“The big surprise, I'm told, is that [Harrison] Ford has a gigantic role in the first of the next three films.” And if he's going to finally get JJ Abrams to do what he wanted back in 1983, maybe we'll see Ford die as Han Solo, kicking off this next chapter of the “Star Wars” saga and closing the door on the legacy of the series in one fell swoop.
According to a report on Deadline tonight, tomorrow morning is the table read for “Star Wars Episode VII” in London. I'm sure the security on that room will be tighter than at the White House, with Bad Robot snipers posted on the rooftops and actual Stormtroopers outside the room where they do the reading.
There's so long until we see this film that I don't really want to know anything yet. I don't want to know all the twists and turns. I don't want to know all the details about where we'll meet Luke Skywalker or Leia or Han Solo or any of the characters. I want to discover that in the right time. I want to enjoy those moments instead of pre-digesting everything.
I'll be honest… I've been offered more information on this film than I have wanted to know, and I've actually deleted some e-mails unread. When this first film is out, I would love to dig in and learn all about the development and the various drafts and what was different in Michael Arndt's first draft and how the casting process worked… but right now, I want to be able to go sit in a theater at some point and actually watch this as a movie.
If Deadline is right, it doesn't sound like there are going to be a ton of surprises in store when the cast for the film is finally announced. We know that Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill are all in London already, and it sounds like the cast will also include John Boyega, which makes me over-the-top happy. I thought he was great in “Attack The Block,” and if he makes the jump to giant-canvass movies in a “Star Wars” film, the whole world's going to get a chance to see what makes him special. Same with Oscar Isaac or Adam Driver. These are guys who have been doing interesting work, but who could certainly benefit from being in a film this size just as much as the film could benefit from having actors who are this vibrant and interesting.
Say what you will about “Star Trek Into Darkness,” but the thing that I think Abrams has on his side walking into this is his knack for putting people together. The casting for the 2009 “Star Trek” was that movie's greatest strength, and I love the energy that cast has together. I hope for the same thing here, and I can't wait to see if he's able to set a template for where that galaxy is headed in the future.
Or the past, I guess, as the case may be.
“Star Wars Episode VII” is due in theaters December 18, 2015.