Ep 7 Casting listing news

[malguslover]

confirmed the casting search for Ep7

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/06/19/ ... r-details/

Late-teen female, independent, good sense of humour, fit.

Young twenty-something male, witty and smart, fit but not traditionally good looking.

A late twentysomething male, fit, handsome and confident.

Seventy-something male, with strong opinions and tough demeanour. Also doesn’ t need to be particularly fit.

A second young female, also late teens, tough, smart and fit.

Forty something male, fit, military type.

Thirtysomething male, intellectual. Apparently doesn’t need to be fit.

so we have 4 young characters that look like they will be the main cast. 2 male 2 female. From the description it doesn't sound like EU characters.

[The Romulan Republic]

Interesting.

I suspect one of the last two will be the main villain.

But this is pretty vague information.

[malguslover]

Interesting.

I suspect one of the last two will be the main villain.

But this is pretty vague information.

true but the interesting part is the 4 leads. Very clearly not going to be the solo twins.

[The Romulan Republic]

Do we have any proof those are the leads?

But you're clearly right that said twins are not on this list.

I don't care, but the rage from EU fans is going to be horrible.

[ray245]

By the time the movie is out, I think most EU fans would be resigned to the fact that the EU is going to be non Canon.

[The Romulan Republic]

Hopefully. But there will be some fans who bitch about things not being the way they want them to be. I'm resigned to reading a lot of stupid comments from these people when the movies come out.

[Sea Skimmer]

Considering that one of the twins is dead in the EU, why expect them to be cast even if the EU was to be followed? They aren't just going to adapt some random novel as the plot, if the EU is followed at all, which I doubt it will be except perhaps some of the wider themes which are just logical, they'd build on the end of it. Of course trying to predict anything off information this vague is pretty pointless.

[John Chris]

Late-teen female, independent, good sense of humour, fit.

Young twenty-something male, witty and smart, fit but not traditionally good looking.

A late twentysomething male, fit, handsome and confident.

Seventy-something male, with strong opinions and tough demeanour. Also doesn’ t need to be particularly fit.

A second young female, also late teens, tough, smart and fit.

Forty something male, fit, military type.

Thirtysomething male, intellectual. Apparently doesn’t need to be fit.

Hmm...following the usual trends of Star Wars casting, perhaps the young folks are the Skywalker-Solo kids. If not them, then apprentices of Master Skywalker and friends of the apprentices. Who wants to bet that one of those boys, if they're Skywalker's, would be named Ben and have (or dye) red hair? Because the younger one does sound a lot like Ben of the latest books, and the older one sounds like a fully-trained-Jedi Ben. The late-teen girls both sound like Leia and Han's kids, especially the 'tough, smart' one. Like Mother and Grandmother, maybe. Kinda hope the girls are named Jaina or Allana if they're Leia's, but I can work with a good different name.

It's either that or one of the teen girls will be the obligatory Princess in Distress that rounds out the SW cast. The Force must be contractually obligated to provide one if true.

The seventy-year-old. Perhaps a member of the new Jedi Council or a politician. President/Chancellor of the reformed Republic or something? Funnily enough, Edward James Olmos fits the bill quite a bit, though I'm not sure he's seventy. Was my favorite actor in nBSG, so yeah, crossing my fingers for the Force to smile on me.

Forty-something military male. Definitely an Admiral or General, at worse a Colonel or Captain of some sort. Looks like we might get an actual war breaking out, which, of course, is the point of Star Wars.

Thirtysomething intellectual male. Hmm. The villain, maybe? Or the Dragon? A Sith Lord or Dark Jedi Master with Affiably Evil and Villain with Good Publicity traits, among others? Probably won't live up to Darth Vader in badassery, but on the whole, I really like this kinda villain and hope he makes a Bond Villain Exit to raise hell for the next movie.

[The Romulan Republic]

Two boys and two girls doesn't fit the EU versions of Han, Leia, and Luke's children. That would be three boys and one girl, right?

[Havok]

Something tells me the EU is about to be royally fucked.

[DesertFly]

Something tells me the EU is about to be royally fucked. :D

I can remember a time, and not that long ago, when I would have cared. Even now, part of me wishes that everything could be worked out and that everything lines up perfectly between the previous works and this new movie. However, I now far more wish that it will be a good movie, and fuck if it lines up with anything that comes before. (Previous movies excepted....there are some lines my inner fanboy cannot cross. :P)

[Elfdart]

Something tells me the EU is about to be royally fucked.

Good and hard, I hope!

Speaking of things I hope for, I'd love to see Derek Jacobi in a major role. Years back when Movieline interviewed Kenneth Branagh (1991-92?) and asked about rumors that more Star Wars movies were on the way with Branagh playing Obi-Wan Kenobi, he said the rumors weren't true but that he'd love to be in a Star Wars movie because they were a stage actor's dream come true, and that he and his regulars (Brian Blessed, Derek Jacobi et al) talked about it all the time. According to Branagh, Jacobi said he'd give anything to play a grain of sand in the series. His portrayal of Brother Cadfael always struck me as the prototype for a Jedi Knight:

[streetad]

Late-teen female, independent, good sense of humour, fit.

Young twenty-something male, witty and smart, fit but not traditionally good looking.

A late twentysomething male, fit, handsome and confident.

Seventy-something male, with strong opinions and tough demeanour. Also doesn’ t need to be particularly fit.

Sounds superficially like the cast of the original star wars film....

Forty something male, fit, military type.

Thirtysomething male, intellectual. Apparently doesn’t need to be fit.

Some version of Pellaon and Thrawn?

[Aaron MkII]

Late-teen female, independent, good sense of humour, fit.

Young twenty-something male, witty and smart, fit but not traditionally good looking.

A late twentysomething male, fit, handsome and confident.

Seventy-something male, with strong opinions and tough demeanour. Also doesn’ t need to be particularly fit.

Sounds superficially like the cast of the original star wars film....

Forty something male, fit, military type.

Thirtysomething male, intellectual. Apparently doesn’t need to be fit.

Some version of Pellaon and Thrawn?

Yeah that would be wonderful, we can all die of boredom listening to Thrawn prattle on about art.

[Tiriol]

Yeah that would be wonderful, we can all die of boredom listening to Thrawn prattle on about art.

Strangely enough Thrawn didn't talk that much about art in the books. However, since everybody remembers that he used art to determine some aspects of its creator(s)'s psychological workings, it just has become a meme, especially since idiotic fanboys tend to over-emphasize the art business.

Anyway, Thrawn was a Grand Admiral, so he'd probably be cloder to 40 or 50 than 30. And even if he ends up in the movies (I find it unlikely, even though I like the character), they have to make adjustments, just like just about every incarnation of live action Sherlock Holmes. My bet, though, is that they go straight for some original movie material or use the EU (at best) as some callbacks.

[Abacus]

They said that they'd make side movies. So as long as I get a movie about Boba Fett being a badass bounty hunter and maybe a movie about Thrawn then I'll be happy. I'd also be thrilled to see if they would do a movie based around the fan-made "IMPS The Relentless" series. Something like the rise of General Veers through the ranks, etc.

[The Romulan Republic]

My problem with Thrawn is that he's an Imperial officer and I don't want the Empire to still be a threat in these films. I prefer the Empire quickly falling after Palpatine's death and new villains appearing.

An alternate version of Thrawn who's an independent warlord would be acceptable, I suppose.

Edit: I'll second casting Derek Jacobi. His brief appearance as the Master in Doctor Who created one of the best villains in the new series.

[Gaidin]

For all that the EU had the screwed up superweapon of the week trope, isn't the galactic scale of the the war the one thing they sort of got right? That the thing wouldn't end with the mere death of the Emperor?

[The Romulan Republic]

The war with the Empire going on for ages is repetitive and it doesn't fit the optimistic tone of the ending of Return of the Jedi.

I'd rather the films focus on another idea from the EU: that the Empire broke into a bunch of independent factions. And because there's no way the Rebellion would be able to quickly take control of everything, there would still be conflicts. But it would be a bunch of little wars rather than one big one. This allows subsequent stories to have a diverse group of villains and conflicts.

[Captain Seafort]

My problem with Thrawn is that he's an Imperial officer and I don't want the Empire to still be a threat in these films.

Who says he has to be a villain? It might be interesting to see a post-Palpatine NR/Empire with a military containing elements of both the rebels and the old Imperial Starfleet. Thrawn (or any senior officer) as one of the good guys, but with an Imperial background would make the dynamic between him and the leads (presumably the old Big Three's offspring and/or protégés) very interesting.

Edit: I'll second casting Derek Jacobi. His brief appearance as the Master in Doctor Who created one of the best villains in the new series.

One of? He was the Master for all of five minutes and still managed to produce the second best incarnation in the show's history. Since the restart he's up with the Blink Weeping Angels and Sec in Doomsday as the best of the villains by a good margin, and they way they later got mangled means he stands alone as the best of the lot.

[The Romulan Republic]

I wonder if Thrawn would have switched sides if the Empire had fallen quickly as I suggested. I doubt he would have tried to defeat the New Republic without a strong fleet. He wasn't an idiot. But I don't see him sitting on the sidelines. So he'd either have to join or create a small independent state or join the New Republic.

And while we're on the topic of actors from Doctor Who, I'd like to say that I think David Tenant would make a spectacular Sith or dark Jedi. His acting tends to impress me the most when he's acting angry or crazy and I can easily imagine him cackling while shooting lightning from his fingers.

[Abacus]

I wonder if Thrawn would have switched sides if the Empire had fallen quickly as I suggested. I doubt he would have tried to defeat the New Republic without a strong fleet. He wasn't an idiot. But I don't see him sitting on the sidelines. So he'd either have to join or create a small independent state or join the New Republic.

No, he would not. It's in fact explicitly stated by the character in the book "Choices of One." Thrawn believes that the democratic nature of the Rebels made them too divisive in the face of major threats to the galaxy at large, whereas a united and strong single empire was more efficient and beneficial. He displays throughout his books the ability to use minimal means to achieve great success, to the point that he is indeed almost a trope unto himself, that Magnificent Bastard.

Although you are correct on the second point. He *did* make his own independent state: the Empire of the Hand. It existed for at least fifty to a hundred years from the time of its inception to the eventual absorption into the Imperial Remnant or the Chiss Ascendancy.

[The Romulan Republic]

No doubt Thrawn would prefer an empire. But what if that wasn't practical? Do you see Thrawn fighting a hopeless campaign that would only destabilize the galaxy he wanted to unify?

And despite Thrawn's skill, he was defeated by the New Republic when he had an empire behind him, so I'm skeptical that he could beat them if he was almost starting from scratch. At most he could be a terrorist/insurgent, and that doesn't seem like Thrawn's style.

[Abacus]

No doubt Thrawn would prefer an empire. But what if that wasn't practical? Do you see Thrawn fighting a hopeless campaign that would only destabilize the galaxy he wanted to unify?

No. He would have recognized the fact and made an effort to avoid it. His character always made it clear that if there was a better idea or a course of action that would limit the number of casualties, then he'd take it.

And despite Thrawn's skill, he was defeated by the New Republic when he had an empire behind him, so I'm skeptical that he could beat them if he was almost starting from scratch. At most he could be a terrorist/insurgent, and that doesn't seem like Thrawn's style.

He had only six to eight ISDs to start his campaign with and did not have an entire Empire behind him. He had a coalition of jealous and divided warlords that only grudgingly gave him limited resources. He took what he could and accomplished a ridiculously large amount with it. I would consider starting from scratch to be far more advantageous and easy than how he started in the books.

And Thrawn doesn't have a style. He uses anything and everything to gain advantage. Fluidity, not stagnation.

[Gaidin]

No, he would not. It's in fact explicitly stated by the character in the book "Choices of One." Thrawn believes that the democratic nature of the Rebels made them too divisive in the face of major threats to the galaxy at large, whereas a united and strong single empire was more efficient and beneficial. He displays throughout his books the ability to use minimal means to achieve great success, to the point that he is indeed almost a trope unto himself, that Magnificent Bastard.

Although you are correct on the second point. He *did* make his own independent state: the Empire of the Hand. It existed for at least fifty to a hundred years from the time of its inception to the eventual absorption into the Imperial Remnant or the Chiss Ascendancy.

The interesting thing is that his part of the war was done at a point in time when the Galactic Civil War was still a pretty big thing and could not be said to be at a winding down stage like it was in the Hand of Thrawn duology when the treaty was signed. If, by considering the age of the casting requirements, we were to take certain assumptions about the positions of the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant, specifically their military positions and capabilities, that's not exactly a position Thrawn would logically be able to take were he to be honest with himself.