→ Making Star Wars is on a real roll today with several rumors that could be extremely spoilery. First, this morning, there was Daisy Ridley’s house. Jason then followed up this afternoon with some details about Max von Sydow’s character, a couple of planets/locations, a beast and lastly, a new droid, alien and discovery.
First of all, I have few doubts that Jason has seen this stuff. And doubling down is Devin at Badass Digest, who talks about much of the same stuff, including further von Sydow details and something about Chewbacca. But as a skeptical skeptic who skeptics, I have to wonder if some of this is a deliberate red herring. Head to the comments for my personal conspiracy theory.
In less spoilery things…
→ Carrie Fisher gets an award. Mark Hamill is there. Their #beardwatch and #blondewatch games are still strong, but they are both in Los Angeles, so perhaps they’ve wrapped up as well? In any case, enjoy the sibling cuteness and hope we’ll get to hear Carrie’s inevitable jokes sooner rather than later.
→ Ben Affleck explains the genesis of the Batman v Superman/Episode VII ‘feud.’ (Warning: Autoplay video.)
Okay, conspiracy theory, go: The von Sydow and Ridley stuff, particularly, bear some resemblance to things we know from the Expanded Universe (Streen of The Jedi Academy trilogy and Ania Solo of Legacy, complete with ‘found lightsaber.’) Now, none of that precludes similar things being used in the films, but it also makes me wonder if they handpicked a few things from the EU that are just different enough/similar enough (ahem, AT-AT feet) to disguise the truth and let them loose to poison the well, so to speak.
Am I suspecting too much? Maybe. If I’m right, it’s some serious, hardcore trolling. But hell: If I was running this sort of thing with this kind of fanbase, it’s what I would do.
Streen seems like a super-obscure thing to tie in.
I’ve been operating under the assumption that Daisy is the Solo daughter – possibly estranged from her parents for safety reasons, or she’s an X-wing pilot and off at war, or a myriad of other reasons why the family is estranged (perhaps because something happened to a sibling?)
BUT – if she’s just a junk dealer on a throwaway planet, I think the idea of MVS playing a certain retired former bounty hunter would be a compelling way of tying him into the story. He’d certainly know how to connect her to Han Solo, and it would be interesting to see the “Kira” character’s Obi-wan figure be Boba Fett. He did, after all, serve as a sort of mentor to Jaina Solo towards the end.
When you consider this possibility, it of course makes it a bit more likely that the desert planet in question is actually Tatooine. Fett would be physically destroyed and maybe have no way to leave the planet after his ordeal.
Dunc, I think there is a certain amount of trolling going on here – but it’s not Star Trek Into Darkness level trolling. It’s more like “This isn’t Tatooine!” because giving away the planet might give away who certain players there are – or are not.
Khan was lowball, but it also played out – mostly, as I recall – in public. Amateur hour.
This is serious backstage trolling, if I’m right.
Also, Fett? No. Not if he’s in play for a spinoff.
It hadn’t occurred to me that Boba Fett would make an appearance–but why use Von Sydow when Temura Morrison is alive and well? (Of course, maybe that’s the big reveal… nah, that’s fan service.)
I’m kinda hoping this isn’t Tatooine–that would mean that every trilogy starts with a Tatooine resident itching to get off-planet.
I really don’t understand why people keep bringing up Boba Fett for Episode VII when he’s almost certainly getting his own spin-off. That’ll be quite enough.
There are already at least 6 ‘old-timers’ in this movie, counting the droids – they don’t need another one… Or at least not one as completely arbitrary as Boba Fett.
I could see how these potential scene spoilers may cause suspicion.
Not being well-versed in the Expanded Universe, perhaps Abrams, Kasdan, and company are pulling the best bits from all of the following: Lucas’ 12 story outline, Michael Arndt’s draft and elements of the E.U. to make their own unique three story arc.
If none of these scenes pan out to be true, then Mr. Abrams gets a big hi-five for the misinformation campaign.
That said, I love the idea that the Kaiburr Crystal from “Splinter Of The Mind’s Eye” may be making an appearance here. Then again, am I the only person who would love to see a Kazdan Paratus spin-off (or at least a canonical appearance somewhere along the way)??
I think stuff like SotME is exactly where the Kaiburr belongs, although I guess it – or something like it – shows up in those TCW episodes from the other day? Meh.
I think you’ve got it right, Dunc. Misdirection and propaganda are part of every wartime strategy. Gotta think Star Wars is no different. Star Wars minister of propaganda would be a fun job. The trick would be to always tell the truth–from a certain point of view.
It would, quite honestly, be kind of my dream job.