'Episode VII' adds an Oscar winner & more set pics
Posted Monday, June 2, 2014 at 4:08 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 12:18 PM Central
by John Couture
While I'm sure we could post every single bit of information that leaks out about Star Wars: Episode VII, at some point you're going to tire of StarWarsETA.com (564 days FYI). So, Tim and I made a conscious decision that we would doing periodic lumped updates either as stand-alone stories or as part of our weekly MMM.
However, there are some things that are simply too big and justify their own story. This announcement is one of those times.
According to StarWars.com, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie have been added to the cast for Star Wars: Episode VII. No other details were released concerning their involvement or what roles they will play.
It's probably a safe bet that the 6' 3" Gwendoline Christie will be playing fighter of some sort. She currently plays a warrior on the HBO series Game of Thrones and is set to portray a rebel leader in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. In other words, she seems more than qualified to join the franchise. Of course, I hope they dress her up as a storm trooper and someone quips, "You're a little tall for a storm trooper, aren't ya?"
Nyong'o took home the golden statue for Best Actress this past year for her role in 12 Years a Slave. Her involvement in Star Wars has been rumored for weeks, but it's possible that scheduling conflicts or contract negotiations prevented them from announcing her casting last month with the rest of the cast.
Both of these announcements help to shore up some online controversy surrounding the fact that only two females had been initially cast in Episode VII. Just with the limited information that we have on Episode VII right now, I think that it's safe to say that it will be the most diverse Star Wars cast from top to bottom. Hopefully today's news will finally quiet those odd comments.
Switching gears a bit, TMZ posted 40 or so pictures from the Abu Dhabi set. There are two main reveals from the lot. The first is a new enormous (practical) creature that some are comparing to a big pig.
The other is a structure that many people, including MakingStarWars.net, have pointed out look to have been inspired by Ralph McQuarrie art that was commissioned, but not used, for Return of the Jedi. You can click on the image above or here to see all of the pictures.
This brings up an interesting point that we touched on earlier. In today's smartphone world, how impossible is it going to be for J.J. Abrams to be able to keep everything locked down in his mystery box that he favors so much? Well, if the last few weeks are any indication, J.J. has his work cut out for him.
Speaking of social media and (controlled?) leaks from the set, if you haven't started following John Boyega on both Twitter and Instagram then you are missing out big time. Besides being a great up-and-coming actor, he really gets and has a great sense of humor. Oh and yeah, he's posting some great shots from the set and bonding with other cast mates. We're talking about you Miss Daisy Ridley.
You know, this makes me wonder what it would have been like had social media or even the Internet existed back when they were making the original Star Wars trilogy. Oh the stories that could have been told.