Lead Actors in The Raid to Appear in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Header by Virgil Solis
Considering just how much of a mess the Prequel Trilogy was with its overabundant use of CGI (as well as lackluster characters, writing, directing, etc.), it makes a lot of sense for Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams to focus on practical effects with his iteration of the famed franchise. As was seen in the film's first teaser trailer, Abrams and crew are doing everything they can to recapture what made the Original Trilogy so great while utilizing technological advancements in modern cinema to create a sequel worthy of carrying the Star Wars name.
If rumors are true, the embracement of practical effects is going a step further with word that three of the primary actors in The Raid 2 are set to join the sci-fi epic. Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, and Cecep Arif Rahman will be bringing pencak silat to Tatooine, raising the already high bar of expectation for Abrams' Star War. Anybody that has seen The Raid: Redemption or The Raid 2 know Uwais and Ruhian could be the next major crossover martial arts actors, or at the very least can choreograph some exciting scenes for Hollywood action films that lack the excitement they once held.
There are no concrete details regarding the types of roles the trio will take on in The Force Awakens just yet, but the possibilities of having the three play a role in defining Star Wars for a new generation are high enough for even the biggest skeptics hopeful for confirmation.
[via Twitch]
16th Century-Imagined Superheroes by Photographer Sacha Goldberger
Photos by Sacha Goldberger
In the last few decades, we've seen superheroes be transformed and remade continually, but until now, we've never quite seen them like this. Photographer Sacha Goldberger has created a series of 16th Century-looking superheroes at a special art exhibition in Paris titled "Super Flemish". Through a compilation of make up artistry, design, and lighting, each character is photographed to look like an Elizabethan-era painted portrait, and it's as realistic as you can get.
To name a few, the portraits include characters from DC, Marvel, and Star Wars, and it took an entire crew to portray each one. Outside of the hair and makeup artists, casting directors were even hired to book models that closely resembled the Hollywood actors that played each superhero in recent films. The detail-oriented project proved to be a success, and they are all creatively entertaining.
Take a look at the following portraits, and find more of Goldberger's full portfolio here and on his Facebook page.
[Via ComicBook.com]
Harrison Ford Sidelined Two Months Due to Star Wars Episode VII Injury
Last week, Harrison Ford (The Expendables 3) was involved in a major accident on the set of Star Wars Episode VII. While reports have been conflicted over what exactly injured him, with the most popular rumor being that a part of the Millennium Falcon fell on top of him, it's been confirmed that the 71-year-old actor has a broken ankle, a possible pelvic injury, and approximately two months away from production to heal. Of course, director J.J. Abrams and the rest of the production crew can easily move things around the schedule to accommodate any time Ford might miss. For now, no official word has come from Ford's camp, but it's realistic to imagine Ford will miss some amount of time from production.
The accident is very unfortunate for the film's production, but luckily Abrams and company are able to shuffle the shooting schedule around so as to not lose any significant amount of time for the film. Hopefully Ford will be able to heal fully and come back to production better than ever. I do like the prospect of Ford still getting his hands dirty, showing just how dedicated he is to ensuring Han Solo's legacy won't be tainted by his age.
[via /Film]
Josh Trank Tapped to Direct Star Wars Spin-Off Film
The future of the Star Wars franchise is rounding out quite nicely. With last month's announcement that Godzilla director Gareth Edwards will be directing one of the three rumored spin-off films, it shows just how dedicated Disney is in ensuring the Star Wars brand is treated well and being carried along in the right hands. Sure, naysayers can point out Disney's milking and exploitation of the name, especially with the notion that we'll receive a Star Wars film every year, but at least the filmmakers they're targeting are talented up and comers. With today's news, another pivotal piece of the puzzle has been added to the Star Wars family.
Upcoming Fantastic Four director Josh Trank has been confirmed to direct one of the Star Wars spin-off films. As has become standard, there's no word on what the film will actually be about. However, given Trank's professional background working with the superhero genre (as well as an early Star Wars-inspired short film), his addition to the Star Wars universe is a great one. He showed immense promise with Chronicle, and will hopefully be able to turn the Fantastic Four franchise around. With J.J. Abrams, Gareth Edwards, and now Josh Trank on board, I think we can expect a level of directorial quality from these Star Wars films that we've been lacking since Return of the Jedi was released.
You can read the full press release below:
In addition to the episodes of a new Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney continue development of multiple stand-alone movies that will offer new stories beyond the core Saga. The newest director to come on board is Josh Trank.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Josh into the family,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “He is such an incredible talent and has a great imagination and sense of innovation. That makes him perfectly suited to Star Wars, and for this new slate of movies that reach beyond the core characters and storylines of Episodes I through IX.”
Trank states, “The magic of the Star Wars Universe defined my entire childhood. The opportunity to expand on that experience for future generations is the most incredible dream of all time.”
Trank captured imaginations worldwide with his critically lauded directorial debut Chronicle, a fresh and engaging take on the superhero genre. Trank is currently at work on The Fantastic Four for 20th Century Fox.
[via /Film]
Godzilla Director Gareth Edwards Directing First Star Wars Spin-Off
We only recently received news of who'll be starring in the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII. Since then, we've gotten a steady in flux of information, from the start of production to yesterday's announcement of the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative. When Disney bought Lucasfilm, they announced their intentions to release annual Star Wars films following Episode VII's release. Disney has further cemented their annual film regimen by confirming the existence of at least three spin-off films to follow Episode VII. While speculation over what the films will cover is still out with no plot information, Disney and Lucasfilm announced the creative duo for the first planned spin-off film coming in 2016. Godzilla director Gareth Edwards and The Book of Eli screenwriter Gary Whitta will be teaming together for the first post-Episode VII spin-off with an already set target date of December 16, 2016. You can read the announcement below.
In addition to the episodes of a new Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney have begun development on multiple stand-alone movies that will offer new stories beyond the core Saga. Gareth Edwards will direct the first stand-alone film, with a screenplay by Gary Whitta. The film is due out December 16, 2016.
Gareth Edwards blazed into the filmmaking forefront with his acclaimed work on Monsters, a film he wrote, directed and served on as cinematographer and visual effects artist. The skill and vision readily apparent in Monsters earned him the high-profile spot directing this year’s smash hit Godzilla.
“Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited & honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm, said Edwards.
Gary Whittas screenwriting credits include 2010s The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington. He is also well known as a journalist and editor in the video game industry, as well as part of the BAFTA award-winning team on Telltale Games adaptation of The Walking Dead.
Whitta states, “From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, Star Wars has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer. It is deeply special to me,so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a film-maker as talented as Gareth,is literally a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.”
[via /Film]
[Video] Donate $10 to UNICEF, Win a Role in Star Wars Episode VII
Do you like helping charities? Are you a massive fan of Star Wars? You can now combine your interests to both with the new Star Wars: Force of Change initiative! Thanks to Disney, Lucasfilm, and Bad Robot, Force of Change is asking patrons to make a donation to UNICEF's Innovative Labs program for all types of incentives, including advance screenings of Star Wars Episode VII, t-shirts, lightsaber replicas, and all sorts of Episode VII-related memorabilia. The biggest incentive to donate, however, is eligibility to appear in Episode VII with every donation.
For lifelong fans of Star Wars, this is almost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be immortalized in a scene next to Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia (albeit in alien makeup). Meanwhile, the money is going to a worthwhile charity. UNICEF's Innovation Labs is a worldwide program that helps foster creativity amongst children in fun community projects. Some of the examples listed include "portable, solar-powered learning kits being built in China, Uganda, and Burundi to ensure every child in the world has access to relevant, quality learning," "mobile phone application developed in South Sudan and Uganda, and used in the Philippines, that helps reunite children with their families after an emergency," and more.
To read more about the Star Wars: Force of Change initiative and donate to the cause, visit this website.
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Disney Wants to Produce Multiple Star Wars Spin-Offs
In a surprise to nobody, Disney confirmed their plans to greatly expand upon the Star Wars franchise. Outside of the core trilogy, Disney had recently announced their intentions to release a new Star Wars film annually to pad out the next decade of films, somewhat following the manner that Disney and Marvel have been treating their films. With Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed their intentions to produce at least three spin-off films, it begs the question as to what these films would be about.
Earlier, it was reported that a prequel film was in the works featuring a young Han Solo and Chewbacca with Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan and X-Men: Days of Future Past writer Simon Kinberg teaming together on the script. No new news has come from the initial rumblings, but considering how huge both Star Wars Episode VII and X-Men: Days of Future Past are, it's not a real surprise. Another spin-off film that has been rumored for a long time is a film centered on everybody's favorite bounty hunter, Boba Fett. Whether or not these two pitches will actually develop into real projects will have to be seen, but at least one thing's clear: for better or worse, there's going to be a whole hell lot of Star Wars over the next few years.
[via Collider]