By Meryl Gottlieb | mg986611@ohiou.edu | @buzzlightmeryl
Star Wars: Episode VII is set for release on Dec. 8, 2015
The force is strong in the universe: the new slew of Jedis has been announced.
John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker in Star Wars: Episode VII.
"We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII," said J.J. Abrams, the director. "It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud."
I absolutely loved Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis; he was a remarkable lead with a great voice. Here's hoping there is a folksy Jedi role to be filled. Adding Andy Serkis to any nerd classic is the right move. That man has done incredible work in Lord of the Rings, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and King Kong. I'm interested to see if he will do a motion-capture performance or if he will appear as himself. With the vast world of Star Wars and all the creatures it contains, it wouldn't be a long shot to transform Serkis into an other-wordly being.
Adam Driver of HBO's Girls has long been rumored to be connected to the latest Star Wars film, so now it's simply official. Will he be playing the role of the villain as so many have guessed? There's no way anyone will let that slip this early. In fact, I think they only piece of information we know for sure is that Episode VII takes place some number of years after the events of Return of the Jedi.
You may not know John Boyega, but I'm sure you will soon. Not only has he garnered this incredible deal, you will also be seeing him in the 24 reboot. Domhnall Gleeson is still relatively unknown but Harry Potter fans will recognize him as Bill Weasley from the final films. Max von Sydow is not pictured, but you may know him from as Father Merrin in The Exorcist. Lastly, you won't really find anything on Daisy Ridley because there isn't really anything to find. Of all the unknowns in the cast, she is the biggest mystery. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
As a Star Wars fan, it is great to know the old favorites are returning. Ford, Fisher and Hamill should all be returning to their original roles as Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, respectively. It would be more than silly if Abrams brought them all back to play random mom and dad figures to the newbies. And a major jump for joy comes from the fact that favorites Anthony Daniels will be good ol' C3PO, larger-than-life Peter Mayhew will return as the furball Chewbacca and Kenny Baker will beep-boop back into our hearts as R2-D2.
Also pictured between Driver and Abrams is the writer Lawrence Kasdan, who also penned Empire Strikes Back — the installment I deem as the best Star Wars film ever. Furthermore, composer John Williams, who wrote the scores for all six Star Wars films, will create the music for Episode VII.
So really, what more could a fan ask for as of now? I mean, could it really be any worse than Episode I? I have faith in Abrams, so hopefully I haven't been led astray.
