Star Wars VII - Force For Change - Unicef Fundraiser - X-Wing

See some more of the Star Wars VII props on this video with J.J. Abrams talking about the fundraiser for Unicef.

Carrie Fisher's Daughter Will Play Princess Leia in Star Wars VII

Billie Lourd, Carrie Fisher's daughter, is set to play Princess Leia in some flashback scenes for the upcoming Star Wars movie.

The movie is slated for December 2015 but Harrison Ford's injury may delay this release.  J.J. Abrams is requesting a move to May 2016, a move that Disney does not want to
do.

Harrison Ford's Injury May Delay Star Wars VII

It is pretty well known now that Harrison Ford's injury to his leg was bad enough to keep him sidelined for a while but it could be up to 6 months.  Since Han Solo was meant to be a primary character for episode VII there is a rumor that an emergency meeting has taken place to come up with a plan.  Options probably include delaying the film's release date to 2016, an already crowded movie year with all the super hero films. Another option would be to re-write the film and take that character out of the film.  Not a good option but perhaps they can move is scenes into the next episode.  Yet another option is to write in the injury and have Han Solo going around in a wheel chair. A final option would be up George Lucas's alley would be to CG Ford's head onto a CG body and have him do the part that way.

Some of these are stupid but not out of the realm of possibility.

Ricardo Montalban in Spy Kids 2 - oh boy.....

I think rewriting the part out of the movie or having him with an injury in the movie, depending on what he was doing in the film are good options given the bad situation.  Moving the movie to 2016, perhaps only until May (where the other Star Wars films opened by the way) might be the least damaging option of all.  We know Disney wants a Christmas movie release but this is Star Wars, and Star Wars is a summer film!

Photo Source - http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/harrison-ford-spotted-leaving-hospital-wheelchair-article-1.1839628

Star Wars News

Rian Johnson will be directing episode VIII of Star Wars and will be screenwriter for episode IX.  Johnson directed the sci-fi movie Looper (2012) and the TV series Breaking Bad.

As well reported everywhere, Harrison Ford had suffered a broken leg in an accident on set at Pinewood Studios while filming episode VII.  No word on when he will be able to return to work.

Star Wars - Episode 7 Set Photos

TMZ has some exclusive photos from the set of the new Star Wars film.

Awww, he's so cute!

http://www.tmz.com/2014/06/02/star-wars-episode-7-set-photos-secret-pics-new-creature/

Star Wars: A High Hope

By Ken Parker

I like Star Wars.  I was a big fan throughout the 70's and 80's and was really looking forward to the prequels.  While nowhere near living up to my expectations, I did enjoy the majority of the trilogy, especially the final installment.  But that feeling I had for Star Wars was probably more of a childhood thing and no amount of sequels or prequels would ever recapture that time. Even now I wonder what the future has in store for the franchise.

Star Wars Episode VII Cast Announced

The cast for the new Star Wars film has been announced on the official Star Wars Facebook page.  The original cast will be joined by John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow.  Also announced is that John Williams will be doing the soundtrack for the film also.  

Post by Star Wars.

J.J. Abrams discusses "Star Wars VII" - well, a little bit

"Your destiny lies with me Abrams. George knew this to be true."

A famous story that began "a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" returns to filming soon on Earth.

Director J.J. Abrams said over the weekend that the filming of "Star Wars: Episode VII" will begin in January in London. Abrams was speaking Saturday at a film conference for film producers in Los Angeles. Several media outlets, including The Christian Science Monitor and The Christian Post, reported on his comments.

The location of the filming is notable, since all six previous movies in the series were shot in London while Abrams has to this point in his career directed all of his films in Los Angeles. Relocating overseas "really does make me insane," Abrams told the Produced By Conference.

Abrams may not be so true to other "Star Wars" traditions, however, also saying: "I think that the thing is so big and so massive to so many people that the key to moving forward is honoring but not revering what went before."

Exactly what that means already is driving fans into a frenzy. We know that some of the beloved players from the original trilogy - Mark Hammill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), and Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) – have signed on for "Episode VII." The questions is, how does Abrams use them while jump-starting a series that took creative and artistic steps backward under creator George Lucas in the second trilogy?

We know he breathed new life into the "Star Trek" franchise. Can he do the same for "Star Wars"?

One possible clue: Disney, which purchased the franchise from Lucas, has hired screenwriter Michael Arndt ("Toy Story 3") to team with Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," to work on the script.

Of course, we won't know for sure until the movie is released in the summer of 2015.

J.J. Abrams To Direct New Star Wars Film

The Wrap broke the news that J.J. Abrams will be directing the new Star Wars film - see the story here.

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/jj-abrams-set-direct-next-star-wars-film-exclusive-74596

I know Abrams has his critics but he can breathe new life into this franchise and so it is a good choice.  I thought that there would be many other better choices but I am happy with the decision.

Here are other news sites breaking the news -

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/j-j-abrams-to-direct-next-star-wars-movie/

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/01/24/j-j-abrams-star-wars-director/

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2013/01/24/j-j-abrams-set-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii/

The Latest Star Wars 7-9 Rumor - Darth Vader Returns!

It appears that the UK tabloid, "The Express", is stating that Disney is looking to bring back Darth Vader for the next series of movies and that he is an "integral part of the franchise."

It is probably a made up rumor and we will hear a million more before the next movie comes out but what if it is true?

I can see several possibilities.  One is that Darth Vader is back, resurrected somehow.  This is very bad as it would cheapen the Episodes 1-6.  Vader no longer exists and even if he had survived, Anakin returned to the good side of the Force.  So could Vader time travel?  Or is his return in the form of an evil ghost like figure haunting Luke?  Imagine a spirit world of deceased Jedi continually interacting with the living.

Another more realistic method would be someone else dons Darth Vader's costume and calls himself Darth Vader.  This other evil Jedi becomes Darth Vader II of sorts and becomes a new villain for the Jedi in the next batch of movies.  This seems to be the least objectionable way for him to return.  Luke knows it is not really Darth Vader but perhaps rumors of Vader still being alive are supported by someone else taking the part.  That way we see the return of Vader in a similar fashion than the many superheroes and villains who's identity is taken up by someone new. (Batman, Robin, Green Lantern, Green Goblin, etc)

I don't have a problem with Vader returning as long as it is done imaginatively and not ruining the previous movies.  Still, moving on and dealing with new villains would be preferred.

By the way, there is no reason why Boba Fett could not return to the franchise in a similar fashion.  That would be another popular character that could redeem his short appearances in the previous movies.

Star Wars Episode 7 - Not Spielberg, Not Tarantino, Not Snyder - Arndt, Yes!

Steven Spielberg has said that he does not want to be involved in Star Wars stating "It is not my genre, I'ts my best friend George's genre."

Quentin Tarantino states "I could so care less" about next Star Wars trilogy.  "Especially if Disney is going to do it."

Zach Snyder is a big Star Wars fan but thinks "i just think doing episode 7, 8 and 9 is just a slippery slope." and "would be a lot of effort."

While the search for a director is still going on, the screen writer for Episode 7 has been selected.  Michael Arndt will write Star Wars Episode Seven.  Arndt wrote Little Miss Sunshine which won an Oscar.  He also wrote Toy Story 3 and the upcoming The Hunger Games - Catching Fire.

More Disney - Star Wars Details

Some more details about the deal from aintitcool.com

1) Disney now owns all Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and ILM (the company that once owned Pixar), as well as the trademark for "Android" or "Droid". Disney will now own all intellectual property rights with some distribution and licensing exceptions based on existing deals, much like how Universal still has the Marvel theme park license for a while yet.

2) Much was made of Disney's global licensed product and distribution reach making better use of LucasFilm licenses, with all emphasis on the $4.05 billion paid being relative to the value of the Star Wars franchise. For example, this would imply that any Star Wars (and Indiana Jones?) licensed comic books will now go under Marvel once the current Star Wars/Dark Horse contract ends, and video games would go through Disney Interactive.

UPDATE 1:: Bob Iger: "We're likely to focus more on social and mobile than we are on console. We'll look opportunistically at console, most likely in licensing rather than publishing, but we think that given the nature of these characters and how well known they are, and the storytelling, that they lend themselves quite nicely, as they've already demonstrated to the other platforms"

3) Disney plans to release a new Star Wars movie every 2-3 years starting in 2015. All of them will be in 3D.

4) Star Wars Episodes 7, 8, and 9 will be a trilogy. The treatment is done, is in "early stage development", and the movies are to be released every other year.

5) ILM will remain a studio-agnostic gun for hire. Disney does not want to change anything about how they operate.

6) Fox retains ownership and distribution of all existing Star Wars movies (until that contract expires...?). All future films will be distributed solely by Disney, unlike Paramount retaining partial distribution rights when Marvel was acquired. No mention was made of who now owns the Star Wars Holiday Special.

This leaves us with tons of questions.  Will there be a new Indiana Jones?  What about the planned Star Wars live action series? What will the next Star Wars trilogy be about?  And so on - very exciting news for sure!!

Source - http://www.aintitcool.com/node/59381