The New Faces of the Force Awakens
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newly announced sequels. Hamill unexpectedly savvy in tapping into the desires of millions of legitimate. You want it to be authentic. Building broke the news to me that he, Ford, and Fisher STAR WARS fans. He knows what we like. as much as we possibly could was really would indeed be returning. He explained, Visually, he knows what we want. And he the mandate. … You don’t need to use your ”George wanted to know whether we’d be knows intrinsically that he’ll win fan favor if imagination because we actually have those sets interested. He did say that if we didn’t want he stacks the new STAR WARS deck with as there. And it was great for the actors too.” to do it, they wouldn’t cast another actor in many artists and elements from the Original That means a full-sized Millennium Falcon our parts – they would write us out.” Fisher Trilogy that we know and love. That means was once again constructed, droids were immediately said yes to the notion, and Hamill using major production design elements by the assembled, puppets and animatronic creatures knew that if he said no he’d never hear the end late Ralph McQuarrie. Recruiting EMPIRE were brought to life, and gargantuan sets were of it from fans. Ford clearly was on board too, and JEDI writer Lawrence Kasdan following put in place in lieu of a parade of green screens. and a calendar year before the official cast was Arnt’s departure. Filming set pieces at Pinewood And the crew also went around the world on announced by Disney, I had secured a little place Studios. Using Sound Design by Ben Burtt. location to commit the best landscapes available in STAR WARS history by sharing Hamill’s Locking down John Williams for the score. to film, including Ireland and Abu Dhabi, news with the world that the original cast was And despite their physical limitations as elder doubling for the desert planet of Jakku. “STAR coming back. statesmen, putting Peter Mayhew back in WARS is as much a Western and a fairy tale as Enter J.J. Abrams as the top choice to direct his Chewie hide, Anthony Daniels back in it is anything else,” continued Abrams. “One of STAR WARS EPISODE VII, soon to be Threepio’s chassis, and Kenny Baker back the things that you expect and want to see are known as THE FORCE AWAKENS. With a inside R2 (with members of the worldwide real, tangible, John Ford-beautiful landscapes, fresh pedigree that included two STAR TREK R2-D2 Builder’s Club, like Lee Towersey and and shooting in Abu Dhabi provided just that. It films that arguably had a lot more to do with Oliver Steeples, to handle the astromech droid’s was an incredible thing to be there.” STAR WARS than TREK, Abrams has always other movements). Once the world gets to see THE FORCE publicly declared his unabashed love for STAR A key concern on many minds, and Hamill AWAKENS, there will be elation, but there WARS. At Anaheim’s fan-packed STAR WARS was vocal about this too, was whether or not will no doubt also be disappointment. No one CELEBRATION this year, he recounted first Abrams would limit the CGI overload that had can ever fully recreate the magic of the first falling for Lucas’ masterpiece: “I was 11 years permeated Lucas’ Prequel Trilogy and arguably STAR WARS films, because any new product old when it came out. Eleven was a great age tarnished the series, making it look more like a ultimately relies on meeting or exceeding some to have my mind blown. I’ll never forget that video game than a live-action film. Fortunately, seriously lofty expectations. But this time feeling of seeing A long time ago in a galaxy Abrams allayed concerns by explaining, around, we may be pleasantly surprised. far, far away. Fade out, and those words hit the “When we were working on pre-production “They say, ‘You can’t please everybody,’ screen with that incredible music, and it was of the movie, the thing that struck me — and though we are trying very hard to do just that,” that moment on that just transported me. It was it wouldn’t get out of my head — is just how says Abrams. “There are moments where the the first time a movie made me laugh that way, real you knew and felt STAR WARS was when pressure of what we’re doing, the responsibility and made me believe in another world that way, you first saw A NEW HOPE. … Whether they of what we’re doing — honoring the legacy, but and it was really George Lucas’ brilliance not were shooting in Tunisia or on various physical using the legacy to tell a brand-new story that only creating these incredible characters and tangible sets, you couldn’t deny it. … There moves forward, that makes the fans proud — it’s this amazing universe, [but] also that it had such are going to be an endless number of effects the most important thing that we’re all working heart. And the biggest thing for me is it had such that will be done [in FORCE AWAKENS], CG on. I will say that though there are moments hope. And that to me was incredibly powerful, and otherwise, of course. We needed … to set of … sheer horror at what that is, the reality is even at 11 years old.” a standard that was real, that felt like you knew I’ve never had more fun in my life working on If anything, Abrams is a true film geek the people were in those places. The way the anything. The opportunity far outweighs the risk himself and has proven himself to be enviably light interacts with the set, you want it to be of this, and I can’t wait for you to see them.” STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS opens in theaters December 18. THE NEW FACES OF THE FORCE AWAKENS THE FORCE AWAKENS Director With only four feature credits under his Intimidatingly tall and eccentric, 32-year-old Adam Best known for his performances as Gollum, King J.J. ABRAMS belt, the 23-year-old Londoner made a big Driver made waves romancing Lena Dunham in impact in 2011’s aliens-invade-the-projects Kong, and Caesar the Ape, the 51-year-old Brit After working as a writer for hire, GIRLS. His Kylo Ren is determined to pick up the once joked about getting motion-capture dots film ATTACK THE BLOCK as villain-turned- mantle of Darth Vader and destroy the resistance the fourth director to helm a hero Moses. He has described his role tattooed on his face. He goes mo-cap once again STAR WARS film became a big as AWOL First Order trooper Finn as and the Jedi with his self-built crossguard as Supreme Leader Snoke, a powerful figure lightsaber, which became the talk of the Internet. on the Dark Side and Kylo Ren’s superior. name on TV with FELICITY, ALIAS, JOHN BOYEGA “motivated by fear.” ADAM DRIVER ANDY SERKIS and LOST. Following his MISSION: johnboyega darthkyloren SLEADERSNOKE IMPOSSIBLE III feature debut, Abrams fashioned himself into Spielberg’s creative successor with SUPER 8 and Ridley, 23, plays Rey, a scrap collector on The 32-year-old son of Irish actor Brendan Mexican born, Kenyan-raised Nyong’o won the revitalized the STAR TREK franchise. the desert planet Jakku alongside droid Gleeson plays First Order officer General Hux, Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing the directorjjabrams companion BB-8. A relative newcomer with commander of the First Order’s Starkiller base. slave Patsey in 2013’s Best Picture winner 12 mostly Brit TV to her credit, we know that Before FORCE AWAKENS, he was best known YEARS A SLAVE. Like Andy Serkis, the 32-year she has a speeder as cool as Luke’s for the soapy time-travel love story ABOUT old used motion capture to play space pirate from A NEW HOPE, and she looks TIME, Angelina Jolie’s UNBROKEN, and Maz Kanata, appearing onscreen as a totally LUCASFILM PRESIDENT/FORCE AWAKENS great running from explosions. DOMHNALL CGI figure. DAISY RIDLEY EX MACHINA alongside Oscar Isaac. LUPITA NYONG’O PRODUCER Kathleen KENNEDY daisyridley generalhux GLEESON darthkyloren A longtime Steven Spielberg producer, Kennedy served in the ‘70s and ‘80s blockbuster production With a slew of awards under his belt and The 86-year-old Swedish-French von Sydow made his trenches that STAR WARS itself It’s a new age of equality and female empowerment, critically acclaimed performances in such so why shouldn’t a woman wear the most iconic mark in Bergman’s THE SEVENTH SEAL, as Father helped generate, so it’s only fitting films as NI SIDE LLEWYN DAVIS and EX stormtrooper armor since the original design? Merrin in THE EXORCIST, and as Ming the Merciless that she returns to the franchise. MACHINA, the 36-year-old Isaac describes 37-year-old Brit Christie proved her battle in FLASH GORDON. You might wonder how many George Lucas personally appointed her to prowess in GAME OF THRONES and will only his X-Wing resistance pilot Poe Dameron other enduring movie universes the multi-award oversee his Lucasfilm empire after its further cement her place in geek history as as the “best frickin’ pilot in the galaxy.” winner can possibly lend his name to. $4 billion sale to Disney in 2012. OSCAR ISAAC GWENDOLINE Captain Phasma. MAX VON SYDOW CHRISTIE kathleenkennedy poe dameron captainphasma maxvonsydow Star Wars OF RETURN THE OLD GUARD In additon to the new and familiar faces of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, we are more than excited to see our Original Trilogy friends back for new adventures.