's hardly a guarantee that a gay romance suddenly would be.

Edited March 6, 2016 by Ronin Jackson

[VCRTracking]

Daisy Ridley confirms they re-shot the final scene of The Force Awakens for Episode VIII and that Luke(whatever his sexuality is) is going to be "cool"

 

[Joe]

Rogue One trailer coming somewhere between seven and nine hours from now! Premiering on Good Morning America, for some reason. And Youtube about ten seconds afterwards. There's a very brief teaser up right now.

 

If they're showing the trailer now, I wonder what they have in store for Celebration. Another trailer? The main cast? Costumes and props?

 

After watching the snippet again, that looks like a moisture vaporator, but that's green around it. Why would they need a vaporator somewhere that's already green? Unless that's what is making the landscape green. Still, it's one of those odd little details that'll bug me.

 

It's up! No real profound thoughts, only the woman playing Mon Mothma really captured the original. And the Death Star laser!

Edited April 7, 2016 by Joe

[BetterButter]

[Demented Daisy]

Rogue One trailer coming somewhere between seven and nine hours from now! Premiering on Good Morning America, for some reason.

 

Because Disney owns Star Wars and ABC.  They'll use any of their properties to give another a boost.  

[absnow54]

No real profound thoughts, only the woman playing Mon Mothma really captured the original.

It's actually the same actress who portrayed her in Episode III, but I'm not sure if any of her scenes made the final cut.

[Joe]

It's actually the same actress who portrayed her in Episode III, but I'm not sure if any of her scenes made the final cut.

Ah yeah, that makes sense. I saw her on the extras. There's a moment in this when she gets a bit Aussie that gives it away.

[Danny Franks]

 No real profound thoughts, only the woman playing Mon Mothma really captured the original. And the Death Star laser!

 

I honestly thought they'd used CGI jiggery-pokery to somehow de-age or insert the original Mon Mothma actress. It's pretty cool that they went to so much effort for someone who is ultimately a very minor character in the original trilogy.

 

It's a good trailer, and looks like it should be a nice expansion for the Star Wars universe. The original trilogy never really had the time to show what living under the Empire was like, so this is a fun opportunity to see that.

[Kromm]

I've never really seen a really long interview or talk with Mark Hamill (plenty of short ones though) so this was really interesting.

 

 

It's less of an interview than him just talking... but he's good at it. Not quite as good as Carrie Fisher when she does the same thing, but it's good viewing. The fact that he's talking to these posh British kids at Oxford just adds to the weird uniqueness of this.

 

EDIT - Hmm. He must have been on a bit of a higher Education in England tour. Here's a similar thing he did at Cambridge.

 

Edited April 16, 2016 by Kromm

[Joe]

Rian Johnson posts pics from Ep VIII! If anyone cares, my Aurebesh translation of the first looks like Rescue Otherid and according to someone on twitter the other is Status Charging. Massive spoilers, I know.

[Luckylyn]

[Joe]

We have the young Han Solo, Alden Ehrenreich. To which I say, I'm still not sure about the Young Han movie. Some characters work better if they just appear fully formed, we don't need to see their backstory. And there's a bit of rumour/speculation in there too.

Spoiler

He might cameo in Rogue One. Uh huh. Maybe it'll be in a credits stinger, Marvel style.

Okay, whatever. This does nothing to move my excitement meter one way or the other.

[AimingforYoko]

I approve. He was the best part of Hail, Caesar!.

[absnow54]

I haven't seen any of Alden Ehrenreich's work, but I've only heard good things about him (and the fact that Spielberg discovered him had me convinced he would get the role all along.) I don't think I've ever been disappointed by a Lord/Miller production before either, so I'm cautiously optimistic about this movie.

I also think that a Rogue One appearance would only work as an unrelated bumper since Han Solo would be well into his 30's by then, assuming it's taking place right before A New Hope

[Rick Kitchen]

8 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

I approve. He was the best part of Hail, Caesar!.

 

I agree.  He was my favorite thing about that movie.

[DollEyes]

Quote

I approve. He was the best part of Hail, Caesar!.

 

  That didn't involve Channing Tatum singing and/or dancing. 

[Skyline]

Finn and Rey are just friends:

 

Quote

John Boyega has shed light on the future of Finn's relationship with Daisy Ridley's Rey, downplaying the possibility of a developing romance between the two in Star Wars: Episode VIII.

"I mean, we didn’t establish a romance in seven; we never played it that way," the Finn actor told Variety, adding, "Daisy and I, we’re friends."

When asked directly if there's no romantic relationship between the two characters, Boyega replied, "Yes, Finn and Rey – they’re just friends," noting that "Finn is a Stormtrooper, so he doesn’t really know what’s going on."

That said, Boyega did speak vaguely about how romance will be handled in Episode VIII, saying it will play out in a way that Star Wars fans probably won't expect. "So the romance thing is something that’s going to be interesting in the next installment," he said. "It’s not going to go the way you think it’s going to go."

link

[Joe]

So it'll be Finn and Poe, then?

[Skyline]

On 5/21/2016 at 9:03 PM, Joe said:

So it'll be Finn and Poe, then?

Rey and Kylo 

[Joe]

2 hours ago, Skyline said:

Rey and Kylo 

God, I hope not.

[Skyline]

5 hours ago, Joe said:

God, I hope not.

John said unexpected romance. I may be wrong, but that's my guess. 

[Joe]

1 hour ago, Skyline said:

John said unexpected romance. I may be wrong, but that's my guess. 

I see your point. But he tortured her and then killed his father. He in no way deserves her.

[Danny Franks]

Gugu Mbatha-Raw will probably be Finn's love interest. I like her as an actress, but it'll be a little off-putting if it looks like they felt they had to give Finn a POC love interest.

Rey/Kylo is only happening in the unhealthy dreams of fangirls on tumblr, in my view.

[Skyline]

5 hours ago, Joe said:

I see your point. But he tortured her and then killed his father. He in no way deserves her.

Maybe Rey falls to the dark side? I could see it happening that way. I don't care either way. Romance isn't why I love these movies. 

[JessePinkman]

5 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

Gugu Mbatha-Raw will probably be Finn's love interest. I like her as an actress, but it'll be a little off-putting if it looks like they felt they had to give Finn a POC love interest.

Has she been cast?

[Danny Franks]

37 minutes ago, JessePinkman said:

Has she been cast?

There was a story a couple of months back saying she would be cast, but I don't know if there was ever an official announcement. But I imagine that whether it's her or someone else, Finn will get a Rebel love interest to add to his story in Episode VIII, while Rey is off training with Luke.

I don't really see her getting a love interest in Episode VIII, because her story will probably parallel Luke's story in Empire Strikes Back.

[JessePinkman]

In "yikes" news reportedly they're reshooting 40% of Rogue One. I really hope the sources are wrong because the idea of reshooting nearly half a movie is...not good at all.

[benteen]

Hopefully these are exaggerations and I really want Rogue One to be good because I liked the trailer a lot.

But this is what happens when Star Wars comes under the control of a studio and their executives.  They want it done their way, which usually isn't a good sign.  Maybe the first cut isn't that good but this is the risk you run when you decide to take a series that had had only 6 movies done previously and you decide to do spinoffs and models it like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Star Wars was meant to be trilogies, not a shared cinematic universe with a new film every year.

Edited June 3, 2016 by benteen

[Lugal]

Now it's come out that the reshoots are not happening:

http://www.slashfilm.com/rogue-one-reshoots-details/

According to Christopher McQuarrie himself:

Quote

If there are any reshoots on Rogue One, I’m not supervising them. For any outlet to say so is not only wrong, it’s irresponsible. Gareth Edwards is a talented filmmaker who deserves the benefit of the doubt. Making a film – let alone a Star Wars chapter – is hard enough without the internet trying to deliberately downgrade one’s years of hard work. Who does that even serve? Let him make his movie in peace.

[Zuleikha]

Quote

  Star Wars was meant to be trilogies, not a shared cinematic universe with a new film every year.

Star Wars was meant to be a single, complete film. Everything after A New Hope has been an expansion. The storytelling has now included an open ended series of novels (of debatable quality), graphic novels, two animated series, and coffee table books. If Rogue One is bad, it will be because of execution, not because Star Wars stories can only be told in movie trilogies. Frankly, I think we should all forget about the eps 1-3 trilogy and consider Anakin's story told in the Clone Wars animated series plus Revenge of the Sith.

Edited June 4, 2016 by Zuleikha

[Just Here]

And, EW weighs in with an article about the Rogue One reshoots...

Quote

Here’s what’s true: The film, which is about Rebels stealing the plans for the first Death Star just before the events of 1977’s original Star Wars, is undergoing four to five weeks of reshoots, beginning this month and ending just days before the Star Wars Celebration fan event in London on July 15.

High level sources at Lucasfilm, speaking to EW anonymously, offered some details that place the schedule in context. (Official studio sources declined comment, saying they don’t respond to rumors.)

In what may reassure fans, reshoots were scheduled for the film before even a single scene was shot. It’s standard practice now for large-scale films to build in additional weeks of shooting so filmmakers can tweak a movie after the first assembly cut.

Those reshoots were originally planned for the spring, but were bumped to mid-summer to allow for extra time as director Gareth Edwards and the creative team decided what they wanted to alter. “The changes have everything to do with clarity and character development and all take place [as inserts] within scenes we’ve already shot,” said one source on the project.

In other words, the changes involve more intimate moments – not redoing entire battle sequences or plot lines. “It’s a lot of talking in cockpits,” as one insider described the new footage.

The full article is much longer, with additional details, including push-back against the 40% number:

Quote

The rumor that almost half the movie is being reshot elicits both laughter and groans from those closest to the film. While it might seem like spin-control from those working on the film, their logic bears out: “If we were rewriting the movie and reshooting 40 percent of movie, we would not be finishing in August,” a source on the production says. “People really would be panicking – and changing the release date.”

And, also mentions actor scheduling issues for extending the time period required for reshoots.

Edited June 4, 2016 by Just Here

[benteen]

It's obviously not a film but did anyone read Star Wars Bloodline by Claudia Gray?  I just finished it a few days ago and I loved it.

[Ronin Jackson]

Regardless of what is happening with Rouge One, it's not a good sign that Disney is sticking their fingers in it. Apparently they did not with TFA but this opens the possibility of them messing with the future installments of the main trilogy. It's especially not good if the rumors of Disney's primary source of discontent being the lack of "family friendliness". This is pretty much exactly what every fan who celebrated Lucas selling the franchise should have been worried about.

[benteen]

If Fox had held onto the sequel rights to the original Star Wars back in 1977, they would have run the franchise into the ground well before the end of the 20th century.  There are valid criticism over how GL did the prequels but having a studio in absolute control of Star Wars isn't exactly the best scenario either.

[Kromm]

Star Wars: Alden Ehrenreich to play young Han Solo

Shockingly, an actual American actor is going to play a lead role in a film with a character who speaks in an "American" accent (albeit one in space)!  Not a Brit! 

I know!

Edited July 18, 2016 by Kromm

[Kromm]

Star Wars Episode 8 hits the edit bay

Sounds like the film is on schedule (of course this presumes no major reshoots are needed)

[ulkis]

They're finally showing the original trilogy (well the edited version) on tv on TNT this weekend, as well as the prequels.

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, ulkis said:

They're finally showing the original trilogy (well the edited version) on tv on TNT this weekend, as well as the prequels.

Yeah well, I've just started watching Return of the Jedi as part of my marathon of the original trilogy on my BLURAY-unedited, digitally remastered in SDDS!??????

And nope, my love for the first has nothing to do with the "simple story" and the acting/characterization is much better and more layered.

And how could I have forgotten how Delicious Billy Dee Williams's Lando was!!! YUM!!!

[GHScorpiosRule]

What the fuck was that ending in Return of the Jedi?! Where was the roly poly middle aged Anakin that was in the original theatrical release? You know, Sebestian Shaw? Instead I get Hayden Fucking Christensen?!?

FUCK YOU, George Lucas??????????

Edited September 25, 2016 by GHScorpiosRule
Because spelling is IMPORTANT!

[ulkis]

16 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

What the fuck was that ending in Return of the Jedi?! Where was the roly poly middle aged Anakin that was in the original theatrical release? You know, Sebestian Shaw? Instead I get Hayden Fucking Christansen?!?

FUCK YOU, George Lucas??????????

I was going to say, I didn't think they had the original original out on DVD/blue-ray. "Edited" wasn't quite the correct word in my other post, the tinkered with version, I guess.

I do have to admit I like the music they replaced the Ewok song with. *runs*

[GHScorpiosRule]

I think the only format that will have the original theatrical version is the VHS or Betamax, since I'm sure the first dvd wasn't released until after episodes I-III had been released. Not only did he change Anakin, but added scenes of celebration over galaxies instead of just keeping it to the Ewok village.

Just so Lucas could keep all six connected. Blah. I suppose I should be grateful that the end credits only list Shaw as Anakin.

But I've never understood why James Earl Jones was never credited with playing Vader in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, when he did in Episode IV and VI. Stupid imdb also has "uncredited" for all three and Episode III.????

[benteen]

As I understand, James Earl Jones went uncredited in the original trilogy at his own request because he felt that he didn't do enough work to justify being credited.  It's not unusual for voice actors to be uncredited for that.  David Hyde Pierce provided the voice of Abe Sapien in the first Hellboy but declined to be listed in the credits because he believed the true performance was done by Doug Jones (who played Abe in the movie).

Quote

I do have to admit I like the music they replaced the Ewok song with. *runs*

I liked it better too and I liked the "Yub Nub" song myself.  It was a much more fitting score for the end of the movie and the saga for that point.

[Spartan Girl]

I also prefer the new music. "Yub Nub" was cute and all, but this version was so much more of a grand finale.

[VCRTracking]

Quote

What the fuck was that ending in Return of the Jedi?! Where was the roly poly middle aged Anakin that was in the original theatrical release? You know, Sebestian Shaw? Instead I get Hayden Fucking Christansen?!?

Originally it was only going to be Yoda and Obi-Wan's force ghosts. From the Making of Return of the Jedi book:
 

Quote

 

Watching Shaw as Vader gave (producer) Howard Kazanjian an idea. “George was terrific and would sometimes listen to suggestions,” he would say. “So I said, ‘When Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi are in that ghost effect at the end of the picture, why don’t we have Darth Vader there?’ The next day he said, ‘Let’s do it,’ and I felt good, because I was contributing something to the film that George liked and accepted.” (Though perhaps forgotten, it had been Lucas’s original idea, in an early outline, to bring back Vader as Anakin in the end.)

Ironically, Kazanjian had changed his mind about this being such a good idea. “I’d started thinking about it and I said to George, ‘Why? This guy—he’s like Hitler. He’s killed. He’s done all of these terrible things and now we’re saying he’s equal with Yoda and Obi-Wan, as if he’s gone to heaven or whatever.’ And George pointed at me, he was real close, and he says, ‘Isn’t that what your religion is all about?’ And, boy, that was like being slapped on the side of the face, because, yes, it is what my religion is all about, and obviously his, but I hadn’t thought it through.”
“I decided that the scene would give more closure to Luke’s relationship with his father,” Lucas would say. “When Vader joins the Force he is able to retain his original identity because of Obi-Wan and the Jedi Order, because they’ve learned how to do it.”

 

[GHScorpiosRule]

4 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Originally it was only going to be Yoda and Obi-Wan's force ghosts. 

That doesn't make me feel better or less angry at what was ultimately done to The Return of the Jedi.  And that was a weird clip/interview on Conan.

[VCRTracking]

In the Unscripted interview with Hayden Christensen from 2005, he said he changed it because it showed Anakin had returned to his "former persona" before his turn to the Dark Side and that that survived and not Vader.  I don't think that was necessary. I think audiences got it originally when the movie came out. I will say it is actually more logical then suddenly Sebastian Shaw and suddenly has hair and is less burned when he's a spirit, but 

Quote

 And that was a weird clip/interview on Conan.

Brian Posehn has been very vocal as a die hard Star Wars fanboy, comparing the prequels to his Vietnam the last time he was on Conan and doing stand up bits about his massive disappointment. Now that he says how much he loves The Force Awakens I can see what it was that he wanted from the prequels, which is pretty be like the originals. I can see both his side and his friend's argument that it was the same. TFA is different enough that  I like it. I like the new characters like Rey, Finn, Poe. And Kylo may be whiny but he's also unpredictable and more dangerous because he has all that power but less stable than Vader. Also Poe sassing Kylo Ren is actually something I always wanted Han to do to Vader.

[Morrigan2575]

If i didn't hate the prequels and Whanakin as much as i do, i'd probably appreciate the change to RotJ. It makes sense that his Force Ghost would revert back to point at which he turned to the Dark Side. 

However, i do hate the prequels and hate what Lucas did to RoTJ. I've been hoping that since Disney now owns "Star Wars" we'd get an unedited, orignal theatrical version of the Original Trilogy  released on DVD/Blue Ray. 

Edited September 23, 2016 by Morrigan2575

[GHScorpiosRule]

16 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

In the Unscripted interview with Hayden Christensen from 2005, he said he changed it because it showed Anakin had returned to his "former persona" before his turn to the Dark Side and that that survived and not Vader.  I don't think that was necessary. I think audiences got it originally when the movie came out. I will say it is actually more logical then suddenly Sebastian Shaw and suddenly has hair and is less burned when he's a spirit, but 

 

I swear, I'm not trying to beat this dead horse deader, but I don't care what Christensen said, or that it seems more logical that his Anakin is shown at the end, since Return of the Jedi was made and released before the prequels were ever released. So yeah, I will remain peeved that Lucas and company decided to insert him, instead of Shaw's Anakin.

And that's the last I'm going to say on this, because not everyone is going to agree with what was done/wasn't done.