Star Wars VII (film)

[Neil]

Rumour is the director will be Matthew Vaughn.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/59478


I’m hearing that Matthew Vaughn, the director of Kick-Ass, Stardust, Layer Cake, and X-Men: First Class, is in talks with Lucasfilm to helm Star Wars: Episode VII. My sources tell me this is the main reason he dropped out of the X-Men sequel (which Bryan Singer is now directing).

[Mike70]

eesh. i have no desire to see either another star wars movie or another x-men movie.

[Neil]

Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3) is officially writing Star Wars: Episode VII

http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/scifi/toy-story-3s-michael-arndt-officially-writing-star-wars-episode-vii.html


As pre-production of Star Wars: Episode VII begins, Lucasfilm has confirmed that award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay for the new Star Wars film. As revealed in the ongoing video series posted here on StarWars.com, Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas have begun story conferences with Arndt. Arndt won an Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay for writing Little Miss Sunshine (2006), and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing Toy Story 3 (2010).

[blind2d]

Well now I'm excited for this! This excites me!

[Cykotic]

The dude directed Kick Ass and X Men: First Class, two of my favorites. Let him at it. As for the writer, not too sure. To be honest, episode 7 can't get any worse than I, II and III.

[bassman]

Looks like the man that revived Star Trek, JJ Abrams, will also revive Star Wars with Episode Seven. Never really expected that....

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/jj-abrams-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii-looks-like-it

[krisvds]

Hmmmm. Might work. Though a young upstart would have been more exciting.
The script will be instrumental in the eventual succes/failure.

[Neil]

Looks like the man that revived Star Trek, JJ Abrams, will also revive Star Wars with Episode Seven. Never really expected that....

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/jj-abrams-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii-looks-like-it

Same news here - www.entertainmentwise.com/news/102649/JJ-Abrams-Confirmed-As-Director-For-Next-Star-Wars-Movie

[AcesandEights]

It'll be interesting to see fan and casual reaction to this. Both success and familiarity breed contempt, and we've seen both a lot of JJ Abrams and his successes the last few years.

[Danny]

Eh, kind of a 'safe' option in my opinion, would have rather seen del toro or the wachowskis or something myself, but hey, at least its not George lucas.

[krisvds]

At the end of the day it doesn't really matter who is directing. There are so many dollars at stake, and as a result too many fingers in the pie, that thinking any director will be able to put his or her stamp on it is probably just wishful thinking.

[EvilNed]

Eh, kind of a 'safe' option in my opinion, would have rather seen del toro or the wachowskis or something myself, but hey, at least its not George lucas.

Wachowsky Brothers would have been real interesting.

[Trin]

Looks like the man that revived Star Trek, JJ Abrams, will also revive Star Wars with Episode Seven. Never really expected that....

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/jj-abrams-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii-looks-like-it
I really hated the Star Trek reboot and would very sad to see Star Wars go the same route.

[MoonSylver]

I really hated the Star Trek reboot and would very sad to see Star Wars go the same route.

Glad to see I'm not the only one. I've no beef w/ Abrhams & have enjoyed other projects of his, but did not like what he did w/ Trek one whit. As for Star Wars? Eh...meh...hurm...could be bad, could be good, who know? :|

[clanglee]

Wow!! I disagree with Moon AND Trin about something? What is happening?!?!

I actually loved the Trek reboot. I'm a pretty big fan of all of Abrams' movies so far. . .so this is great news to me.

[shootemindehead]

Yeh, didn't really care for the Star Trek reboot myself. It was ok, but not the revelation that a lot of people claim it is.

...and it's a bloody stupid idea to boot...or reboot.

Personally, I would have liked to see 'Star Wars' remain a Lucas production. This is where his real strength lies. He's clearly no director, although he did just fine on 'THX-1138', 'American Graffiti' and 'Star Wars'. Most of his ideas are great, it's just the unbridled execution of those ideas that are the problem. If ever there was a person that needed a steadying hand, it's George Lucas. We forget now, but this is the man who brought us the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones ideas. Even though, those basic ideas eventually imploded. Unfortunately, he's shot himself in the foot spectacularly in the last couple of decades, leading to his decision to turn his back on everything.

I don't have any expectation that a new trilogy will be any better than the last one. I certainly cannot think of a modern day director who I'd like to see at the helm. Maybe Christopher Nolan? Certainly not the makers of the incredibly overrated Matrix films, nor Del Toro either. And I am definitely nonplussed by the J.J Abrams prospect. His back catalog is nothing to write home about.

At the end of the day, this new Star Wars trilogy will have nothing to do with the original films. It's just the name that will remain. For most people, Star Wars will begin with 'A New Hope' and end with 'Return of the Jedi' and that's it.

The best thing that could come out of this Disney business is a new remastering of the original trilogy, sans crappy Jabba, Greedo firing first and piss poor songs. If Disney does that, then I'll be happy.

[bassman]

The two best things about this new trilogy are that Lawrence Kasdan(Empire) is on board to flesh out the script, and someone other than Lucas is directing.

These two aspects are what made Empire arguably the best of the series.

[MoonSylver]

The two best things about this new trilogy are that Lawrence Kasdan(Empire) is on board to flesh out the script, and someone other than Lucas is directing.

These two aspects are what made Empire arguably the best of the series.

Agreed & agreed. Kasdan for the win. ;)

[Trin]

Wow!! I disagree with Moon AND Trin about something? What is happening?!?!
That's a little something I call BEING WRONG!

[clanglee]

That's a little something I call BEING WRONG!

What it this. . . "wrong". . .that you speak of? I have never encountered such a thing before. :p

[MoonSylver]

What it this. . . "wrong". . .that you speak of? I have never encountered such a thing before. :p

http://s3.shipstore.com/ss/images/ber/berfp035-400x400.gif

[Neil]

Sounds like Disney are going to milk this franchise for all it's worth - http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118065708/


"We plan to make 'Star Wars' 7, 8 and 9 over roughly a six-year period of time starting in 2015," Iger told CNBC's Julia Boorstin. "But there are going to be a few other films released in that period of time, too."

There's already rumours for a dedicated Yoda film, and/or, Han Solo film...

[Neil]

Harrison Ford back as Han Solo! I'm amazed! Wouldn't have thought Ford would have been interested!

http://latino-review.com/2013/02/15/exclusive-harrison-ford-return-han-solo-star-wars-episode-vii/

[shootemindehead]

Oh no...

[rongravy]

Hells to the yes, please.

[shootemindehead]

Do we really want to see a 70+ Han Solo trying to tun around the place?

[AcesandEights]

Do we really want to see a 70+ Han Solo trying to tun around the place?

I would love to see them move the timeline ahead and use the Timothy Zahn books as inspiration (minus some questionable side treks), but think they'd be better served by recasting and zipping ahead 20 years. The only major actor I'd be okay with aside from droids and major costumed characters etc. would be, maybe....MAYBE...Mark Hamill, and even that is more due to sympathy. That said, it doesn't matter what we think, unfortunately.

[bassman]

I'm open to the idea of Solo returning, but I think it would work best if they just come up with an all new set of characters.

Aces....sympathy for Hamill? What do you mean by that?

[krisvds]

I find my lack of interest for these films surprising. Used to love the originals.
Then the prequels came...

I guess I'm turning into one of those grumpy old men: "everything was better when I was younger ..."
Shrugs

[Neil]

Just hope they can turn them around with the same quality of Tron for example...

[Neil]

Episode VII to focus on Han, Luke and Leia's kids? - http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Star-Wars-Episode-VII-Focus-Han-Luke-Leia-Kids-35837.html


It’s some time in the future. Han, Princess Leia (with a presumably better hairstyle), and Luke Skywalker will be a lot older. Their children will be the new main characters. R2D2 and C-3PO will be unchanged, I would guess. since they are not human. But suffice to say, the three main actors are definitely coming back.

I assume R2D2 being unchanged means he can still fly around :rolleyes: (Christ Lucas you went mad!)

[bassman]

Mark Hamill says the main actors still don't really know what's going on. They're been approached for meetings, but nothing has shaped up. They've definitely not signed on for anything...


The rumor that Harrison Ford had signed on to return as Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII started last week, but Mark Hamill now says that he and the other original stars have not officially signed on for the film. They are talking to Lucasfilm about it, however.

"They're talking to us," he said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "George [Lucas] wanted to know whether we'd be interested. He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another actor in our parts – they would write us out. … I can tell you right away that we haven't signed any contracts. We're in the stage where they want us to go in and meet with Michael Arndt, who is the writer, and Kathleen Kennedy, who is going to run Lucasfilm. Both have had meetings set that were postponed -- on their end, not mine. They're more busy than I am."

Hamill says in the interview that he doesn't know what he film will be about officially, but based on his tone, it would appear he knows more than he is letting on.

"I'm assuming, because I haven't talked to the writers, that these movies would be about our offspring -- like my character would be sort of in the Obi-Wan range [as] an influential character. … When I found out [while making the original trilogy] that ultimate good news/bad news joke – the good news is there's a real attractive, hot girl in the universe; the bad news is she's your sister – I thought, 'Well, I'm going to wind up like Sir Alec [Guinness]. I'm going to be a lonely old hermit living out in some kind of desert igloo with a couple of robots.'"

Also with the rumors of Ford returning in full swing, Hamill mentioned that he thinks everyone should come back for the film rather than just one actor, adding fuel to the fire that he knows more than he's saying.

"Another thing I'd want to make sure of is are we going to have the whole gang back? Is Carrie and Harrison and Billy Dee and Tony Daniels, everybody that's around from the original [returning]? I want to make sure that everybody's on board here, rather than just one."

Hamill also mentioned the direction he thought the film should go in terms of tone and its special effects use, and it makes sense to us.

"I said to George that I wanted to go back to the way it was, in the sense that ours was much more carefree and lighthearted and humorous – in my opinion, anyway....hope they find the right balance of CGI with practical effects. I love props, I love models, miniatures, matte paintings -- I'm sort of old school. I think if you go too far in the direction of CGI it winds up looking like just a giant a video game, and that's unfortunate. … If they listen to me at all, it'll be, 'Lighten up and go retro with the way it looks.'"

[Neil]

I actually loved the Trek reboot. I'm a pretty big fan of all of Abrams' movies so far. . .so this is great news to me.

I enjoyed it apart from:-
1) The general time travel stuff again....
2) Of all the systems, of all the planet, of all the continents, of all the caves... He just happens to walk into Spock's? Hmmm!

[AcesandEights]

Aces....sympathy for Hamill? What do you mean by that?

I always felt Hamill caught a bad string of luck in his projects in the 80s (Star Wars aside, of course) and somewhat in the 90s. I remember hearing a long time ago his car accident may have factored into it initially, but reading up on it a few years ago it didn't sound as bad as it used to be made out previously. Through persistence and an honest talent for great voice acting he has done well, I just always hoped that much more for the guy, I guess. You know?

[rongravy]

I just always hoped that much more for the guy, I guess. You know?

I do.
(He says with a tear in his eye...)
But, then again, what about Leia?
Drop Dead Fred is the only thing I ever saw her in post Star Wars.
Wonder if they've already got her on the treadmill in preparation for the next one. I'd like to see her fit into that metal bikini again...

[bassman]

I always felt Hamill caught a bad string of luck in his projects in the 80s (Star Wars aside, of course) and somewhat in the 90s. I remember hearing a long time ago his car accident may have factored into it initially, but reading up on it a few years ago it didn't sound as bad as it used to be made out previously. Through persistence and an honest talent for great voice acting he has done well, I just always hoped that much more for the guy, I guess. You know?

I hear ya. He probably could've exploded as a leading man. However, imo his voice acting is just as memorable as his physical acting. Hamill has done some truly amazing work in front of a microphone. I love what Ledger did with The Joker in TDK, but Hamill's Joker is still amazing to me. He personified that character for a generation or two. His continued work in the two Arhkam games prove that...

[shootemindehead]

I always felt Hamill caught a bad string of luck in his projects in the 80s (Star Wars aside, of course) and somewhat in the 90s. I remember hearing a long time ago his car accident may have factored into it initially, but reading up on it a few years ago it didn't sound as bad as it used to be made out previously. Through persistence and an honest talent for great voice acting he has done well, I just always hoped that much more for the guy, I guess. You know?

Hamill just isn't that great an actor. That's really what it comes down to. He's great as Luke, because he's just playing himself really and probably his best efforts were acting with the Yoda puppet in 'The Empire Strikes Back', but looking at how incredibly well that puppet was brought to life by Frank Oz etc, it wouldn't be that hard to act off of. Christ, even Irvin Kirshner admitted to giving direction to the puppet and not the puppeteers during the making of the film.

The same goes for Carrie Fisher (minus the Yoda bit of course).

This is where I have a real problem with bringing back to original cast members for a possible new series. Hamill is over 60 now and really looks it. Fisher is looking down the barrel of 60 as well and has the voice of someone who's smoked 20 Major a day washed down with a bottle of JD and Ford, although he has aged gracefully and has had the best career of them all is past it too. Granted he did OK a few years ago with that Spielberg Indy ripoff 'Tennessee Williams and the Inter-dimensional Chamber of Horror', but at 70+, I really cannot see him being of any use as Han Solo in a new Star Wars picture. On the one hand, it's great that they are all aging naturally and aren't Botox injecting bags of shite, but as far as seeing them reprise their most famous roles, it has the potential to result in one big sad and sorry mess. I think the time to have done that would have been over 10 years ago.

[Neil]

^ I'm more worried about what these kids are going to be like...

I fear we'll get super ninja warriors with super duper "Force" powers... and CGI versions of them bouncing around invulnerably like Lucas' last three messes!

[shootemindehead]

God forbid.

Bloody hell, the thought of it.

Hopefully, with a different director at the helm (although I'm not all that pushed on Abrahms), this trilogy will be a bit more sensible in its approach to the force and Jedi's etc. Frankly, I hope that the whole Jedi crap is really toned down. They're a boring bunch of feckers. Star Wars was at its best when they were a side option, rather than a main course.

[Neil]

God forbid.

Bloody hell, the thought of it.

Hopefully, with a different director at the helm (although I'm not all that pushed on Abrahms), this trilogy will be a bit more sensible in its approach to the force and Jedi's etc. Frankly, I hope that the whole Jedi crap is really toned down. They're a boring bunch of feckers. Star Wars was at its best when they were a side option, rather than a main course.

Yes, "The Force" needs to be real subtle. We don't want stupid super invincible ninja Jedi's like in Lucas' recent films. Remember them jumping down that lift shaft? So so so so so stupid!

[shootemindehead]

TBH I can't recall much from the prequels other than the enormous sense of let down that nearly everyone of my generation felt and the fact that given the resources that Lucas had at hand and the access to unbelievable funds, I would have made a better trilogy. I really mean that. I'm baffled at how something so ripe for greatness, could be fucked up so fantastically.

But I agree, I do sort of remember the leaping about, particularly one part where that awful Hayden Christensen (how the f*ck did he get that part? Really?) leps out of a flying car and manages to land on another one. Force or not...feck off.

But that is a symptom of CGI cancer.

Because it's possible for film makers to literally do what they want with their actors in a CGI landscape, they ignore the basic, rudimentary laws of physics and it ends up looking stupid, by and large. I mean the Yoda of the prequels is a prime example. There is a character that I do remember leaping all over the place and I actually guffawed when that came on the screen in the cinema. You see in my mind Yoda should be involved in fights of that nature, because it's comedy gold and I cannot understand how Lucas et al didn't see that. Yoda's force powers should be about manipulating objects around him during a fight, not light sabre duels, which I hated in the prequels, by the way. They were much better handled in the original films because they weren't so choreographed and silly looking. They looked like violence, not dancing.

Sorry for the brain fart, it's just that I've acquired copies of the original 'Star Wars' and 'Return of the Jedi' on DVD and it's remarkable how much more satisfying they are to the awful special editions. That Jabba sequence...fkn ell.

...and Nub Nub is back! Yippie !!!!!


Now that the mouse owns Lucasfilm, I am waiting for the day the the originals are cleaned up, remastered an whatnot and released on DVD. I think that it's only a matter of time.

[Neil]

Now that the mouse owns Lucasfilm, I am waiting for the day the the originals are cleaned up, remastered an whatnot and released on DVD. I think that it's only a matter of time.
Amen brother!

[MoonSylver]

I always felt Hamill caught a bad string of luck in his projects in the 80s (Star Wars aside, of course) and somewhat in the 90s. I remember hearing a long time ago his car accident may have factored into it initially, but reading up on it a few years ago it didn't sound as bad as it used to be made out previously. Through persistence and an honest talent for great voice acting he has done well, I just always hoped that much more for the guy, I guess. You know?

http://www.unlikelywords.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Harrisonfrodmarkhamill.jpg


Hamill just isn't that great an actor.

Track down a little indie sci-fi flick he did w/ Bill Paxton called "Slipstream" : he's great in it. :thumbsup:

[Neil]

Carrie Fisher back - http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Carrie-Fisher-Confirms-She-Back-Princess-Leia-Star-Wars-Episode-VII-36186.html


Disney is going to continue the Star Wars saga, producing movies set to hit theaters starting in 2015. Can you confirm whether you’ll reprise the role of Princess Leia?

"Yes."

What do you think Princess Leia is like today?

"Elderly. She’s in an intergalactic old folks’ home [laughs]. I just think she would be just like she was before, only slower and less inclined to be up for the big battle."

[bassman]

Hrmmm.....to be taken as definitive answer or as Fisher simply trying to get attention because she has nothing else to do?....

[shootemindehead]

Yeh, that's my take.

For someone who's career died in 1983, it would be idiotic for her to say that she wants nothing to do with it.

Even if the next trilogy is worse than the prequels (shudder), she'll still make a mint from them.

[Neil]

Didn't exactly die! She's been in films/TV every year since!

[wayzim]

Hrmmm.....to be taken as definitive answer or as Fisher simply trying to get attention because she has nothing else to do?....

The third to last film I saw with Fisher in it was Soapdish (91) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102951/
She was hilarious in a supporting role as a talent agent working overtime on her casting couch.
She did little more than a walk though in the cameo loaded Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back (01 )
Less so in Fanboys (09) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489049/ where she had a sneeze and you miss her cameo, but she still delivered a memorable Princess Leia line.

Still, I still have the love for Ms. Fisher, even if not so much for a new Star Wars film.

Wayne Z

" You contemptible pig! I remained celibate for you. I stood at the back of a cathedral, waiting, in celibacy, for you, with three hundred friends and relatives in attendance. My uncle hired the best Romanian caterers in the state. To obtain the seven limousines for the wedding party, my father used up his last favor with Mad Pete Trullo. So for me, for my mother, my grandmother, my father, my uncle, and for the common good, I must now kill you, and your brother. "

Carrie Fisher as The Mystery Woman in 1980's The Blues Brothers.

[shootemindehead]

Didn't exactly die! She's been in films/TV every year since!

Well, yeh. I went over to her wiki entry and was frankly surprised at the number of things she'd done. But, by "career ended" I mean that she has had the massive limelight that was part of the Star Wars thing, since the end of the Star Wars thing.

[Neil]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22197797

So seems we will have the new trilogy released in the summer of 2015, 2017 and 2019, with fill in/alternative Star Wars films in 2016 and 2018!

Wow!

[Neil]

Watch this!

7T0vs9gYydo

[rongravy]

That's the best late night reunion since Sonny and Cher on Letterman!!!
Chewie, the whoredawg...
Nice!!!

[MoonSylver]

:lol: That's great. Ford was a good sport to do it. Showed the acting chops there by keeping a straight face! "He knows what he did!" :lol:

[Neil]

A friend of mine was working up at Pinewood studios last week. He just showed me a picture he took of Storm Trooper helmets being printed there on their 3D printers, ready for the shooting which is to start in a couple of months!!! :D

[Neil]

Some very interesting (general Star Wars) information from Hamill - http://www.aintitcool.com/node/62268

[AcesandEights]

A friend of mine was working up at Pinewood studios last week. He just showed me a picture he took of Storm Trooper helmets being printed there on their 3D printers, ready for the shooting which is to start in a couple of months!!! :D

I missed this when you originally posted it...but that is pretty crazy, eh?