Not only Simon Pegg and Daniel Craig, but also Michael Fassbender and Hugo Weaving wanted to make cameo appearances in the film. The roles themselves weren't important — what mattered was that these Star Wars fans could personally take part in the project.
Not to mention these Hollywood stars — even several members of Congress wrote to Lucasfilm, hoping they too could participate in the shoot, even if it was just as masked stormtroopers.
As long as it didn't interfere with filming, Duke would never pass up such a good opportunity to build connections and owe favors.
Although every aspect of the production had been kept under strict confidentiality, once large-scale auditions began, some related information inevitably leaked out, becoming the focus of entertainment media coverage. This, in turn, had its advantages — even for Star Wars 7, which followed a strict secrecy policy to stir global fan curiosity, pre-release publicity and hype were still necessary.
The production company Lucasfilm and the distributor Warner Bros. also worked with partner media to formulate a detailed promotional strategy.
"Instant Share News: Star Wars 7, scheduled to begin filming this April, is currently accelerating its casting process. According to insiders, the new Star Wars story will feature Luke Skywalker's son and Princess Leia and Han Solo's daughter as the protagonists. Previous rumors suggested that, based on the popularity of young films, director Duke Rosenberg and his team planned to give Star Wars 7 a more youthful tone, with a female Jedi as the lead character. It now seems that rumor is coming true."
"At present, many young actresses are auditioning. It's said that one of them has already read the script — the British actress Rachel Hurd-Wood, known for Perfume, American Horror Story, and Peter Pan. As for the male lead, British heartthrob Alex Pettyfer is the most likely candidate. He has starred in Wild Child, I Am Number Four, and Beastly. Both actors were born in the 1990s, and they share a common trait — they are 'members of the Appearance Association,' young idols who are also considered among the best performers of their generation."
"According to a revelation from George Lucas yesterday, 'Captain Han Solo' Harrison Ford, 'Luke Skywalker' Mark Hamill, and 'Princess Leia' Carrie Fisher have all signed contracts agreeing to return. However, Lucas said he has no authority over their specific roles — those decisions are up to director Duke Rosenberg."
"The screenplay for Star Wars 7 was personally written by Duke Rosenberg, with The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and Sherlock Holmes writer Simon Kinberg serving as script consultants. In music, composer John Williams, who scored all six previous Star Wars films, has been confirmed to return. Additionally, Duke Rosenberg has brought his longtime cinematographer John Schwartzman into the Star Wars team to film the entire project with IMAX technology."
"After acquiring Lucasfilm, Duke Rosenberg clearly intends to make full use of its resources. In addition to leading with Star Wars 7, Star Wars 8 and Star Wars 9 are already in development, with plans to release one every two years. Moreover, Lucasfilm also plans to produce standalone Star Wars spin-off films to be released between the main trilogy installments. This means Lucasfilm aims to release one Star Wars-related movie every year."
Since the announcement of Star Wars 7's production, there had been almost no "confirmed" or "definitive" official news. Both the media and fans following the project had been tormented by endless rumors and casting speculations.
This latest report instantly captured enormous public attention, though it also triggered dissatisfaction among longtime Star Wars loyalists. Such a high-frequency release schedule, they argued, reeked of commercialism. Many worried that Duke's overly business-oriented approach would ruin the franchise.
But Duke had invested over four billion dollars to acquire Lucasfilm — it was in the nature of commercial capital to pursue profit. There was no way he would sit idly by and let such a treasure trove of wealth recover its costs at a slow pace. That was simply impossible.
With the U.S. dollar continually depreciating, even time itself represented a cost.
As for whether this approach would overexploit the Star Wars brand's potential, Duke wasn't worried. As long as the films maintained a certain level of quality, there would be no problem. The Star Wars films he planned and directed, even at their worst, would never be as poor as Attack of the Clones.
Duke paid no attention to those criticisms and devoted himself fully to preparing Star Wars 7.
He first met with Harrison Ford. As reported by the media, after a long and difficult negotiation, Ford finally signed the actor's contract for Star Wars 7. Lucasfilm paid him a salary of $20 million. The only comforting point for Duke was that, despite the massive sum, Ford and his agent ultimately compromised — the contract did not include any profit-sharing clause.
Paying $20 million for a single actor was a rare occurrence in Duke's films. In the past, only three people had received such a figure from his productions — Tom Cruise, Charlize Theron, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Human nature is inevitably biased. The latter three had relationships with Duke that went beyond simple business cooperation — Tom Cruise was his partner, and his daughter was Duke's goddaughter; Charlize Theron and Leonardo DiCaprio were two of Duke's few friends within the industry. Harrison Ford, however, had little prior connection with him.
Lucasfilm was planning to produce not just Star Wars 7. If Han Solo continued to exist, Duke would inevitably have to pay him even more in future installments — something neither he nor Lucasfilm wanted to see. Therefore, Duke made some adjustments to the existing script.
The result of that adjustment was to have Han Solo killed off…
When the film was released, fans might complain or even curse, but in the face of commercial interests, such things were insignificant.
Besides, the entire Star Wars saga was, at its core, the family history of the Skywalkers — a tale of vengeance and redemption. Having Han Solo killed by his own son, a descendant of the Skywalker bloodline, couldn't be more natural.
Members of the Skywalker family succumb to the temptation of the Force's dark side and fall into darkness; on the other hand, other members represent the light side of the Force and save the galaxy. That, in essence, is the summary of Star Wars.
Speaking of which, the Force itself could be considered a generous gift that Anakin Skywalker left to his descendants.
From Duke's perspective—rooted in Eastern philosophy—the Force was something rather mystical and difficult to define. According to Pablo Hidalgo, the "walking encyclopedia" recognized by Star Wars fans, the Force was described as an energy field that existed only within living beings—something universal and equal among all life. However, not everyone who possessed the Force necessarily became a Jedi.
The Jedi had many rules. Back in their prime, the order was particular about its rituals: the Council had to approve apprentices, and students were expected to show absolute obedience.
That step was notoriously difficult to pass—even Anakin, with his astonishing talent, was once rejected for being "too old." Later, after the Jedi had fallen, the much older Luke Skywalker was still taken as a disciple.
As everyone knows, the Force has both a Dark Side and a Light Side.
In today's Hollywood, villains often determine the success of a blockbuster. The triumph and legacy of the Star Wars saga could never have existed without the contributions of Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and Emperor Palpatine to the galactic epic.
Aside from not being able to achieve eternal glory in the form of "Jedi spirits," the Dark Side of the Force often seemed more alluring than the Light.
In Duke's vision, Star Wars: Episode VII would be darker than the original trilogy—perhaps even darker than Revenge of the Sith. Although the villain he designed differed greatly from the "son of Luke" mentioned in media reports, he was still a member of the Skywalker family. Duke even made sure to give him a pair of heroic parents.
Of course, the film's main antagonists would come in pairs—consistent with Sith tradition.
According to the Rule of Two established by Darth Bane, a Sith master and apprentice could only exist as a pair—though apprentices could be replaced like flowing water. For instance, Darth Sidious had Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and Anakin in succession. Therefore, besides the Skywalker-family villain, there had to be another mastermind behind the scenes.
As for the representative of the Light Side of the Force, that role naturally fell to the female lead—who would be the first true female Jedi Master.
Like Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, this female Jedi Master also hailed from a distinguished lineage. In the Star Wars universe, legacy was an essential element.
Preparations for the film were progressing intensely and in an orderly fashion. Compared to his previous works, Duke paid far more attention to the casting process for Star Wars: Episode VII. He absolutely would not allow a repeat of the tragedies of Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman in the Star Wars prequels.
Particularly for the male and female leads—those roles were his to decide alone.
Rachel Hurd-Wood, reported by the media as a potential lead, was eliminated by Duke after her first audition. Though her looks and acting skills were decent, her height was an issue.
Duke's ideal actress for the female lead would stand at least five feet seven inches tall and could not be overly slender.
Casting a woman as thin as a bamboo pole to portray a powerful Jedi warrior would simply not be convincing.
Because the title and roles of Star Wars: Episode VII were under strict secrecy, the production team used code names in audition notices sent to the media and agencies.
The prospective male and female leads were referred to as "Rachel" and "Thomas," both described as young adults around twenty years old.
Although code names were used, Hollywood's agency network was far too sophisticated for such secrecy to hold. The agents quickly learned these were the leads for Star Wars: Episode VII—and they fully understood what such roles could mean for their clients' careers.
Given the nature of the roles, actresses from the five major English-speaking countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—naturally had the greatest advantage. Actresses from these regions were already stirring restlessly in anticipation.
...
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