In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Mark Hamill spoke at length regarding his involvement with Star Wars: Episode VII. Yesterday, Showbiz 411 reported that Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford were all set to return, although an earlier report said a deal with Ford wouldn’t be closed for weeks or possibly months. In this case, it’s best to go straight to the source, and Hamill confirmed his earlier comments that George Lucas wanted to know if they were interested, and that the filmmakers have been talking to them. Lucas also told Hamill that if they didn’t want to do the sequels, “they wouldn’t cast another actor in our parts; they would write us out.” And on that day, George Lucas finally did something right again. Hamill went on to say, “I can tell you right away that we haven’t signed any contracts. We’re in the stage where they want us to go in and meet with Michael Arndt, who is the writer, and Kathleen Kennedy, who is going to run Lucasfilm.” Hamill added “Both have had meetings set that were postponed — on their end, not mine. They’re more busy than I am.”
Hit the jump for much more including what Hamill assumes will happen with the characters, other actors he’d like to see return, and the visual style of the sequels.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight [via CS], Hamill strongly hinted at how Luke will be depicted in the sequel:
“I’m assuming—because I haven’t talked to the writers—that these movies would be about our offspring, like my character would be sort of in the Obi-wan range [as] an influential character. When I found out [while making the original trilogy] that ultimate good news/bad news joke the good news is there’s a real attractive, hot girl in the universe; the bad news is she’s your sister. I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to wind up like Sir Alec [Guinness]. I’m going to be a lonely old hermit living out in some kind of desert igloo with a couple of robots.’”
Of course, Obi-wan was in a self-imposed exile, but since the Empire was defeated at the end of Return of the Jedi, I don’t see why Luke would have to live out in a desert igloo with droids.
However, it sounds like Hamill would prefer if the new movies wouldn’t be quite so dark:
“I said to George that I wanted to go back to the way it was, in the sense that ours was much more carefree and lighthearted and humorous, in my opinion, anyway….hope they find the right balance of CGI with practical effects. I love props, I love models, miniatures, matte paintings — I’m sort of old school. I think if you go too far in the direction of CGI it winds up looking like just a giant a video game, and that’s unfortunate. If they listen to me at all, it’ll be, ‘Lighten up and go retro with the way it looks.’”
I think plenty of fans agree with Hamill, but that approach seems unlikely since the demands of what moviegoers want in terms of spectacle can only be served with massive amounts of CGI even though the original trilogy holds up perfectly fine. Hopefully, they find the “right balance of CGI and practical effects” rather than the green-screen heavy world of the prequels.
Hamill would also prefer some throwbacks in terms of bringing back more than Luke, Leia, and Han Solo:
“Another thing I’d want to make sure of is are we going to have the whole gang back? Is Carrie and Harrison and Billy Dee [Lando Calrissian] and Tony Daniels [C-3PO], everybody that’s around from the original [returning]? I want to make sure that everybody’s on board here, rather than just one.”
That’s a very thoughtful sentiment, although I think once you get past Luke, Leia, and Han Solo, it may be tougher to bring back outside characters in terms of where they would fit into the story. Perhaps past the point of Luke, Leia, and Han, you have old supporting characters reduced to cameos in order to make way for the new characters.
Michael Arndt is working on the pic’s screenplay as we speak, and once Star Trek Into Darkness opens in May, Abrams will be able to devote his full attention to Star Wars for the next 2-3 years. As such, we should be hearing some more solid information regarding Star Warslater this summer.
Click here to catch up on all of our Star Wars coverage, or peruse the recent links below:
- John Williams Hoping to Score New STAR WARS Films
- Harrison Ford Set to Return to Play Han Solo in STAR WARS: EPISODE VII?
- STAR WARS Screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg Talk STAR WARS: EPISODE VII; Frank Oz Willing to Return to Voice Yoda
- Watch Steve Talk About STAR WARS Spinoff Movies, DIE HARD 6, SPIDER-MAN, the STAR TREK Sequel and More
- RUMOR: John Noble Circling Villain Role in STAR WARS: EPISODE VII? Plus, Concept Art for Young Han Solo from STAR WARS: EPISODE III
- Editorial: Need STAR WARS Spinoffs Featuring Old Characters, We Don’t
- STAR WARS Spinoff Films Include a Boba Fett Movie and a Young Han Solo Film
- Disney Confirms Standalone STAR WARS Films
- Rumor: First Standalone STAR WARS Movie Centers on Yoda
- THE COLLISION: Episode 35 – J.J. Abrams and STAR WARS
- Producer Kathleen Kennedy Explains How She Got J.J. Abrams to Direct STAR
- ARS: EPISODE VII; Won’t Confirm 2015 Release
- STAR WARS News: Film Might Have Female Protagonist; Abrams Comments on Getting the Gig; May Not Have Agreed to 2015 Release
- It’s Official: J.J. Abrams Will Direct & Produce STAR WARS: EPISODE VII; Lawrence Kasdan & Simon Kinberg Consulting on the Film
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Love him, what a nice guy, but shoot those annoying droids into the atmosphere, I don’t wish to see them ever again.
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I dont think they need to worry about Hamill and Fisher saying no its Ford who might skip this movie
Ford’s signed on hasn’t he?
Not officially. It’s still all rumors.
He came back for stinking Indiana Jones 4 just because of Lucas. If he doesn’t come back for something that should be ten times better, including a chance to work with Abrams! than he just fails.
At least Harrison didn’t go out like Willis did in Die Hard.
He also came out of the woodwork for Favreau’s turd on a string ‘Cowboys Vs Aliens’. The guy needs to put his name to something of worth to wash the taste of that movie out of my mind.
Ford did not stink out Indy 4!! Lucas, Spielberg and Lebouf did! Oh and Janus Kaminski too, the cinematography was the worst offender, whole thing looked cgi even when it wasnt. Ugly to look at. Ford was its only saving grace!
Harrison Ford didn’t go out like Willis, he went out instead by releasing crappy movie after crappy movie mostly because of his phoned in performances. Guy’s a joke now.
All True
These guys must be in such a position of power when it comes to contract negotiations.
Give Hayden Christensen a flashback scene! haha
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
I think we found the right choice for director… Mark Hamill!
I think that JJ Abrams is the right guy to find the “balance of CGI and practical effects.” Just look at Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. Both of those films use practical sets in addition to CG space battles, etc. That was one thing that I loved about Star Trek – there were a lot of actual set pieces for the inside of the Enterprise and even the different planets they were on. It wasn’t two hours of scoffingly obvious CG settings like in the Star Wars prequels (the CG was so clear, it WAS like a cartoon). So they picked the right guy for the job in that respect.
I do hope that Hamill doesn’t get his wish about bringing EVERYBODY back. Yeah, certain cameos would be nice, but when you get too bent up on fitting all the old characters in, the product is not the best (for evidence, see the prequels).
make A IG-88 spinoff movie
What’s with some of the lamest or least important characters of the series being blown up on what could’ve been a cool 6-episode poster, while Han, Leia, Chewie and the droids can barely be seen?
And no Sir Alec Guinness at all. For shame!
Seriously, Jar Jar Binks is larger than Han Solo.
I’ve never been a fan of that 6 Episode poster, would be nice if Drew Struzan did one covering all 6 episodes. Hope he decides to do the posters for the new trilogy.
Hamill – “If they listen to me at all, it’ll be, ‘Lighten up and go retro with the way it looks.’”
Disney, please listen to him! I’m begging you! We don’t need 3 more SW movies with wooden acting and pretty CGI like the prequels.
Is anyone else alarmed that George is still involved? That’s the scariest part of this article. Go away George and enjoy your $4billion.
“mmmmm, taste that Laaandos Fried Chicken”
mmmmm, taste that Landos Fried Chicken
Sith pig!
Star wars spin off idea: “THE ACKBAR IDENTITY”
A character driven kitchen sink drama that focuses on young Admiral Ackbar and how he wakes up from a coma to find that he is the landlord of Coral Depth City’s number 1 bar FROG EYES. One day an unknown visitor to Ackbar’s tavern, in a drunken stupor, tells him that he Is in fact not Ol’Joey but “the Admiral” – the very admiral who rose through the ranks of the Mon Calarami to be Grand Moff Tarkin’s personal stylist.
Heres some other spin-off ideas..
JAWASSIC PARK,
AHSOKAMENT,
The LANDO THAT TIME FORGOT,
WHAT ABOUT BOBA ,
JAWAS III THE REVENGE,
COOL NEW HAND LUKE,
CHEWIEE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY,
FRIED GREEN TAUNTAUNS
HE-WOK AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
KILL BIB volume 1.
JANGO UNCHAINED
ANAKINSTAD
ONE FLEW OVER THE MINOKS NEST
ok, I ran out…
Fantastic!!!!!
Why would the Joker be in a Star Wars movie? I don’t get it.
The stand alone solo flick for Han should be about his failed run for Gangsta Jabba. Since he’ll be around the scum of the universe, they can incorporate new bad-ass’s as well as old favs like IG-88, Bossk, Fett and maybe even The Cantina. STAR WARS!!! HOLLLLAAA!!!!
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Hamil should totally direct this! His love of old school film making, matte paintings, real props and puppets, real world look to it and having fun making it is what made the originals so damn perfect in the first place! He truly is a Jedi, like his father before him.
I do hope we see a proper Darth Vader spin-off movie too. hunting down Jedi, Palpatine building up the Empire etc.. maybe even Ahsoka confronting Vader if she survives clone wars.
ps, It may be the only chance we ever get to see Darth Vader again, since he is no more. And not even his ghost would make an appearance.
What they haven’t disclosed is that Mark Hamill is being signed on to do voice acting for a new Gungan Jedi character.
agree. I will never how they messed up indy 4 so bad. wish I could have been there when the green light was given on that script and told lucas that he was making a big mistake. they were still gonna make a lot of money anyways just don’t get why nobody said to lucas that the script sucked. lucas lost his mojo