Harrison Ford may not be talking about Han Solo, wink wink, but he did have a few things to say about J.J. Abrams to MTV
Meanwhile, Vulture recaps some questions that got through to Ford at the Ender’s Game panel.
George Lucas has yet to speak to J.J. Abrams about Episode VII
At the Daytime Emmys the other day, George Lucas told Access Hollywood that he hasn’t spoken to J.J. Abrams about Episode VII yet.
I have not spoken to J.J. He’s been busy with Star Trek, and I’m sure that he’ll let me know when he’s got some questions. So, you know, that’s all going well. Kathy tells me it’s working out great.
He does seem mostly relieved about it, but I’m sure there will be some sort of discussion as production ramps up. (via)
Roundup: Abrams says Episode VII features a central love story? Not so fast.
Episode VII. There have been a few reports that J.J. Abrams told a French newspaper that Episode VII would feature a central love story, mostly based on a write-up from Contact Music. But I’ve found what I believe to be the original article from Metro News and – per the translated version – there’s nothing above there being a love story in the film, though he does indeed speak highly of Michael Arndt. While it’s certainly not out of the question that there’ll be a major love story in the new trilogy, I don’t think that’s something you can safely quote Abrams on yet – unless there’s a longer version of this interview out there somewhere.
Podcasts. Composer Kevin Kiner talked to the folks at Full of Sith last week, and he told them that they’re working on about ten episodes of The Clone Wars for the bonus material. Meanwhile, this week Mike and Bryan chat with Corey Dee Williams (yes, Billy’s son) about working on Return of the Jedi.
Also… Heartwarming story of how a Jedi Master saved the day for an autistic boy at Disney World | Pixar vet Gary Rydstrom is directing an animated features at Lucasfilm | George Lucas plays Cassandra for the current entertainment landscape
George Lucas: Abrams gets Star Wars
At a recent event, George Lucas told Access Hollywood that J.J. Abrams “understands” Star Wars and “how it works.” And if not… Kathleen Kennedy will “keep it straight.” He also addressed his own role in this as being more or less on call, and the inevitable critics:
“No matter how you do it, it’s a complicated cultural icon. Therefore you’re always going to be in trouble no matter what you do,” he said. “So, the best thing you can do is just plow forward and try to do the best story you can.”
Abrams: Episode VII to start production next year, past Star Wars should be ‘honored’ but not ‘revered’
At a Producer’s Guild event Saturday, J.J. Abrams said that things will start moving on the Episode VII production “at the end of the year,” Variety reports. Producer Bryan Burke said much the same – though a little more tentatively – in May.
Overall Star Wars talk continues to be vague, but Abrams said:
“It is so massive and so important to people,” he said. “I think the key to moving forward on something like this is honoring but not revering what came before.”
Variety said that quote was related to the novels; The Hollywood Reporter says it was about the existing movies. Unless video comes out from this, I give up guessing if it refers to any specifics.
He also said he’s not a fan of going overseas to shoot, but apparently the U.K. thing was in the works before he was on board.
Abrams also talked about his affection for the medium of film – covered in more detail by The Hollywood Reporter – which opens up some questions. Did committing to Episode VII mean committing to shooting digitally?
Will J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot take their Star Wars beyond movies?
The Wrap reports that the Paramount/CBS scuffle over Star Trek merchandising rights prevented J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot from doing quite as much as they would have liked to with the franchise off-screen – and that struggle could have had a part in him signing on with Lucasfilm. His Star Wars contract may allow Abrams a hand in the Star Wars “television properties, theme park rides and spin-off films” that will emerge in the new era his Episode VII is spearheading.
As successful as “Star Trek” has been, few franchises match the profitability and cultural prominence of George Lucas’ space opera, which would be difficult for any director to pass up.
“Disney has always been oriented to multi-platform revenue stream situations,” Seth Willenson, a film library valuations expert, told TheWrap.
Moreover, Willenson notes that Abrams, who has a deal that is believed to include creative and profit participation in “Star Wars” inspired merchandise and spin-offs, will have more control in shaping the legacy of the Skywalker clan than he would have had with developing side projects for the “Star Trek” crew.
Granted, while Lucasfilm, and thus Disney, does own most of Star Wars free and clear, the franchise isn’t totally free of hurtles. 20th Century Fox has distribution rights to the first Star Wars “in perpetuity,” while the other 5 will revert to LFL in 2020. This could complicate things like box sets in the future, but for Abrams, that’s not going to be an immediate issue, or stop him from exploring multi-platform options.
Meanwhile, it’s Bryan Burk’s turn to talk about Episode VII and secrecy with /Film.
J.J. Abrams: ‘The ball is just getting passed to me now’
More interviews with J.J. Abrams as we near the release of Star Trek Into Darkness. Collider presents an interview from Brazilian site Omelete who ask Abrams about Han shooting first, the prequels and his favorite Star Wars film.
And from the Associated Press, Abrams points out the ridiculousness of all the Episode VII questions he’s been getting:
“What the approach is going to be remains to be discussed, because it’s in process,” he said. “So it’s a weird thing to be talking about. If I’m charging down the court dribbling the ball, it’s hard to comment on the layup that’s about to take place.
“I feel like the ball is just getting passed to me now, to complete the annoying metaphor.”
Meanwhile, there’s a nice interview with Abrams’ sometime collaborator Damon Lindelof from The Hollywood Reporter, where he talks about getting into writing, Lost, George Lucas, Star Wars and more.
Video: J.J. Abrams on The Daily Show
J.J. Abrams stopped by The Daily Show to chat Star Trek and Star Wars with master geek (and future Jedi?) Jon Stewart. The extended version of the interview begins above, with part 2 below the cut
Warwick Davis on Doctor Who, and what’s coming for SF/F TV next season?
In ‘Nightmare and Silver,’ the Doctor and Clara head for ‘the greatest theme park in the universe,’ only to find it closed and inhabited only by a shabby few, including Warwick Davis. Cybermen ensue, because of course they do. The episode is written by Neil Gaiman and is the last before next week’s season finale, ‘The Name of the Doctor.’
In other sci-fi TV news, it’s pilot season! ABC picked up Joss Whedon’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., bringing the Marvel synergy to live-action TV. (ABC will air a preview of the show on Sunday.) They also picked up Once Upon a Time spin-off Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and sci-fi mystery show Resurrection
Two J.J. Abrams pilots were picked up as well: Fox nabbed robot police drama Almost Human, while Fox picked up Believe, a collabration with Alfonso Cuarón about a telekinetic ten-year-old. It’s no big shock that The Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals got picked up, but the CW also greenlit post-apocalyptic The 100, a remake of The Tomorrow People and the human/alien romance Star-Crossed.
Meanwhile, in the cable realm, both SyFy’s Defiance and BBC America’s Orphan Black are getting second seasons.
You can check out the full slate of pilots – picked up and passed over both – at The Hollywood Reporter.
Roundup: Do the spin-offs depend on Episode VII being a success?
Like these movies won’t be hits? As the Star Trek Into Darkness junket clips stagger out into the world, Abrams implies to MTV that the Star Wars spinoffs will depend on Episode VII going the distance.
Also from MTV: Damon Lindelof on Abrams and Star Wars, and they even asked Leonardo DiCaprio if he’d like to do future Star Wars. (He famously turned down Attack of the Clones back in the day.)
On that note… Simon Pegg talks about Abrams and Star Wars with Totalfilm – though he clarifies that he has no inside info from Abrams. And yes, they’re still asking random movie folks about Episode VII.
Interview. And finally, for someone who will almost certainly actually be in Episode VII, here’s more from Mark Hamill.