imperialscum said:

Anchorhead said:

Not a gamer.  For no reason in particular, it just never interested me. 

Pity. I think you are missing out on some great EU.

But on the other hand, it doesn't hurt if you are not aware of it. :)

Great EU here meaning the KotOR games, and Republic Commando if you can tolerate the prequel era and from what I hear the Jedi Knight series.

SilverWook said:

And before anyone starts kvetching about J.J. hiring people he's worked with before, remember George kept hiring that Harrison Ford guy long after American Graffiti.

Isn't it bad enough that the Human Torch is Captain America and Daredevil is going to be Batman?!!1!

Say NO to mixed space relations!

SilverWook said:

And before anyone starts kvetching about J.J. hiring people he's worked with before, remember George kept hiring that Harrison Ford guy long after American Graffiti.

Actually, Tom Selleck was their first choice for Indiana Jones, but he was contractually obligated to Magnum PI at the time. 

And Christopher Walken was Lucas's first choice for Han Solo, as he would have been a much darker character then the more sarcastic that Ford ended up playing him. 

CO said:

SilverWook said:

And before anyone starts kvetching about J.J. hiring people he's worked with before, remember George kept hiring that Harrison Ford guy long after American Graffiti.

Actually, Tom Selleck was their first choice for Indiana Jones, but he was contractually obligated to Magnum PI at the time. 

And Christopher Walken was Lucas's first choice for Han Solo, as he would have been a much darker character then the more sarcastic that Ford ended up playing him. 

 

I'd heard about Walken auditioning for Han Solo (the Kevin Spacey snl skit has made it infamous), but this is the first I've read of him being Lucas' first choice. Fascinating. I wonder who overruled him (or got him to change his mind).

Anyway, I'm a little surprised no one here mentioned the casting rumors from last week about Alex Pettyfer and Rachel Hurd-Wood. The overwhelming response to the Pettyfer rumor was "Oh, Please God, NO," but Hurd-Wood looks like she'd do nicely. I haven't seen any of her movies, only know of her as the girl from that Peter Pan movie from a decade ago, but she's a talented actress by all accounts. Her imdb photo screams Star Wars imo.

Since the production is filming in the U.K., they're obviously trying to cast locally. The casting rumor from last week teased a "big rumor" for this week, and now we know it's Cumberbatch. That makes two Abrams alums whose names have been floated (the other being Jonathen Rhys-Meyers).

I think it's a foregone conclusion Simon Pegg will get his friend J.J. to cast him in this. To me it just seems too obvious to not happen.

So, aside from Ryan Gosling and Zack Effron, any other casting rumors I'm forgetting?

Cumbermatch casting seems to be a joke that has filled the interwebs as fact as always happens. 

I still believe that when we learn who's actually cast, it won't be a rumor, it'll be an official announcement (or at least from an official source). And it probably won't happen for a bit.

Also, Alex Pettyfer was pretty good in Magic Mike.

Fang Zei said:

I'd heard about Walken auditioning for Han Solo (the Kevin Spacey snl skit has made it infamous), but this is the first I've read of him being Lucas' first choice. Fascinating. I wonder who overruled him (or got him to change his mind).

There are several stories now, so its not definitive on whether Walken didn't take the role or Lucas/Casting Director wanted someone else.  I do know that Walken was the first to read for Han Solo.

Another person who read for Princess Leia was Cindy Williams from Laverne and Shirley, as I believe she was also in American Graffiti?  I wonder if she would have played a less bitchy Princess Leia? 

As for Han Solo, Harrison Ford was just a designated reader for Lucas (because he knew Lucas from Graffiti) working with all the people who would be cast for Luke and Leia, and then I think Lucas finally thought about it one day and figured HE was the Han Solo he was looking for all the time! 

I believe all the test readings are on the Empire of Dreams DVD?  But its pretty surreal to watch!

I've also heard that Perry King, who later got to play Solo in the radio dramas, auditioned for the role in Star Wars.