Today, we talk about Star Wars (as everyone around the globe) again. Two pieces of news, related to John Williams possibly returning for musical score and new plot hints and rumors – read on after the jump.
A jwfan.com forum member who attended the February 9th concert of legendary John Williams conducting the Young Musician's Foundation Debut Orchestra, reports on the comment on Star Wars: Episode VII, made by the maestro before conducting the Star Wars theme:
“We're about to play Star Wars [audience interrupts with cheers] and each time we play it, I'm reminded of the first time we played it decades ago. Neither I, nor George, nor anyone else involved thought this would go far or in a few years there would be a sequel and I'd have to revisit the themes… and years later another trilogy. Now we're hearing of a new set of movies coming in 2015, 2016… so I need to make sure I'm still ready to go in a few years for what I hope would be continued work with George… [more cheers].”As we all do. Myself, I won't even watch the new ones if Williams isn't involved (yeah, I love his scores THAT much). We've heard talk of movies that happen after the conclusion of the original trilogy, and of ways to include the original main three characters, and of Harrison Ford reprising his role as Han Solo, and of Mark Hamill confirming his return, too. The second piece of news – and mind you, this is all, unfortunately, still unconfirmed – says that the story of the new trilogy will focus on Han and Leia's, as well as Luke's (and I guess Mara Jade's) kids. Yes, that's something that's been very much part of the speculation, but over at Showbiz 411, journalist Roger Friedman said yesterday it's definitely happening. He claimed he was told “some time ago” that Ford, Hamill and Carrie Fisher would all be returning – a rumor that's been around pretty much as long as talk of a new Star Wars has been – and now explained that their offsprings will in fact be the focus of the story:
“It's some time in the future. Han, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker will be a lot older. Their children will be the new main characters. R2D2 and C-3PO will be unchanged, I would guess, since they are not human. But suffice to say, the three main actors are definitely coming back.”Ok, the original main cast returning IS old news, but this is where I am a bit confused: there was talk that the plot of the new trilogy will be “a completely new one”, but how they intend to do that if there's something of a canon related to the kids as well? Will they base their story on the Expanded Universe Skywalker progenies known as Jacen, Jaina and Anakin Solo, and Ben Skywalker? OR will they really invent new characters and thus erase the secondary canon (and cause, what I presume, a chaos among the readers/fans)? All in all, a story about the main three's children would be pretty much in line with everything that came before, though maybe a little too expected. But with the planned spinoffs potentially digging into the backstories of familiar characters, the main Star Wars: Episode VII could go a safer direction and leave the risk-taking to the spinoffs. Then again, we remain in the rumor stage. Any and all of this could change. The question for you guys now is, what story do you actually want to see in Episode VII? And will the Skywalker/Solo kids be interesting enough to follow into a new trilogy? As for me, I'd love that, but I still somehow hope to see the Knights of the Old Republic/Revan's story revived; regarding spin-offs, Yoda's background (and finally naming his race, for the love of cupcakes!) and more on Boba Fett's life would be quite welcome, as well as how Palpatine appeared and how he emerged from his Sith apprenticeship. For the end, Chris aka Scanders411 created a cool DVD cover for an imaginary Star Wars Episode VII: Heir to the Empire movie, which you can check out below. Just in case you aren't too familiar with the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Heir to the Empire takes place five years after Return of the Jedi during the New Republic era.
via Wiki: Heir to the Empire is part of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and takes place five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. The Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting twins. Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited new line of Jedi Knights. Thousands of light years away, Grand Admiral Thrawn, the last of the Emperor's Warlords, has taken command of the shattered Imperial Fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic. Thrawn is searching for a Dark Jedi and is succeeding in restoring the Empire.
