The months immediately following Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm brought countless rumors about who’s directing Star Wars: Episode VII, with just about every fathomable choice (or fan-dream candidate) being mentioned at some point. Nonetheless, last week’s revelation that Star Trek rebooter J.J. Abrams is overseeing the seventh Star Wars live-action installment came as a surprise (either pleasant or unwelcome, depending on who you ask).
Disney/Lucasfilm previously announced a 2015 release date target for Episode VII, but insiders are claiming that could change now that Abrams is onboard. In related news: details on what heavily-rumored Star Wars director Matthew Vaughn – who was a legitimate contender for the job – had planned suggest the new trilogy may end up featuring a female protagonist.
Newly-appointed Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed Abrams as the Episode VII director a day after the news leaked, setting in motion the first wave of debates about the selection. Paramount released a statement around the same time, assuring that Abrams remains committed to producing – but not directing – both a followup to Star Trek Into Darkness and fifth Mission: Impossible (among other movie projects and TV pilots). However, that may delay Star Wars‘ return to theaters.
THR, in its report on Abrams’ confirmation, mentions the director isn’t committed to a 2015 release, meaning Episode VII may be pushed back “if the development process requires it.” Obviously, it’s too early to determine whether or not anything will come of that, but Abrams does have a track record of not rushing production in order to meet a planned deadline (as happened with the first two rebooted Star Trek installments). Similarly, Disney already has The Avengers 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean 5 scheduled to arrive that year, which could figure into the final decision about when to unleash Episode VII on the viewing public.
It’s worth noting that screenwriter Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Oblivion) is well into the scripting process on Episode VII, drawing from his own story treatment; not to mention, Luke Skywalker himself (Mark Hamill) revealed development on a new Star Wars trilogy has been ongoing since at least last summer. Moreover, rumors point to Disney modeling its Star Wars movie output after the Marvel Movie Universe, which means setting (and keeping) release dates planned far in advance. Still, if there’s anyone with enough clout to slow down Disney’s well-oiled machine, it’s a filmmaker like Abrams.
On a related note: Abrams boarding Episode VII has prompted speculation that we may be getting a proper female protagonist for the first time in Star Wars film franchise history; after all, this is the same man who gave us the Felicity, Alias and Fringe TV shows, while also upgrading Uhura’s presence in the Trek reboot. /Film dances around that topic in its own report on Abrams’ confirmation for Episode VII:
Our sources have been telling us for a while now that Steven Spielberg was really pushing Kennedy to hire Abrams. The story goes that Abrams was the first filmmaker approached after Spielberg, but was very hesitant. Kennedy talked to other directors including Ben Affleck and also Matthew Vaughn who may have pitched to have Chloë Grace Moretz in the lead role. Our sources say that Spielberg was instrumental in convincing Abrams and Kennedy to make it happen.
That Vaughn was pitching Chloë Grace Moretz (who’s returning as Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass 2 this summer) in the lead not only sounds like a cool idea, it also indicates that Arndt’s script features a female lead; or, rather, that an early draft did. Again, as mentioned before, Abrams seems the type who’d be willing to center the action around, say, either Han Solo and Leia Skywalker’s daughter or maybe even Luke’s offspring (assuming Episode VII continues to follow the Skywalker clan). In other words: there’s a reasonable chance that something will come of Vaughn’s proposal after all.
Who wants to see Hit-Girl play a Jedi in ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’?
The decision to use a female protagonist for Episode VII also makes sense from a marketing standpoint. That is, Disney absorbing both Lucasfilm and Marvel (and maybe even Hasbro, if rumors are to believed) was partly motivated by a desire to expand the company’s appeal to the male demographic. Hence, making Star Wars more friendly to female geeks – in order to pull in more women, while also updating the franchise for the current zeitgeist – is a smart maneuver, since it’s a given the fanboys are going to show up no matter what.
Star Wars: Episode VII remains tentatively set for release in 2015. We will let you know if (when?) that changes.
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No Chloe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Já não basta inventar de mudar a data de estréia de 2015 para 2016 ainda vai mudar o personagem principal de um homem para uma mulher só pode ser brincadeira,já tá virando bagunça esse j.j abrams é o pior.
YES! Chloe is awesome put her in Star Wars!
Terrible!
Why is a female lead so bad? If you read the “legacy of the force” series, you’ll understand that’s a great move.
From the photo in this article, is J.J. Abrams subtly giving us “the finger”?!!?!
I have been a Star Wars fan for years, but I actually wonder how Episode 7 will fair, knowing that the last Episode that was released was released many years ago. Will that huge gap in time kinda dampen the hype for Ep 7? And the younger kids these days don’t even know what Star Wars is too.
So what this guy is saying is that this is speculation at this point? Meaning no done deal, no actual evidence and no confirmed plot, setting, or even characters? Then why are you guys so excited over a supposed female character being starred in a lead role? I myself wouldn’t mind if there was a lead female protagonist if it wasn’t star wars. Star Wars seems to have this style that the story on the form of a male lead protagonist taking center stage while the female protagonists took on a vital but supporting role in the film. I don’t know why but it just doesn’t seem right to me to have a female lead protagonist. I’m not sexist but I do know that there is a formula for Star Wars, and having a female protagonist would seem very close to destroying that formula (though I don’t think the prequels really did such a good job on keeping up with the Star Wars formula as they should have).
The idea of a female protagonist for the Sequel Trilogy is a mistake any way you slice it. The Skywalker saga of Episodes I-VI has been a story of fathers and sons (just ask Ian McDiardmid) and as the new films are a continuation of this storyline, the best choice for the role of protagonist is a son for Luke Skywalker.
This is not to say a great female role in the ensemble lead should’t be included (it always has been, after all) or even that a female protgonist in a Star Wars film shouldn’t happen. It should. Just definitively not in the ST.
I’ve done some more thinking and i would actually enjoy Mortez as a jedi apprentice under Skywalker i think (i’m getting a celebrity crush on her lol) I think Abrams would work well with her and she’d just be a great addition i wouldn’t want her to play anyone’s kid though i personally hope that they avoid that route for the story. I would like it if she plays Luke’s apprentice and they have the friendly mentor chemistry that Luke had with Obi-Wan but at the same time the challenging teacher and lesson relationship that Luke had with Yoda i would really like her to be in star wars
I firmly believe that Ellen page would be first choice for jaina solo. Second being Jennifer Lawrence.
Consider the age of of the original actors, Jaina isn’t a teenager any more, Chloë (age 16, 17 in 2015) would be better suited to play the schizophrenic Jedi Tahiri Veila.
I’d much rather see Lacey Chabert play Jaina
Quick apology – Tahiri is more dissociative than schizophrenic.
Chloe Moretz would be perfect as the female lead
In a stand alone Jedi Acadamy story – yes! That would be totally sweet no argument but Harrison Ford is 70. Just a bit too much suspended disbelief for me to see 70 year old Han with a 16 year old daughter.
They could make it about Han and Leia’s adopted grandchild Allana Solo (Chloe)being mentored by Luke, that could be very cool indeed but then Jaina would get relegated to a supporting character too.
I fully support a female lead for Ep VII
I would love to see Jaina as the main character!
YES!!!!!!!!!! Chloe Moretz is perfect as Jedi in Star Wars! They must have her now! I can’t wait!