Cast read-through of Star Wars: Episode VII.
A long time ago in a galaxy way before Facebook and Twitter was an incredible fictional galaxy full of Death Stars, Jedis, and scruffy-looking nerfherders. Of course I mean George Lucas’s Star Wars. With baited anticipation StarWars.com has posted a photo of the cast read-through with all the major players involved.
Among the actors to be part of J.J. Abrams’ seventh episode of the Star Wars franchise are Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver (both recently seen in the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis), John Boyega (star of the criminally underseen Attack the Block), plus Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson (About Time), Max von Sydow and Daisy Ridley.
These new players will join returning favorites Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Kenny Baker (R2-D2).
Disney, the studio that acquired Lucasfilm in October 2012, made its intentions known with a reboot of the franchise when it hired J.J. Abrams to write and direct the project, thus putting a nix on the possibility of him directing a third Star Trek installment. To help him flesh out the narrative, Lawrence Kasdan, who penned The Empire Strikes Back, is co-writing.
Kathleen Kennedy and Bryan Burk are producing.
Disney has set a December 18, 2015 release date for the first picture in a planned trilogy.
Here is the official statement regarding the casting:
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“We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII,” Abrams said in the announcement today, which puts a cap on months of cast speculation – most of it BS. (The announcement also included a cast photo.) “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.”