Star Wars: Carrie Fisher claims she had affair with Harrison Ford

By The Week Staff

last updated 16 November 2016

Star Wars 7: trailer for The Force Awakens to be released online

27 November

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Meredith Woerner from entertainment news site io9 expressed doubts over the footage: "The lens flare feels almost too obvious and the CG looks a little 'meh,' so we're leaning towards no, but it would be cool if it was the real deal," Woerner said. " Then again, again, as Making Star Wars points out, the creators of this mysterious footage did get the radar replacement dish right. So these people know their sh**. And we can't really judge FX on a tiny little GIF."

One of the website's regular sources, Jay Carlson of Indie Revolver, also confirmed the legitimacy of the new villain: "I respect their hesitation to claim any authenticity related to the image – it’s nice to see some restraint with Star Wars news on the internet. However, I can confirm that not only is this legitimate production art but that this particular concept made its way through pre-production and into the film. This character and his light-broadsword have filmed scenes in England", Carlson said.

Given the enormous interest in the production, it is "incredible that the crew has managed to keep its plot (mostly) under wraps", The Independent says. However, there have been unconfirmed plot leaks that suggest the story will begin with new comers John Boyega and Daisy Ridley's characters discovering Luke Skywalker's severed hand from The Empire Strikes Back and going on a quest to find the old Jedi master.

Anthony Daniels, the British actor who has played the robotic interpreter C-3PO in every Star Wars film, said last week that he has been back inside a robot suit for the movie, reports The Guardian. In the more recent prequel films, Daniels was replaced by a digital version of the character in action sequences: "It wasn't very good. In fact, I'm going to say it was awful. With me [in the suit], he's always going to move the same way and have the same reactions, timing and so on.

Unknown actors have been cast in previous instalments of the Star Wars saga, the BBC notes: "It dates right back to the first Star Wars film in 1977 when the then unknown Mark Hamill secured the starring role as Luke Skywalker". The actor went on to appear in the film's sequels, The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and the Return of the Jedi in 1983. Hamill will reprise his most famous role again in Star Wars Episode 7.

According to Movie Pilot, Disney has "reinforced security" to avoid further leaks. But yesterday the National ran a new story with more information from its anonymous sources, who said the desert-based sets are "getting closer to completion, with a 'whole world' having been built on an otherworldly salt lake at one location, [featuring] a 'shuttle-like' spacecraft, a large tower, a 'big, centuries-old-looking market', something the crew are reportedly referring to as the 'alien house' and ten to 15 'really fast buggies' powered by jet engines".

John BoyegaWho is he? A 22-year-old British actor best known for his role in sci-fi film Attack The Block. He is expected to be one of the sequel's "trio of young leads".What do the critics say? In its review of Attack the Block, The Guardian says Boyega lends his tough character "poignancy" and says the young actor is capable of producing "heart-wringing" vulnerability. Total Film describes Boyega as "charismatic".

Daisy RidleyWho is she? A young British actress who has had roles in Mr Selfridge and Casualty. Some believe that Ridley will play either a daughter of Han Solo and Princess Leia, or a member of the Kenobi family.What do the critics say? Very little has been written about Ridley's previous acting work. In a profile on the actress that describes her as "the Star Wars mystery woman", Mashable says that Ridley is "a 5-foot-7 jazz singer, dancer and strong swimmer with dark hair, and a native London accent". A short sci-fi film starring the young actress can be seen in full on Vimeo.

Adam DriverWho is he? One of the leads in HBO's hit show Girls – The Independent says he is likely to play "a Darth Vader-like antagonist".What do the critics say? Rolling Stone says that in Girls, Adam Driver "bicycle-kicked his way into our hearts as the boyfriend you love to hate". Interview magazine notes that the 30-year-old has an impressive list of theatre credits. "I'm like a sight gag", Driver said in an interview with the New York Times – "I have this really big face".

Oscar IsaacWho is he? Isaac is an American actor who recently starred in the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis.What do the critics say? Roger Ebert praised Isaac's "haunting conviction" in Inside Llewyn Davis. The Observer agrees and says he was "terrific in the lead role, a picture of downtrodden grouchiness who manages to be both engaging and obnoxious, someone who doesn't deserve our sympathy but gets it anyway".

Andy SerkisWho is he? You may not know his face, but you almost definitely know his performances. Serkis played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and King Kong in Peter Jackson's 2005 remake, and is widely considered to be one of the best motion capture artists in the world. He is tipped to use those skills to portray some kind of alien.What do the critics say? Serkis has been awarded a number of (admittedly lesser) accolades for his performances over the years including an Empire Award, a National Board of Review Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his motion capture work. Playing Gollum "changed the course of my career", Serkis once told the Independent.

Domhnall GleesonWho is he? Gleeson is probably best known for having played Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter films, but he has appeared in a number of other films since.What do the critics say? Gleeson was nominated for a Tony Award at the age of 25 for his part in the Broadway production The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Reviews were mixed for Gleeson's role in last year's Richard Curtis romantic comedy About Time, but the Daily Telegraph praised his comic timing and said he managed to strike "a Goldilocks balance between gawky and handsome".

Max von SydowWho is he? The most well-known of the newcomers, the 85-year-old Swedish actor has a long and distinguished Hollywood career including roles in The Exorcist, Robin Hood, Judge Dredd and Dune. He has also played a Bond villain and Ming the Merciless in Flash Gordon and worked extensively with Ingmar Bergman. He is likely to play a baddie.What do the critics say? Roger Ebert says that Max von Sydow's casting in The Exorcist was both perfect and inevitable. "He has been through so many religious and metaphysical crises in Bergman's films that he almost seems to belong on a theological battlefield the way John Wayne belonged on a horse", Ebert said.

So what might happen next? According to the Star Wars canon, as relayed by Wookieepedia, Han Solo and Princess Leia marry almost immediately after the defeat of the evil Galactic Empire in the final film, Return of the Jedi. The peaceful years that follow the fall of Darth Vader and the Emperor are disrupted, however, when a new enemy known as the Yuuzhan Vong invades the galaxy and Han Solo and Luke Skywalker join up once again to head into battle.

CHIWETEL Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch are among 15 actors rumoured to have bagged a role in the new Star Wars film, written and directed by J.J. Abrams. The original trio of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Harrison Ford (Hans Solo) are also almost certain to reunite for the film, which is set for release in September 2015. Leaked information from Drew McWeeny on film website HitFlix apparently revealed that the script is complete and that filming will begin at London’s Pinewood studios later this year. He said: “Multiple sources now have confirmed for us that Star Wars Episode VII is set to start shooting mid-May and will run through September of this year.”

He also claimed that “most principal casting on the film is complete”. Another Hollywood heavyweight touted for a lead role is Harry Potter and Batman actor Gary Oldman. “They’ve called,” said the 55-year-old this week during an interview with Sky Movies. "I don't know if it’s, er … You know, I'm more cynical about it now,” he said. “I'll believe it when I'm on the plane home. The deal isn't done, but yeah, they've inquired.” The only officially confirmed cast member is Kenny Baker, who will reprise his 1977 performance as R2D2. We’ve put together a list of all the actors who’ve been linked with the film: