Tag: rumors

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Rumor: Pixar to take on Star Wars?

SPINOFF RUMORS: Take seriously at your own risk.Oh, Latino Review. Today’s report: Disney sibling Pixar is getting their own Star Wars movie.

At this point, no idea what the size or shape of this film will be and given the long-view storytelling production model that is part of the Pixar brand, this could be a long way off. We can expect it to take place in the middle of a Venn Diagram between Star Wars and A Pixar Movie, and what that means to you depends on your definition of both.

I can see it – and a lot of folks floated this idea back when the Disney sale was announced, and it would be a poetic return to Pixar’s Lucasfilm roots. But, per usual, take this with a big grain of salt.

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Roundup: Parsing some of the Episode VII rumors

Ben SkywalkerSpeculation. I generally stay away from this sort of thing, but Mike Cooper’s piece on JJ Abrams, Jesse Plemons, and the best-case scenario is a good read based on some of the things we’ve heard. (I still hope that Plemons isn’t in the mix for a Skywalker, though.)

Gaming. Looks like 1313 – or at least the title – is officially dead, as the trademark has been abandoned.

Ancient history. Was Tupac Shakur supposed to read for Mace Windu role?

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Fisher, Hamill and Ford to start in ‘March or April?’

J.J. Abrams said this weekend that Episode VII will begin filming in May; Now Carrie Fisher is telling TV Guide that she, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford will start in March or April. (And yes, none of the actors have been officially confirmed yet, but that hasn’t stopped her before.) Maybe it’s a misquote for ‘spring,’ or maybe Episode VII isn’t a mystery box so much as a confusion box? Or they’re all going to tour Highclere Castle Downton Abbey as team-building exercise? (via)

In any case: “I’d like to wear my old [cinnamon buns] hairstyle again — but with white hair,” Fisher also said. “I think that would be funny.”

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Rumor: Judi Dench in Episode VII?

Dame Judy Dench in Skyfall

Here’s a new and exciting rumor: Will Dame Judi Dench be playing Mon Mothma in Episode VII? That’s what Full of Sith’s Bobby Roberts is hearing; They discuss it on the latest episode, which also features Joe Schreiber talking Maul: Lockdown.

SEQUEL TRILOGY RUMORS: Take seriously at your own risk.We know Dench isn’t adverse to genre work – in addition to her stint as M in the James Bond movies, she got her space opera on in 2004′s Chronicles of Riddick. (AKA where our old pal Vin Diesel infamously taught her to play Dungeons and Dragons.)

Mothma was originated by actress Caroline Blakiston in Return of the Jedi and played by Genevieve O’Reilly in Revenge of the Sith, though most of her scenes were cut.

I don’t think anyone doubts Dench has the gravitas and talent to pull off any role they want to offer her, but remember: It’s just a rumor.

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Rumors: More on the Episode VII script split, Kenobi ‘daughter,’ Jesse Plemons and Boba Fett spinoff

FRYSQUINT: SEQUEL TRILOGY RUMORS: Take seriously at your own risk.Latino Review is at it again, this time with “details” of the Fett spinoff film and a few words on the earlier rumors. Namely, they conflict with The Hollywood Reporter and say the Abrams/Arndt split had to do with focusing on Skywalker kid(s) over Solo(s) and that Mark Hamill may “end up shooting 6 months on the movie,” which seems excessive.

As for that controversial Obi-Wan’s daughter thing, “it’s absolutely not true,” though “the Kenobi family will come into play.” They have no details, but throw out possibilities like a “niece or nephew” and “Force Ghost.” Maybe Lady Kenobi from The Phantom Menace rumor days will finally show up, why not?

They also say that Jesse Plemons is basically locked, but don’t expect Lucasfilm to name his part publicly when they announce him. His character will be “the main protagonist of Episode VIII,” and yes, I see you there waiting to comment “Ben Skywalker!” ::eyeroll::

SPINOFF RUMORS: Take seriously at your own risk.And of course no rumor dump is complete without a Boba Fett spinoff rumor. Yawn. Here’s what they say about Fett:

To counter-act the prequels, the Boba Fett spin-off movie planned for 2018 has an interesting twist pitched by Episode VII writer Lawrence Kasdan: the spin-off will start with a complete stranger killing Boba Fett and taking his armor, starting a Man-With-No-Name bounty hunter tale. So: someone kills the Boba Fett from the prequels and takes his armor and name. One this is for certain is that Kasdan didn’t like the prequel and wants no Bobba Fett Clone in the spin-off film.

There are shades there of some of the post-AOTC retcons, but we have every right to be skeptical. (Making Star Wars isn’t buying it at all.)

Latino Review also believes that Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger) is at the top of the director’s list, because duh. Three sources told them that, presumably after Googling “Joe Johnston Boba Fett.”

Whatever, man. As usual, I remain skeptical and urge you to do the same.

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Rumor: Luke and Yoda to chat in Episode VII?

"Hot and young will I be, hmm?"

SEQUEL TRILOGY RUMORS: Take seriously at your own risk.This site is a bit of a laughingstock even among veteran rumormongers, but we’re bored so what the hell: Cosmic Book News is reporting that Luke’s going to be having a chat with a ghostly Yoda in Episode VII. “We’re told that Yoda will have words with Luke Skywalker about a rising unbalance in the force and the need to preserve the Jedi,” they say. The new Jedi Temple will also feature holograms of past Jedi like Obi-Wan (Sir Alec “McGuiness” version,) Qui-Gon Jinn, and Mace Windu in the background.

Plausible? Sure. But I’d take this one with a bigger grain of salt than usual.

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Rumors: Fassbender, Weaving eyed for Episode VII roles; Why Arndt and Abrams split on script

SEQUEL TRILOGY RUMORS: Take seriously at your own risk.What has the Jesse Plemons rumor wrought? The Hollywood Reporter is weighing in today with a triptych of new (or, well, ‘new’) names: Michael Fassbender, Hugo Weaving and Adam Driver. I’m sure you’re already familiar with Fassbender and Weaving; Driver is the dude from HBO’s Girls who can’t keep his shirt on.

But wait: That’s not the real meat of the article. THR also claims to know why Micheal Arndt split:

According to multiple insiders, the reason for the parting of ways was not due to a timeframe issue, as has been reported, but rather due to a difference in opinion of which characters to emphasize.

Arndt is said to have focused on the offspring of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), with the original trilogy heroes taking on supporting roles. Abrams, however, wanted Episode VII to focus on the classic trio of characters, so audiences could have one more chance to enjoy them before a fitting send-off. The new characters, the offspring, will now be in supporting roles, according to these sources, and take center stage in Episode VIII and IX. Some characters have disappeared from the Arndt script and new ones are being drafted.

George Lucas was involved in the debate, but “acquiesced to Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy.” Several parts have been rewritten; one 20-year old character is now 40, and Weaving is supposedly being eyed to play a “an Imperial commander.” (Of course.)

And finally:

The latest bit to surface this week is that Abrams and Lucasfilm are now searching for a 20-something female actress who is either of mixed race or black. The rumor is that Obi-Wan Kenobi had a daughter or granddaughter.

I’m not going to knock a POC casting choice, but the idea of there being Kenobi spawn at all strikes me as disingenuous.

But remember: There’s a lot going on here, and who knows what’s going to end up as truth…

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Rumor: Star Wars makeover of Tomorrowland greenlit but on hold

vader-kingarthurAs we’ve been reporting, the makeover of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland with a new Star Wars spaceport feel has another step forward, but only a small step. MiceAge, which has been the primary source of Disneyland expansion rumors, has reported that the “first phase of the Star Wars makeover of Tomorrowland did get the green light from Burbank in December.”

However, they go on to report that the first phase, of re-doing the front half of the Anaheim’s Tomorrowland area as a Star Wars-themed spaceport, as well as the second phase of creating a bunch of new attractions for a Star Wars land, might be on hold due to funding, and that on-hold state has allowed the design team to switch from just original trilogy elements to incorporating things from Episode VII:

The Imagineers assigned to the Star Wars Tomorrowland project have now been debriefed on the characters and plotlines coming for Star Wars Episode VII that opens in theaters in about two years. …. Those key [original trilogy based] attractions are all still part of phase two, but they are being layered or tweaked to include references from Episode VII that will be released in theaters at least 18 months before any of those attractions open.

As for bringing more Star Wars to Orlando? The word is that it “appears to be simply cancelled for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.”

With Episode VII scheduled to open December 2015, that “at least 18 month” timeframe puts into June 2017 or later.