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Tag: JJ Abrams

  • Mark Hamill Angry For ‘Star Wars’ Fans Duped By Those Selling Fake Autographs

    Mark Hamill is angry that there are those out there duping fans by selling items with fake “Mark Hamill” autographs.

    In an attempt to help his fans, the Star Wars: The Force Awakens star took to Twitter Sunday night to help fans figure out whether the autograph in their possession is real or fake.

    Hamill, 64, suggested that fans post a photo of their merchandise and he said he would tell them if the signature was legit or not legit.

    “I’m so sorry there’s so many fans spending their hard-earned money for fraudulent signatures,” Hamill said in a tweet.

    Throughout the years, there have been some pieces that Mark Hamill did sign so he wanted to help his fans learn how to spot a fake autograph.

    Hamill reprised his iconic role as Luke Skywalker for the latest, record-breaking installment of the epic space adventure.

    As of Sunday, J.J. Abrams’ installment soared past $1 billion globally faster than any film in history. The movie which reunited Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in their iconic roles had the biggest Christmas weekend ever at the North American box office with $153.5 million for an early domestic haul of $544.6 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

  • Daisy Ridley Had to Overcome Fears to Play Rey in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

    Daisy Ridley isn’t quite as brave as Rey, the character she plays in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In fact, she had to overcome some fears in order to play the role.

    Rey is a pilot and a scavenger in the latest Star Wars installment, and she’s the first person Daisy Ridley has portrayed on the big screen. The 23-year-old talked about the fears that initially stood in her way when she was cast in the film.

    “It’s one thing for other people to see potential in you, and it’s quite another for you to understand that and see it in yourself,” Daisy Ridley told the Associated Press. “So of course everyone else being wonderful helps, but there’s a certain level of growth and stuff you have to do as a person. It’s just like life times a million.”

    Ridley underwent months of physical training to prepare to play Rey. Her regimen included weight lifting, climbing, and even staff training–running and fighting with a staff.

    “I had to look like I could look after myself in the desert and dragging and scavenging things across sand,” she said.

    JJ Abrams helps alleviate some of Daisy Ridley’s fears.

    “Luckily, to have J.J. there, who is so kind and considerate and encouraging, and to have a crew of people who made me feel safe and not rushed and not pressured, that is precisely what took the pressure off,” she explained.

    Ridley bonded with fellow Star Wars star John Boyega, too, and that helped allay some of her fears.

    “We got on so well,” Ridley said. “It was so much fun all the time, and to have him with me through this whole thing, both in filming and afterward, has been incredible.”

    Have you see Star Wars: The Force Awakens yet? If so, can you believe Daisy Ridley had to overcome fears to play Rey?

    That certainly doesn’t translate to the big screen–does it?

  • Daisy Ridley: The First “Star Wars” Female Hero

    Daisy Ridley was pretty much an unknown actress when she was cast as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. With the film’s premiere in many cities on Thursday, she’s soon to be known as a Star Wars hero.

    In a recent interview with Elle, Ridley talked about the new direction the Star Wars franchise has taken with regard to wardrobe and female heroes.

    “Young girls can look at her and know that they can wear trousers if they want to,” she said. “That they don’t have to show off their bodies.”

    Daisy Ridley doesn’t appear in a gold “slave” bikini in the film. Instead she wears a very nondescript beige tunic. The wardrobe selection packs a powerful punch as the franchise now has a female hero.

    Prior to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the franchise has been all about male heroes. The Hunger Games series of films, with Jennifer Lawrence starring as Katniss Everdeen, no doubt played a role in the change.

    Daisy Ridley’s character Rey is an “orphaned desert scavenger.”

    The New York Post writes Rey can “repair ships, scale walls and take down enemies with her stick weapon — often while a male character stands helplessly by. She is also mysteriously powerful in the ways of The Force.”

    Daisy Ridley is 2015’s Luke Skywalker–and a darn good one at that.

    “In 2015, there was no scenario in which we weren’t going to bring balance to the way we tell these stories,” Kathleen Kennedy, producer of the new film told Elle. “And Daisy had a physicality and a self-confidence that was so important to the character we were looking for. She epitomizes that optimism where anything is possible.”

    So how does one go from unknown to a Star Wars hero?

    Daisy Ridley explains.

    “I had four or five auditions over seven months, and it was a very emotional time,” she said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. “My first few auditions really didn’t feel good, but my last audition suddenly felt like something clicked.”

    Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams wanted fresh faces. Daisy Ridley was among those fresh faces, and she also had the kind of toughness the director wanted.

    The rest, as they say, is history, and Daisy Ridley is no doubt about to make just that as the first female Star Wars hero.

    Are you headed to the theater on Thursday or Friday–or will you wait a week or two until the crowds thin out a bit?

  • Harrison Ford Thinks He Knows Why Fans Relate to “Star Wars,” Is He Right?

    Harrison Ford dished about the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as well as his role as Han Solo in a recent interview with Fox411. The actor, who survived a plane crash earlier this year, claims to know why fans have related to the Star Wars films throughout all these years.

    “Segments of the audience were able to find a character in the story overall that they could relate to,” he said. “Girls related to Princess Leia, young men related to Luke Skywalker.”

    When asked if fans could relate to his character, Harrison Ford was a bit skeptical.

    “Han Solo represents a distant point of view about things, a little separation from the belief system, The Force,” he said.

    It was almost 30 years ago when Harrison Ford first worked with Stars Wars: The Force Awakens director, JJ Abrams.

    “I’ve always admired JJ’s work,” he said. “We worked together 25 or 28 years ago on a movie called Regarding Henry that he wrote, one of the first things he had written.”

    His comfort with the director is one of the main reasons Harrison Ford signed on to star in this latest Star Wars film.

    “Before JJ and I talked, I had read the script and I saw what the blueprint for the whole enterprise was,” Ford said. “I thought the opportunities for the characters were interesting. I love how it was knitted into the story overall.”

    Do you think Harrison Ford hit the nail on its proverbial head regarding the reason fans relate to all the Star Wars films?

    Will you be checking out Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens when it opens in theaters nationwide on Friday?

  • Daisy Ridley of ‘Star Wars’ Is Not a Fan of Social Media

    Daisy Ridley says she is not that into social media.

    Unlike most starlets of her age, the 23-year-old British actress does not like to go to social media to share her life, saying that she has been turned off by the negativity and trolling that is all too common on the internet today.

    “I kind of loathe to go on social media. I find the trolling unacceptable and I never wanted to look like I was someone who would accept that,” Daisy Ridley recently admitted to Refinery29. “But the 99 — no, I would actually say 100% of the people [who’ve interacted with me on social media] have been so wonderful so far.”

    She added, “My life is real average, and it’s nice to share that with people. And to see people’s conspiracies and their theories, that’s fun. It’s really fun to be part of.”

    Meanwhile, the Star Wars: The Force Awakens star shared a cute moment on stage with her costar John Boyega during the much-anticipated premiere held Friday night at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel in Urayasu, Japan.

    The two actors were joined by co-stars Adam Driver, BB-8 and director J.J. Abrams for the opening of the film that is expected to earn billions of dollars for Disney and LucasFilms.

    According to Just Jared, Jr., Daisy Ridley was a gracious star and took some time to take a photo or two with fans when she arrived back stateside at LAX airport in Los Angeles.

  • Star Wars: J.J. Abrams Cut Some Earlier Film References

    Star Wars fans already seem to feel that the franchise they know and love is in good hands with J.J. Abrams at the helm. One of the bigger problems with the Star Wars prequel films was that the writing got a bit stilted. If Abrams’ handling of Star Trek is any indication, the new Star Wars could be the richest one yet.

    One indication that Abrams is handling his responsibility to the franchise with teh respect it deserves is what he left out of the new film. Apparently there were several blatant references to the original Start Wars trilogy within the new film. Some were left in, if they felt appropriate. But some were cut to avoid the feeling of a cheap trick reference.

    Abrams says:

    “… we’ve obviously had a lot of time [during the development process] to talk about what’s happened outside of the borders of the story that you’re seeing. So there are, of course, references to things, and some are very oblique so that hopefully the audience can infer what the characters are referring to. We used to have more references to things that we pulled out because they almost felt like they were trying too hard to allude to something. I think that the key is—and whether we’ve accomplished that or not is, of course, up to the audience—but the key is that references be essential so that you don’t reference a lot of things that feel like, oh, we’re laying pipe for, you know, an animated series or further movies. It should feel like things are being referenced for a reason.”

    “Laying pipe” for an animated series? That one little passing comment alone might start a whole line of questioning. But Abrams holds fast to his notion that this film, and those to follow it, should be treated with the same respect that other hallowed mythologies are.

    “That, to me, has been the constant struggle: to make sure that none of these things are treated like either they’re a museum piece and we’re trying to honor them or they’re gratuitous and thrown in because, well, it’s a Star Wars movie so you’ve got to put these things in. Everything has got to be essential to the characters in the film.”

  • Zoe Saldana Svelte, Sexy Weeks After Babies Born

    Zoe Saldana is looking rather svelte and quite sexy just over ten weeks after giving birth to twins. The Book of Life star wore a knee-length black dress, featuring a polka-dot bodice to the 2015 VES Awards in Beverly Hills last week. She complemented her look with black patent leather pumps and bright red lipstick.

    Saldana and husband Marco Perego welcomed twin boys Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio into the world on Thanksgiving Day. This was her first public appearance since giving birth, and everyone was stunned at how amazing she looked.

    Zoe Saldana was a presenter at the VES Awards, presenting Star Trek director J.J. Abrams with a very special award. Zoe actually appeared in two of the Star Trek films–Star Trek in 2009 and Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013. She shared word of her presentation via Twitter.

    PerezHilton.com just announced that Zoe Saldana will also be a presenter at the 2015 Oscars later this month. She joins stars including Scarlett Johansson, Jack Black, Octavia Spencer, Josh Hutcherson, and more as presenters for the big event.

    Congratulations are definitely in order for Zoe Saldana–not only for presenting J.J. Abrams with his VES Award and being asked to present at the Oscars, but also for how incredible she looks just a little more than ten weeks since giving birth to her twins. She is no doubt the envy of new moms everywhere. They would no doubt love to look as trim as Zoe Saldana.

  • ‘Star Trek 3’ Has a Confirmed Director: Roberto Orci

    When it was announced that J.J. Abrams would be the director of the newest Star Wars trilogy, the entire sci-fi community almost collapsed in on itself. It wasn’t that the community thinks Abrams is a bad director or terrible person or ill-informed or anything necessarily negative; it’s just the fact that at the time of his hiring, Abrams was also the director of the newly rebooted Star Trek movie series. With the long-lasting feud between Jedi-wannabes and Trekkies, there was no way Abrams was going to be able to direct both franchises. Understanding that Star Wars was the bigger and better opportunity (Admit it, Trekkies.), Abrams decided to give the opportunity to direct the Star Trek series to someone else. That someone else happens to be Roberto Orci, Abrams’s co-writer for the first two installments of the Star Trek reboot.

    In speaking with BBC News yesterday, Simon Pegg (who plays Scotty in the reboots), confirmed that Orci will indeed be the newest director of the Star Trek franchise, despite reluctance from Paramount Studios:

    I’m really happy he’s doing it as it’s kept within the family kind of thing, it’s not somebody coming in from outside.Bob’s been there since the first Star Trek – by that I mean the 2009 one – so it seemed to make perfect sense that he come in as a director on this one because he gets it. He was always the most Trekkie of all of those guys anyway, he’s always understood the story the best so it’s great that he’s going to be involved in the writing and directing.

    The statement from Pegg corroborates an earlier statement the actor made at a Star Trek convention last month when he simply said, “Bob is going to direct the new film.”

    Rumor has it that Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) were the original frontrunners for the directing job because Paramount wanted someone who had no previous relation to the franchise.

    While Orci has written for the first two movies, he does bring a breath of fresh air to the series as this will be his directorial debut. In the past, Orci has written for such films as Transformers, Mission Impossible III and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. With the newest installment of Star Trek, Orci is expected to hearken back to the original series moreso than Abrams.

    The plot for Star Trek 3 (not the working title, by the way) centers around the original five-year journey of the USS Enterprise as featured in the original TV series. Because of its central plot idea, many think this installment will bring more of a philosophical flair to the series, giving original Trekkies exactly what they want.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Martin Scorsese Defends Kodak’s Production of Film

    In January 2012, things could not have looked worse for Kodak. After 123 years of filmmaking, the company, created by George Eastman, had applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and looked destined for ultimate failure. Surprisingly, though, Kodak was able to stay on its feet and continue production a little over a year and a half later behind the supervision of Chief Executive Jeff Clarke.

    Despite its perseverance, Kodak faced challenges from ever-improving and cheaper technologies. Film, which had been Kodak’s bread-and-butter for so many years, was falling to the wayside, being replaced by cheaper, lighter, and easier-to-access forms of HD technology. Thanks to the hard work and generous words of multiple directors and film agencies, however, Kodak is in the final stages of cementing agreements to keep film a part of the movie industry for years to come:

    “After extensive discussions with filmmakers, leading studios and others who recognize the unique artistic and archival qualities of film, we intend to continue production. Kodak thanks these industry leaders for their support and ingenuity in finding a way to extend the life of film,” stated Kodak Chief Executive Jeff Clarke.

    Among those directors who voiced their opinions in support of Kodak and its continued production of film were Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, J.J. Abrams Judd Apatow, and Martin Scorsese. Today, Scorsese released a statement expressing why his continued support of film as a medium is so important to the movie industry:

    We have many names for what we do – cinema, movies, motion pictures. And…film. We’re called directors, but more often we’re called filmmakers. Filmmakers. I’m not suggesting that we ignore the obvious: HD isn’t coming, it’s here. The advantages are numerous: the cameras are lighter, it’s much easier to shoot at night, we have many more means at our disposal for altering and perfecting our images. And, the cameras are more affordable: films really can be made now for very little money. Even those of us still shooting on film finish in HD, and our movies are projected in HD. So, we could easily agree that the future is here, that film is cumbersome and imperfect and difficult to transport and prone to wear and decay, and that it’s time to forget the past and say goodbye – really, that could be easily done. Too easily.

    It seems like we’re always being reminded that film is, after all, a business. But film is also an art form, and young people who are driven to make films should have access to the tools and materials that were the building blocks of that art form. Would anyone dream of telling young artists to throw away their paints and canvases because iPads are so much easier to carry? Of course not. In the history of motion pictures, only a minuscule percentage of the works comprising our art form was not shot on film. Everything we do in HD is an effort to recreate the look of film. Film, even now, offers a richer visual palette than HD. And, we have to remember that film is still the best and only time-proven way to preserve movies. We have no assurance that digital informaton (sic) will last, but we know that film will, if properly stored and cared for.

    Our industry – our filmmakers – rallied behind Kodak because we knew that we couldn’t afford to lose them, the way we’ve lost so many other film stocks. This news is a positive step towards preserving film, the art form we love.

    Due to pledges to continue to support film as a medium from directors such as Scorsese, and from commitments from Warner Bros, Universal, Paramount, Disney, and Weinstein Co. to buy certain amounts of film in the upcoming years, Kodak has agreed to produce 450M linear feet of film over the next year.

    The only question that remains at this point is whether or not Scorsese will film his latest project, Silence, on film. The movie has been in Scorsese’s mind since 1989 and is based on a 1966 novel of the same name from Japanese writer Shusaku Endo. The novel discusses the fate of two Jesuit priests as they travel to Japan to discover the whereabouts of their mentor and spread the word of Christianity to the Far East. Scorsese’s adaptation of the novel will star Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver and is set to be released in late 2015.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Star Trek & Planet of the Apes Crossover?

    Star Trek & Planet of the Apes Crossover?

    Talk about boldly going … Somebody call J.J. Abrams and tell him there is a new level of farfetched to be aspired to now.

    IDW Comics and Boom Studios are collaborating on a crossover comic series. The Original Series cast of Star Trek will be seen with 1968 classic Planet of the Apes characters.

    The project is a comic miniseries. Scott and David Tipton will write the series with artist Rachel Scott. The series will be called: Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive.

    The writers have reached back into the TOS lore to come up with a fresh look at how these two franchises might be able to work together.

    “With the Klingons secretly backing a renegade gorilla general in a coup for control of Ape City, Captain Kirk finds himself in the uncomfortable position of having to help out Dr Zaius’s orangutans,” said David Tipton.

    There are lots of crossovers within the Trek universe itself, even when those seem to bend the boundaries of time. They managed to make Scotty appear in the Next Generation universe. Picard got to fight alongside Kirk. But crossovers outside the canonical Star Trek universe are rare. But they have been done.

    There is a Next Generation/Doctor Who project from 2012. There was also also an Original Series/X-Men crossover from 1996 that was made possible by a psionic energy fit in space.

    And IDW itself did a project called Infestation that saw the TOS cast mix it up with Transformers, Ghostbusters, and G.I. Joe.

    But will this kind of crossover make it to the big screen? Star Trek fans are a pretty purist bunch. When they found out that J.J. Abrams was at the helm of the new Star Wars film, they fretted that he might try something clever with those two properties, especially with the rumor that Simon Pegg is hanging around the Star Wars set.

    A comics crossover is one thing. It is highly unlikely that fans would tolerate anything as large-scale as a movie crossover.

    Image via YouTube

  • Tom Cruise Star Wars Cameo Rumor Blows Up Web

    Star Wars fans are a rabid bunch. Say what you want about Trekkies, with their in-depth commitment to and knowledge of all things Vulcan. Learning to speak Klingon is one level of nuts. Getting into a fight with Doctor Who fans is a much more visceral thing.

    Now, pair that with the polarizing effects of Tom Cruise. Rumor has been floating around for days that Tom Cruise is in talks with J.J. Abrams for a cameo in Star Wars: Episode VII.

    The whole thing seems to have launched when Cruise and Abrams met for dinner. Put that against the backdrop of Harrison Ford’s recent on-set injury, and the tweets nearly wrote themselves by the time the check came to the table.

    Cruise and Abrams have been friends ever since Abrams directed Cruise in Mission: Impossible III. Their prior relationship only fanned the flames of fan flaming.

    Scientology jokes were not far behind.

    But everyone can now relax. A rep for Cruise has told ET Canada that the rumor is “pure fiction”.

    He was a little short to be a storm trooper, anyway.

    Image via YouTube

  • Star Wars: Harrison Ford May Need Surgery on Ankle

    Harrison Ford, who was airlifted from the set of Star Wars: Episode VII June 12 after an on-set accident, may need extensive surgery for an ankle break.

    According to Access Hollywood, the 71-year-old actor’s ankle injury may need a plate and screws to assure complete healing.

    Ford‘s son, Ben Ford, told the publication that his dad will possibly need the surgery.

    The younger Ford also said that filming of the movie could be altered slightly to accommodate the injury. This may include shooting the actor from the waist up for a short time until he recovers.

    Disney/Lucasfilm released a statement following the actor’s injury last week after a hydraulic door fell on him on the set at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.

    “Harrison Ford sustained an ankle injury during filming today on the set of ‘Star Wars: Episode VII,’” the statement read. “He was taken to a local hospital and is receiving care. Shooting will continue as planned while he recuperates.”

    Ford, who plays Hans Solo, was airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for treatment following the accident.

    “We were called just after 5 p.m. to reports of a 71-year-old man being injured in an incident believed to involve a garage door,” said a spokesman for Thames Valley police.

    Meanwhile, Ford’s wife, Calista Flockhart, rushed to her husband’s side when she learned of the accident. The Ally McBeal star confirmed that she was “en route” to see her husband.

    Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to open worldwide on December 18, 2015.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘Star Wars Episode VII’ Smartly Adds More Women To Cast

    It was announced earlier this month that two new actresses would be added to the cast of the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII: the Oscar-winning Lupita Nyong’o and Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie. While their roles haven’t been revealed, the Internet collectively rejoiced at the addition to more females to the male-dominated cast.

    As it stands, there are fifteen announced cast members for Episode VII (three of them being original trilogy stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill). Lupita and Gwendoline join Daisy Ridley as the three new females. While we can only speculate on their importance (there’s a wide rumor that Nyong’o will play a mixed-race granddaughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi), many are hoping that they won’t be mere side characters, simply cast as wives or girlfriends or daughters. Christie, who already portrays a warrior on Game of Thrones, would most likely feel more at home wielding a lightsaber than a saucepan.

    “It counts for something that this new Star Wars trilogy may well have three times as many female characters of note as the first two trilogies did,” Scott Mendelson writes for Forbes. “When you have a film with more than one female character, then the defining character trait of each respective female character doesn’t have to be that she is female.”

    Mendelson stresses how important this diversity can be. More females in the cast means that there’s more likelihood for a female heroine, or even a female villain. “The new Star Wars film could possibly be not explicitly male-centric in its narrative,” Mendelson speculates, which is noteworthy. When most cinema is still dominated by men, and females are either foils to the plot or used like chess pieces, it’s enough to know that that will most likely not be the case in the new Star Wars.

    “It matters when girls who love Star Wars have more than one female character to potentially latch onto,” Mendelson says. “It’s not a game-changer per-se, but it’s a good start.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Oscar Isaac Named In ‘Star Wars: Episode 7’ Cast

    Star Wars fans have long been waiting for the complete list of cast members for J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII, which is set to be released in 2015.

    Rumors have been floating around for months on who the cast members will be. After much speculation, the cast has finally been revealed.

    The official announcement was made on the Star Wars website. A black and white picture showed all the cast members sitting in a circle, together with Abrams, during a read-through of the script at the Pinewood Studios.

    The picture was accompanied by a message from Abrams saying that they are excited to share the cast of the movie. He is also excited about the fact that “original cast and these brilliant new performers” are coming together for the film. Abrams also mentioned that they will start shooting in a few weeks.

    For several months, there have been rumors about the actors who will be participating in the film. Among them were Star Wars veterans Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Peter Mayhew. Based on the news, veterans Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels will also be in the film.

    Other cast members included in the film are John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Andy Serkis, Adam Driver, Max von Sydow, Domhnall Gleeson, and Oscar Isaac. Individual roles for the actors have not yet been announced, but fans are hoping to hear more details on May 4, which is celebrated as “Star Wars Day.”

    Isaac was the latest actor to join the cast. He is a Guatemalan-born actor and singer who starred in Inside Llewyn Davis by the Coen brothers. There are still no reports as to what role he will play, but he’s rumored to have one of the major parts in the film.

    Star Wars: Episode VII will be shown in theaters on December 18, 2015.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Star Wars Episode 7: Original Cast Sightings in UK

    Could it be coincidence that original Star Wars cast members Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher have been spotted in London just as shooting on Star Wars: Episode VII is set to begin there?

    Hmmmmm?? Interesting.

    There have also been some clues that the threesome may be in London for reasons other than just a nice little trip to London-town.

    Entertainment Weekly, in particular, presented some pretty strong clues that the trio are in town to work on director J.J. Abrams highly anticipated sequel to the iconic movie franchise.

    The magazine noted that Ford was seen on April 24 at London’s Hakkasan restaurant, and on Saturday, he was snapped chatting with the pilots of London’s air ambulance in Grosvernor Square.

    Then, Fisher tweeted:

    And actor Peter Serafinowicz, who lent his voice to Darth Maul in Episode I, posted a picture of himself with Hamill:

    And then,

    According to Mike Fleming Jr., writing for Deadline, Harrison Ford will have a sizable role in the film.

    “The new cast members will join returning Star Wars alums Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. The big surprise, I’m told, is that Ford has a gigantic role in the first of the next three films,” said Fleming. “Disney hasn’t been commenting on any of this, and today’s no different. Stay tuned.”

    Very, VERY interesting indeed.

    Meanwhile, Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2015.

    Image via YouTube

  • Judy Greer Has ‘Planet of the Apes’ Themed Wedding

    Dawn of the Planet of the Apes co-star Judy Greer revealed to Conan O’Brien that she’d opted for a Planet of the Apes-themed wedding during her 2011 nuptials to television producer Dean Johnsen.

    Greer told Conan, “During the cocktail hour, we had the TV screens in the bar with the movies playing. We had Rise (of the Planet of the Apes) playing on one screen and then the original, obviously, Planet of the Apes playing on the bigger screen.” Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set to open on July 11, and is directed by Matt Reeves, of Cloverfield and Let Me In fame. Dawn also features Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell. Russell had previously worked with Reeves on the WB drama Felicity, which was co-created by J.J. Abrams.

    Here Greer relates to Conan her peculiar choice of a wedding theme:

    Greer, 38, is best known for her roles as Kitty Sanchez on Fox’s Arrested Development, as well as Cheryl Tunt on the animated comedy series Archer. In 2011, the actress began hosting an online series of workout videos called Reluctantly Healthy, and in 2014 published her first book, I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star.

    In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Greer plays an ape named Cornelia, set against the goings on of a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar, who are threatened by a band of human survivors. Man vs. Ape action ensues. Here is the trailer:

    Actor James Franco, who starred in the Dawn prequel, 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, was not included in the latest film, after Rise director Rupert Wyatt was replaced by Reeves. Freida Pinto, who played primatologist Caroline Aranha in Rise, was also excluded from the sequel.

    Image via YouTube

  • Peter Mayhew Returns As Chewbacca For Star Wars Episode VII

    In yet another casting rumor that has become a reality, Peter Mayhew will be returning in the role of Chewbacca for Star Wars Episode VII. The film is due for a release in 2015, and continues to attract buzz almost on a daily basis.

    J.J. Abrams will be adding to the world of Star Wars with the latest addition, and while the last three films were highly criticized, he may now know what to avoid when making Star Wars Episode VII. Abrams has also had great success with the Star Trek films, in addition to his hit shows Lost and Alias.

    Peter Mayhew is perhaps the least well-known of the original cast members, but his character of Chewbacca was a beloved member of the original Star Wars trilogy, and the wookie that traveled with Harrison Ford’s Han Solo has inspired plenty of people to try to make his unique sound.

    In addition to the 69-year-old Mayhew, the original cast of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill have also been in talks to return for the 7th installment of the Star Wars franchise.

    Mayhew’s name also made headlines a few months ago when he tweeted some behind-the-scenes photos of the Star Wars actors that had never been seen before. It was a big deal for Star Wars fans, and the news that he will be returning as Chewbacca should get people even more excited for the new film.

    It was announced recently that Star Wars Episode VII would be taking place 30 years after the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi, and just a couple of days ago, despite the cast not being complete yet, it was revealed that the film had already begun shooting.

    The film is set to feature new young lead roles, most of which have not been cast yet. The film has confirmed emerging star Adam Driver as an unnamed villiain, but the other characters are simply rumors.

    Jesse Plemons, known to most people as Todd from Breaking Bad, leads the crop of actors who might be chosen as the lead Jedi protagonist.

    In a whirlwind of news that continues to surround the upcoming release of Star Wars Episode VII, at least one additional concrete detail has been revealed. Are fans excited to see Peter Mayhew reprise his role of Chewbacca?

    Image via Twitter

  • Star Wars: Episode 7 Begins Filming

    Star Wars: Episode 7 Begins Filming

    Fans of the Star Wars franchise can start rejoicing, as Star Wars: Episode VII has already begun filming, according to Alan Horn, chairman for Disney Studios.

    Stephen Galloway of THR interviewed Horn in front of an audience at the Loyola Marymount School of Film and Television for the “Hollywood Masters” series. There have been reports that filming for the movie is scheduled to start in May, but Horn says otherwise. “We’re actually shooting some of it now,” he said.

    There have also been some rumors that filming has started in Cairo, Egypt. Horn may be referring to the shooting of the second unit, which is in charge of filming B-rolls and location shots to be used for the film. However, this is not yet confirmed, as Horn did not disclose other details.

    Shooting for the film may have started, but shooting with the actors is not yet ongoing, as there have been no formal announcements regarding the cast. Horn also said that the screenplay, which was written by Lawrence Kasdan and director J.J. Abrams, is already finished. “It’s actually there now,” Horn said.

    The screenplay was based on a draft written by Michael Arndt, the writer for Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine. Rumors have been spreading about the participation of the original cast members in the new film, including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher.

    Horn has confirmed that Episode VII will take place just after the events of Episode VI, which will be 35 years ago when the movie is released next year. Fans are speculating that the original cast members will be passing the torch to three members of the younger generation, who are yet to be named.

    Since Abrams is all about mystery when telling stories in the big screen, fans will just have to wait for the official announcement of actors who will be playing lead roles.

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  • Star Wars: Episode VII Filming Begins

    It has just been confirmed by Alan Horn that the filming of Star Wars: Episode VII is now underway. Horn, chairman of Disney Studios, was vague about where production is taking place and how long crews have been shooting, though commented that “a lot” of the actors have been selected, though casting isn’t completely finished.

    Horn gave details on the latest Star Wars installment while speaking at Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television for the program’s Hollywood Masters series. Hollywood Reporter journalist Stephen Galloway asked Horn if the script was complete, and Horn commented, “It actually is now,” adding that the biggest obstacle of the production so far has been coming up with a great story. “It’s all about the screenplay,” he said. “It has to be screenplay, screenplay, screenplay.”

    Here is the interview:

    According to starwars.com, the first installment of the sequel trilogy began pre-production on October 30, 2012. Principal photography was scheduled to begin in spring, 2014 at Pinewood Studios, situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, which lies approximately 20 miles west of central London.

    Horn revealed that the events of Episode VII will take place roughly 30 years after Return of the Jedi. The Disney exec said the latest film will pick up “where 6 left off and where 6 left off is 35 years ago by the time this is released.”

    Episode VII will be directed by J.J. Abrams (Super 8, Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek) and was scripted by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi). Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, with Tommy Harper (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Jack Ryan, Star Trek Into Darkness) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds) serving as executive producers. John Williams is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII.

    George Lucas is on board as a creative consultant, and has been in talks with former cast members Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Billy Dee Williams and Ewan McGregor are also being rumored to reprise their roles.

    It’s also been said that Girls actor Adam Driver has been cast as a Sith villain, and that Jesse Plemons of Breaking Bad and Friday Night Lights might be chosen as the lead Jedi protagonist.

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  • ‘Star Wars: Episode 7’ May See Peter Mayhew Reprise His Role As Chewbacca

    Since the announcement of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII, there has been assumptions about the return of some of the original cast members including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill. Now, there are speculations about the lovable Wookiee, Peter Mayhew, joining the film.

    The 7’3” star is known for his role as Chewbacca in the Star Wars films. The rumors that he may be returning in the next film came after he cancelled his appearance at the Comicpalooza in Texas this coming May, due to filming commitments. Although there has been no official announcement regarding his participation in the upcoming film, there have already been reports that Abrams is slated to start filming in May.

    The possibility of Mayhew joining the cast may be a surprise to some, as he was hospitalized in September 2013 for a double knee replacement, which could be a hindrance for joining the film. Reports indicate that Mayhew admittedly said that the surgery was not a minor operation, but his recovery did not take long.

    According to Metro U.K, Abrams has yet to confirm the full cast of the movie at this point. He did say, however, that “lots of familiar faces” will be seen in the film. There have also been reports about casting unknown actors for the lead roles. Names have not popped up yet, but Abrams said that they are following the ’77 trend for the New Hope cast, as Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford were not big names when they were cast for their roles.

    If rumors are true, fans could see Mayhew back in his Chewbacca costume, or perhaps in another role. Fans just have to wait for the official announcement of all the cast members. Star Wars: Episode VII is set to hit theaters in December 18, 2015.

    Everybody Loves Chewbacca 

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  • Star Wars Episode VII: New Plot Details Are Revealed

    The rumors surrounding the plot, and cast, of the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII are more abundant than anything you may come across. As the film gets closer to production, the fans continue to want answers as to what to expect.

    Several actors have been in talks for major roles, and whether or not the main cast members will return is still up in the air. A couple of things were revealed recently that may intrigue some fans of the original trilogy, or at least give people some insight into the new film.

    The new film is being directed by J.J. Abrams, and will be presented by Lucasfilm and Disney. The studios announced today that initial shooting of the film is set to begin in May, which will be just in time to get it done by its current release date.

    J.J. Abrams has been fairly secretive when it comes to details about the film, but details are slowly starting to emerge. In addition to the production date, the filmmakers revealed that Star Wars Episode VII will be taking place 30 years after the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi.

    The film has been delayed multiple times for various reasons, including the original screenwriter Michael Arndt leaving, and later being replaced by Lawrence Kasdan, who worked on the original trilogy. It is finally been given an official release date, and is set for a December 18, 2015 release.

    In terms of casting, the film may have finally found its villain with Adam Driver, who is set to play a Darth Vader-like character. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher have all given some sort of commitment to the film, but nothing is official from any of them yet.

    According to Disney Chief Bob Iger, “Rumor has it that almost every actor in the world has been cast in this movie, but so far, the official cast member that we’ve confirmed, the only one, is R2D2. Played by R2D2.” He also said that from the concept art, it looks amazing, but he would get into trouble if he revealed anything more.

    After that statement, fans are left with basically nothing, and will have to keep guessing about who they will see in the upcoming film. The lead role of the Jedi is certainly the one that people are most curious about, and the choices were recently narrowed down to a handful of unknown actors.

    However as most people probably remember, nobody knew who Harrison Ford was at the time of his casting as Han Solo either. There is a handful of actors that are left for the lead role in Star Wars Episode VII, a list that includes Jesse Plemons from Breaking Bad, Ed Speelers from Downton Abbey, John Boyega from Attack The Block, and theater actors Matthew James Thomas and Ray Fisher.

    With over a year to go, anything can still happen in terms of casting, and what will eventually be revealed about the plot of the film. If J.J Abrams has been able to keep the plot of Star Wars Episode VII a secret for this long, then perhaps fans will be in the dark until it premieres.

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