Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Discussion * SPOILER THREAD * — Page 89

msycamore said:

barhar said:

How about some spoilers, guys?

Carrie Fisher (Leia) is playing the twin sister of Mark Hamill (Luke).

I won't believe it 'til I see it. 

That I'll believe even if I never see it!

SilverWook said:

http://ikwiz.com/article.asp?id=9173&name=J.J.+Abrams+Asks+Disney+To+Move+Up+%27Star+Wars%3A+The+Force+Awakens+Release%27+Date+

 Possible, but only maybe to the fall.  I'd be hard to believe they'd move it up back to the summer.

In addition, here JJ talks more about TFA himself.

http://youtu.be/1zjAtb2Nqmg

This confirms:

- He's executive producing Episode 8 and 9 (similar to what George did for ESB and ROTJ)

- They haven't even finished a first rough cut of the film yet.

- Again mentioning them using practical fx wherever possible, and often using CG to remove rather than add things, such as in the case of BB-8.

- Despite this, there will still be much CG, but that it is the combination between the two that counts.

If only TFA could not be finished through a Digital Intermediate, and be finished photochemically.  But I kind of doubt that at this point.

emanswfan said:

This confirms:

- Again mentioning them using practical fx wherever possible, and often using CG to remove rather than add things, such as in the case of BB-8.

Where does it say that BB-8 was practical with CG to remove things?

They did not mention the ball droid in the interview at all.

I'd like to work with the old film stuff, but sadly they're so rare these days I wouldn't even know where to look for them.

Here are some rumors that were published a few days ago on makingstarwars.net:

Snow Planet – I’m told the snow planet is definitely not Hoth and was named RYOOME on several production documents.

Rey – Rey is not Daisy Ridleys’ characters name throughout the movie. It’s an alias to hide her true identity in true Star Wars tradition just like Padme/Amidala, Ben/Obi-Wan and Darth Vader/Anakin.

Death Star III - This is a big one that I’ve heard from two different people and if true would be a major shock. The movie features a weapon based on a remote planet. The weapon can detect Jedi across the Galaxy and is used by the Empire to hunt them down. This is why some Jedi are in hiding.

A major new ship codenamed ‘the mirror’ is also somehow connected to the weapon. The weapon is either too large or too powerful to be destroyed.  So…….the planet must be destroyed. And how do you destroy a planet in Star Wars? A Death Star. Leia, has to make an incredible decision to use a Death Star to destroy a planet. The planet is inhabited apart from Imperials. The Death Star? It was being built in secret by the New Republic. Leia discovers whats been going on and then has to make a decision whether to use it or not.

It sounds incredible but that’s what I’ve been told by a couple of different people.

And finally – This might come as a shock considering what all the actors have been saying but not everyone is entirely happy with the way the movie is heading. Several people have told me they feel like they are just ‘going over old ground’ with the things they are being asked to work on. The feeling is that The Force Awakens is a rehash of the original movie and doesn’t have enough new ideas in it.

The prequels were full of new ideas and concepts but as one person put it to me there’s a ‘lack of imagination’ around The Force Awakens and everything is just a riff on what’s already been done.

Sorry to end that on a negative note but that’s a common feeling I’m getting.

The info about Rey’s name lines up with a rumor I never put too much stock in. The rumor is that Rey, Finn, and Poe all lie about their names to one another because of the situations they’re in during the first act. I dislike the rumor because it allows people to hold onto Jaina Solo or whatever name they prefer the character be named. Star Wars 7 News ran a similar rumor this week, but most of it could have been sourced from older articles published recently here (and strangely fails to point out that a large number of the bits in said “Exclusive” aren’t exclusive to said story). I still don’t necessarily buy this rumor as it hasn’t been corroborated by our most solid sources yet.

The snow planet name sounds plausible. I’ll take hearing a planet name over not.

The Leia stuff thematically checks out with a lot of sources. The way it is presented doesn’t necessarily seem to. Perhaps Death Star is being used synonymously with “Super Weapon” in this instances? That said, it does line up with the moral ambiguity George Lucas said this trilogy was to possess.

So there you go. Lets see if any of this turns up in the future in interesting ways. If it doesn’t, hey, I warned you.

Might as well get this one in too:

I was contacted by a person wishing to remain “safely anonymous.” This person dropped a lot of Star Wars: The Force Awakens stuff on our lap this afternoon. I haven’t verified this person’s information but some has merit as far I know. This source also described a photo I saw recently perfectly and they didn’t know it. So I’m sharing and you can take it or leave it. I’m not adamant this information is correct or to the extent it is. I am simply sharing the rumor because the information is entertaining. That is not to say it might not all be very valid.

This will be my second “food for thought” rumor post this week. Its not really my style. But I find this report fun and some of this stuff isn’t out there in the public sphere of information. So they’re either in possession of accurate information on the film or they are the world’s luckiest guessers.

The implication is that basically Rey and Luke go into hiding at exactly the same time for the same reason. She is the daughter of Han and Leia and she’s tasked with protecting a lightsaber that can open a proverbial Pandora’s Box of evil. Artifacts being sought after by Kylo Ren are collected because they’re trying to figure out which artifact will open the tomb. Luke Skywalker is guarding the tomb and being tormented by evil spirits that appears half crazed from the duty he’s been on.

Domhnall Gleeson was a rebel for many years and he’s the son of “a huge character.”  But he defected to the Empire when he learned that the Rebels had constructed a super weapon in secret. With less than honorable people in the Rebel Alliance now, Gleeson’s character is tasked with hunting Finn while also on a secret mission to destroy both super weapons of the Empire and the Rebels.

Gwendoline Christie is his lead shock trooper. She’s a chrome trooper with black and red cape that is hunting Finn. She uses a lightsaber, is arrogant, demeaning, and kills indiscriminately. Her face is heavily scarred and she has a military haircut. Yes, the ability to cloak herself did come up and it supposedly is used twice in the movie.

Here is some elaboration:

• Luke is in hiding during much of The Force Awakens. He has put himself in a self imposed exile and is protecting an ancient Sith tomb from being opened by the main bad guy, Kylo Ren.

He goes on to say that inside that tomb is the body of an ancient evil being. Luke Skywalker doesn’t know how to open this tomb buy Kylo does. Luke’s stay in this place has had him tormented by evil spirits of the past.

• It is true that a simple lightsaber leads the trio to Han but what isn’t mentioned is that Han is extremely reluctant to allow his daughter to be part of this plan.

This source believes Rey is Han Solo’s daughter. Over the course of the film we learn she is in love with Poe and Han Solo does not approve.

• There is a scene which shows Finn trying to shoot a blaster and he is awful – it’s a little in-joke about how inept Stormtroopers were in the Original Trilogy.

They say that Finn’s family was murdered by The Empire and he was forced into recruitment along with his best friend. His best friend is killed in the opening sequence of the film in front of Finn. This role is rumored to be played by Pip Andersen. It is shortly after this scene that he meets his likely next best friend for life, Poe.

• Finn and Poe end up in an imperial brig after being caught.

Finn instantly dislikes Poe. But being in the brig they concoct a plan to steal a TIE Fighter. Meanwhile Rey fast-talks  a guard and steals his keycard to break them out.

• Finn and company steal an advanced TIE and unfortunately it crashes, injuring Finn.

This bit is confusing to me and doesn’t necessarily line up with how I thought things unfolded. None the less, Finn being injured in a TIE crash does line up with how he ends up in the Wagon Speeder, and the source does mention that stuff too.

• There is a scene in the bar where Finn uses a lightsaber to deflect laser blasts at him and Rey says she thinks Finn has found his calling.

They also note that Finn is a total pacifist. He doesn’t fight those that killed his family but this is the pathway to Finn being able to defend the people he loves.

• Max von Sydow: A former Rebel Alliance veteran now dealing in antiquities – very much like a SW version of Brody from Indiana Jones. It turns out that Rey has a lightsaber which holds information vital to the rebellion and this is hidden inside BB-8.

The old guy reveals to Rey that the crystal in the lightsaber they are holding has the ability to open the tomb Luke is guarding. If accurate, this could explain why the lightsaber is so important and why our heroes only have one while on the sand planet in the depictions I’ve seen.

• Rey’s last name: Her real name is revealed through Han Solo much to the surprise of Finn and Poe.

I’m not exactly sure why Finn would be surprised she’s a Solo unless Solo is famous or something. They say she is reluctant to become a Jedi. Rey was put into hiding with the lightsaber crystal and forced to used a fake fake name to hide her association to her father and especially to Luke Skywalker. She is also angered to find out that her friend played by Max von Sydow was in on the ruse and was her watcher for all this time.

Darth Lars said:

emanswfan said:

This confirms:

- Again mentioning them using practical fx wherever possible, and often using CG to remove rather than add things, such as in the case of BB-8.

Where does it say that BB-8 was practical with CG to remove things?

They did not mention the ball droid in the interview at all.

 Okay I meant was that what he was saying seems to suggest that BB-8 is truly practical and had wheels removed from him digitally in post as some source claimed.  What he says doesn't outright confirm it, but it does make sense.  I should have clarified that.

timdiggerm said:

And finally – This might come as a shock considering what all the actors have been saying but not everyone is entirely happy with the way the movie is heading. Several people have told me they feel like they are just ‘going over old ground’ with the things they are being asked to work on. The feeling is that The Force Awakens is a rehash of the original movie and doesn’t have enough new ideas in it.

 This was my biggest fear is that they go too 'nostalgic' to please the fans, and we don't get anything new.

Part of me believes this rumor because I have always suspected that there isn't much more of a story to tell in this universe (which makes the OT movies that much more great when you think about it).  Heck, they started rehashing stuff in ROTJ! 

There is still a part of me that can't believe they would be this dumb to essentially do a remake of Episode IV, because fans like me won't even bother with Episodes 8 & 9.

CO said:

timdiggerm said:

And finally – This might come as a shock considering what all the actors have been saying but not everyone is entirely happy with the way the movie is heading. Several people have told me they feel like they are just ‘going over old ground’ with the things they are being asked to work on. The feeling is that The Force Awakens is a rehash of the original movie and doesn’t have enough new ideas in it.

 This was my biggest fear is that they go too 'nostalgic' to please the fans, and we don't get anything new.

Part of me believes this rumor because I have always suspected that there isn't much more of a story to tell in this universe (which makes the OT movies that much more great when you think about it).  Heck, they started rehashing stuff in ROTJ! 

There is still a part of me that can't believe they would be this dumb to essentially do a remake of Episode IV, because fans like me won't even bother with Episodes 8 & 9.

  Putting it all together, it could be that the climax of the movie ends up being the New Republic defending their own death star while they try to blow up a planet.  It seems like an obvious mirrored rehash of a story, so I hope it's not true.  Given the stories about JJ's paranoia, this could be disinformation that he is planting to mess with the scoop websites.

J J's Paranoia comes from his own mindset, in which he believes that plot-twists and surprise are the most important elements of a cinematic experience.

Faust, Oedipus, The Illiad, Dante's Commedy...most of the major works of art Men have created have quite predictable endings, we can foretell what will happen, but we don't know how will it happen, and the depth of these works is set in that how. The Prequels sucked, not because we knew the story already, but because they were shittily told, in every single way, from script to visuals.

Now, Star Wars redefined the concept of plot-twist with "I am your father"... and it was cool, because it was jaw-dropping but also because it presented the opportunity to make personal for the character a struggle that was mainly political. It was fine for a 3 part movie.

Now there's a virtually unlimited number of movies, and it should be time to realise there's a lot more to tell in any story than deus-ex-machina-kind of stuff. I mean this diegetically, and non diegetically, a film is perfectly enjoyable even if you know everything that will happen.

JJ only believes in Jaw-dropping amusement. Lost proves this, and that is the source of his secrecy. It's funny he is compared with Spielberg some times.

I've gotta say, that whole "leak" sounds like a big load of bullshit to me. I really can't believe they'd be stupid enough to go the Death Star route again.

Of course, if I'm wrong, and this ends up being true, then The Force Awakens will probably be the last Star Wars movie I ever see.

Mithrandir said:

J J's Paranoia comes from his own mindset, in which he believes that plot-twists and surprise are the most important elements of a cinematic experience.

Faust, Oedipus, The Illiad, Dante's Commedy...most of the major works of art Men have created have quite predictable endings, we can foretell what will happen, but we don't know how will it happen, and the depth of these works is set in that how. The Prequels sucked, not because we knew the story already, but because they were shittily told, in every single way, from script to visuals.

Now, Star Wars redefined the concept of plot-twist with "I am your father"... and it was cool, because it was jaw-dropping but also because it presented the opportunity to make personal for the character a struggle that was mainly political. It was fine for a 3 part movie.

Now there's a virtually unlimited number of movies, and it should be time to realise there's a lot more to tell in any story than deus-ex-machina-kind of stuff. I mean this diegetically, and non diegetically, a film is perfectly enjoyable even if you know everything that will happen.

JJ only believes in Jaw-dropping amusement. Lost proves this, and that is the source of his secrecy. It's funny he is compared with Spielberg some times.

 Interesting take as I never thought of it that way.  You are essentially saying he is more in the M Night Shalayman type movies where the twist in the movie is the foundation of the movies.

That sort of worries me a twist in a movie should be gravy, but shouldn't be the foundation of the movie.  Sure there are great movies with great twists:  Sixth Sense, Usual Suspects, Presummed Innocent, etc.  But SW movies were never about the 'twist'.  I contend that Empire Strikes Back is a great movie, regardless of the twist at the end.

Anchorhead said:

FFS.. There are people here who are going to draw the line at a Death Star or Solo offspring, but they repeatedly watched and purchased all the prequels and SEs?!  That's a damn head-scratcher for sure.

 I saw the prequels once each in theaters, but bear in mind I was 10, 13, and 16 when they came out, and I was honestly dragged to Episode III by my 13-year-old brother. Any re-watch of the prequels since then has been various fan edits. And I haven't watched any of the SE's since the 2004 DVD SE, and only purchased the Blu-Ray set so I can get all the awesome fan projects based on them in good conscience. Haven't actually watched any of the BR discs once.

I don't draw the line at Solo children - I pretty much expected at least one of the new characters to be either a Solo or Skywalker offspring - but yeah, I definitely draw the line at rehashing the superweapon thing that was already rehashed once in Jedi.

I'm still hopeful, though, and I still think this "Death Star III" leak is a bunch of crap. I'm not going to let rumors that are probably false sway my opinion of the new movies at all - I'm going in with an open mind. But TFA is definitely the litmus test for whether I'm going to bother with Disney's version of the post-ROTJ Star Wars universe. I forked over money for one trilogy that I kept hoping would improve but never did - I'm not doing that again.

Some of those rumors are repeats from last years rumors, but altered slightly.  I hope Luke isn't in hiding simply to protect some ancient Temple that only one guy knows how to open.  After all the wrong rumors about the teaser (right down to the music), I'm not taking all these "in the know" rumors seriously in the least.