A two-part press conference with The Force Awakens notables was held this afternoon in Los Angeles. It was moderated by (surprise!) Mindy Kaling, and here are a few things we learned. (Thanks to Entertainment Weekly and ComicBook liveblogs, plus all the live-tweeters.)
The cast and creative team of @starwars #TheForceAwakens has taken the stage at the press conference. pic.twitter.com/MVKn7eM0zW
— Inside the Magic (@InsideTheMagic) December 6, 2015
→ Put the idea of an end-credit scene to bed: The Force Awakens won’t have one, J.J. Abrams said. On their goal with the film: “We wanted to give people that sense of possibility and magic that we all felt when we saw Star Wars. This is all about telling a new story, though, not just a nostalgia trip. The fabric had to be what we’re familiar with, in order to tell a brand new story.”
→ Lawrence Kasdan said that villain Kylo Ren “doesn’t have his shit all together. When you see him, you get the conflict that people feel, that any one of us can have at any moment.”
"He's a great cook. He's a Scorpio." Adam Driver offers some insight into Kylo Ren. #StarWars
— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) December 6, 2015
→ After Lupita Nyong’o joked about Yoda being Maz Kanata’s “first love,” J.J> Abrams said that he does believe the two characters had “crossed paths” at some point. Lupita notes she did do scenes on set with the other actors.
Why did JJ Abrams cast "someone as beautiful" as Lupita Nyong'o to play a motion-capture character?
JJ: "Would it be ok if she were ugly?"
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) December 6, 2015
→ Daisy Ridley revealed her walk-out song: Mulan’s ‘I’ll Make A Man Out of You.’
"I'm the custodian of Princess Leia, so I never got out of character, and I wondered if that would be noticed." @carrieffisher #StarWars
— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) December 6, 2015
→ Sounds like Carrie Fisher was in fine form, calling Leia’s vest outfit “a classy gas-station attendant look.” Alas, it seems Gary Fisher is not in the movie, despite his willingness to sleep (well, nap) with Abrams. On display was Leia’s formal dress, the one she wears with her “baboon ass hairstyle” from the poster.
Carrie chided JJ over Gary not having a role pic.twitter.com/cYo1j1BlAv
— Scott Chitwood (@Red5Aggie) December 6, 2015
→ John Boyega: “I’ve got to be honest, I really don’t care about the black stormtrooper stuff. I couldn’t care less.”
John Boyega: "You'll let me sleep on your couch if I need to go AWOL [from fame], right?"
Harrison Ford: "I hardly know you"
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) December 6, 2015
→ Oscar Isaac said he doesn’t have a romance in the movie – unless it’s with BB-8, “those two little balls.”
Oscar Isaac on Poe's backstory. Mentioned Yavin shot in Guatemala then "Poe's parents ended up going to Yavin IV and making sweet love"
— Geek Girl Diva (@geekgirldiva) December 6, 2015
There was also a lot of press going on yesterday. There’s a few more tidbits in this video: