Star Wars Episode VII Countdown

[Syren]

I'm excited because my step-father has worked with Abrams in the past and I generally tend to trust his vision in all cases save for one. He has a raging hard on for time-travel and for the most part it works...except in Felicity. Cut the season short if you've shot your load and the audience is satisfied with the conclusion. Do not take the burner episodes and force a What-If scenario. But in his defense he was young back then and had not yet fully realized his own style. Forgiven. So yeah, I trust him with our beloved Star Wars.

Not using the EU stuff kind of relegates the novels to essentially fan-fiction.

The only thing that bugs me about newer SW content is that it's all geared toward kids. It lacks a real darkness. I just saw the previews for that Rebels thing and it made me groan. Sure, Disney owns Lucasfilm and therefore it will have some kind of lucrative demographic friendly undertones but it would be nice to have something geared more toward adults. Something gritty and scandalous. Even Clone Wars which had elements of more mature content as the seasons progressed really drew a line they didn't cross. I vote for an animated show, geared toward adults and broadcast on like Adult Swim or something. Late at night so they can really get messed up.

[Erasmar]

Well, the EU is officially dead: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/31840/lucasfilm-comments-on-star-wars-canon

It's kind of sad -- or it's very sad; I can't decide. Like you said, Sy, it makes all of the EU no better than fan fiction. Apparently it's going to have some sort of "Legends" titled tacked on to it. The biggest thing for me is that the EU was probably more important to me than the films, or at least equally as important. The Thrawn Trilogy is what got me into reading. I owned so many sourcebooks, encyclopedias, and so on. Now none of it matters, though some of it may again, but likely not.

Actually the more I think about it, the more depressed I become.

And yeah, the change in tone sucks. The recent Clone Wars series isn't that bad though, but it's still much more geared toward kids. I'm worried about Abrams at the helm, since he doesn't handle subtlety very well to me, not in his feature films at least. And no matter what he says, I'm still worried about CGI and shaky cams. Ah well.

[SWSF Hale]

For the most part, it does seem consistent with the position Lucas himself has maintained over the years. It is sad to say goodbye to the EU, but perhaps this is what is best for the future of Star Wars.

Bear in mind, the same thing happened when the prequels were made. Victory Star Destroyers, Z-95 Headhunters, and Juggernauts were considered Old Republic mainstays in the EU, but in the films only the Juggernaut made it (with a cameo at that).

[SWSF Eidolon]

Well you can't unpublish the shit so it doesn't really matter what a license holder has to say or puts out from there on.  The fans digest what they will and tastes within that group will always vary widely as to what is preferred.  As simmers we've always done that anyways, modify or cherry pick pertinent canon aspects, set the ground for for the sandbox etc.  Those sex symbol tweens in the Clone Wars were taken from Dark Horse comics where they originated, so DH really created the characters, but with Clone Wars they are part of canon.  There will be so much recycle and overturn, I'd be surprised if most prominent notable pieces of EU and up being used/included in the from here out "official" timeline etc.

Maybe expect names to be different of offspring, but I'd expect Han and Leia to have twins in a repeat of Anakin and Padme.  You'd think the fan demand for Thrawn would make sure Zahn novels carried over.  Maybe whenever it is Chewbacca dies in one of the books will be different.  I'm sure the Vong won't be there (ew anyway imo). 


I wonder what Disney will do with those old Ewok movies that always only ever aired once every solar eclipse or so?  Cindel!!!!!!

I bet she became a spice head.   


It's a bit of a slight though, from the perspective of the work the fans put in putting shit in order for Lucasfilm anyways.  Over at Wookieepedia, I'd be feeling like Disney just flicked me off.

[Dementat]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-episode-vii-cast-698480

[Rinny]

Needs more ladies to break up this sausage fest.

[SWSF Hale]

Max von Sydow is totally going to be a Sith Lord. There's no other reason to hire a veteran European actor otherwise. lol

[SWSF Eidolon]

 Will you look at this crap!

Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.

DROID ABUSE!

R2 is the best actor there.  Figures they'd railroad him in to an Ark of the Covenant crate!  *looks to Harrison*  It has his slimy nostalgic reference all over it!

[Rinny]

Looking at a larger version of that picture I am now even more insanely jealous of this Daisy girl.

[Dementat]

If they pin his ears back, Adam Driver could pull off Jacen Solo... and this Domhnall Gleeson kinda resembles young Ben Skywalker... Von Sydow is likely an Imperial Officer of some sort... although he is no Pellaeon.

[Rinny]

I'm thinking only one of them will be a Solo offspring, probably the girl. The others will be Jedi padawan types and maybe that guy from Girls falling to the dark side.

[Erasmar]

Needs more ladies to break up this sausage fest.

That was one of my first thoughts too. The picture looks kind of awkward with the sheer amount of dudes there and only three women, one of which is a producer.

I heard that Adam Driver came to J. J. Abram's attention when Abrams saw an interview about him that said he had to work out every day because he felt the need to physically destroy things. So, here's hoping he plays a bad guy. He's also got a creepy voice so I think he could make a good villain.

Andy Serkis's presence always gives you strong odds that a main character will be completely CGI'd, which makes me nervous in Star Wars terms (J.J.B.), but then again I love his work as Gollum and Caesar, so overall I'm looking forward to seeing what role he plays.

I just hope that each of these actors is not a main character; it would be too much. I assume Abrams wants to keep the 3PO/R2 motif, so those two are already accounted for. I kind of doubt Chewie will be in it all that much because of Mayhew's health/age. But then your other true main character were only four: Luke, Leia, Han, and Vader (I suppose you can make a case for Lando). I think a lot of what made the originals work was the focus on the core trio's relationships to each other, so I hope Abrams doesn't have too many characters vying for us to care about them.

My guess would be the mains are Boyega, Ridley, Isaac, and Driver. Serkis with a side part as a Yoda-like character. Von Sydow as a Moff holding the Empire together. Gleeson as a space leprechaun.

[SWSF Eidolon]

Not going to guess roles but I will toss out some plot guesses!

1) solo twins, not to follow Jacen Jania line but to mimic Luke Leia dynamic for future property use.

2) Chewbacca dies.  If any original chars are carrying over to VIII, I think one has to die here. Adam "Chewie" Jones makes the most sense to me.  Youre not losing star power and character, just character. Plus it seems like the obvious personal heart crusher.  Thatd be the ancillary talkig point of the movie. "They killed Chewie.."  Maybe he will save Han from imminent death, a nod to the Life Debt!

[Rinny]

I think the first film will probably have the feel of all these characters vying for screen time, but I'm pretty sure it's been said (by one of the original trio if I'm remembering right) that it they would have "passing the torch" sort of roles and won't be having central parts in the new trilogy.  I don't imagine we'll see much of Han or Leia (if at all) in 8 & 9. Luke will likely die if not in this film, in 8 since the young hero always loses their mentor.

As for the lack of female representation, here's hoping we get to see some badass chicks in the other two installments as they phase out the old cast.  Kick ass bounty hunter? Crazy Sith Sorceress? Hells yes!

[SWSF Eidolon]

A female dark character would be nice to see on the big screen for sure.

Theres some crazy professional looking Dathomir Witch cosplay type stuff on DeviantArt I think it was that capture a corrupted dark jedi woman quite well.