"The Force Awakens" (with SPOILERS)

I'm guessing any tribute to Fisher will be in the credits at the end, which is where such things normally go.

 

That is a great trailer. I hope the movie lives up to the anticipation it will create.

 

Yeah, probably a "For Carrie" or some such tribute. I can't imagine they'd put it at the start.

 

A little behind the scenes stuff.

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi': See exclusive new video with Rian Johnson and Carrie Fisher

 

Excellent NYT takeout on Mark Hamill.

Obviously, at one point, tried to get out from under the Luke Skywalker role. But embraced it, eventually. Some great nuggets about Fisher and Ford, too.

Luke Skywalker Speaks

 

The most interesting part for me was the throwaway paragraph near the end about the others who might have been cast instead of Hamill. I can't imagine anyone else as Luke Skywalker.

Maybe Hamill was stereotyped/typecast as Skywalker, but I wouldn't see that as a bad thing. It means he played the role well -- that he was the role. Isn't that the idea for an actor who's supposed to be "in character" while playing a role?

 

I've watched the other auditions over the years. Robbie Benson would have been an interesting choice based on how he played Luke. Very similar to Hamill. Kurt Russell's audition wasn't that great, but he would have been a cooler Han if he did Snake Pilsken.

apparently Hamill and Fisher weren't the top choices for Luke and Leia (first choice was a playboy bunny) but Lucas liked the chemistry between Hamill, Ford and Fisher best.

 

Looked it up the other trio in the running were Terri Nunn (playboy, not the Berlin singer), Will Seltzer (whose most recognizable role was a prisoner in Johnny Dangerously) and Christopher Walken.

 

Thanks for linking that, good story.

 

This isn't about "The Last Jedi" movie per se, but I thought it an interesting look at the movie studio-theater business relationship. It's eye-opening, and yet, still not totally surprising. Let's just say Disney is making sure to take full advantage of "The Last Jedi."

Disney Lays Down the Law for Theaters on 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'

 

The Last Jedi is just the beginning?

Rian Johnson, Writer-Director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, to Create All-New Star Wars Trilogy | StarWars.com

 

They must be pleased with the next flick coming out to green light Johnson for this project.

I'm sure they'll eventually run the franchise into the ground. But so far so good under new management.