Yesterday we reported that Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were all in London and that, of course, is where J.J. Abrams is filming Star Wars: Episode VII. So, you can probably infer that the trio from the original Star Wars films is there to work on Episode VII. Now, Deadline is reporting something that should be like a combination of the best birthday present ever with news you’ve scored that promotion at work -- and so much more.
Ford’s role as Han Solo is going to be “gigantic.”
Honestly, we wondered. Ford had long said that Solo was a character that didn’t have much to offer and that it was unlikely he would ever return to it. Ford even recently stated that he was more likely to don the Indiana Jones Fedora hat again before picking up Solo’s blaster.
But, there is something in the script by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan that has called to him. And thank goodness it did. Can you imagine a Star Wars: Episode VII where much of the story centers around Solo (and we’re guessing Leia as his wife) and their lives 30 years after Return of the Jedi ended? We can, especially given that the latest trilogy is said to focus on Leia and Solo’s children and the rise of a new enemy using that pesky dark side of the force.
Ford has also said that he wishes that Lucas had killed off Solo in a blaze of glory. What better way to achieve that wish than to have a meaty role in Star Wars: Episode VII, get killed off in the end by someone wielding the dark side anew, and motivate your children to extol justice?
Start. Printing. Money.
1. Ani Skywalker
Maybe it was how it was written. Perhaps, it was how it was played by Jake Lloyd... and maybe it was both. But young Anakin Skywalker, known as Ani, was just plain awful. .. and annoying!
2. Jar Jar Binks
Surprised? Hardly! Jar Jar Binks was not only annoying, but his portrayal also flirted with being a little racist. We know Lucas wanted to give the kids another fun character, but this guy?!
3. Yarna D'al Gargan
In Return of the Jedi there were many exotic characters in Jabba's lair. Yarna D'al Gargan was not exotic... just annoying.
4. Bail Organa
On paper, Bail Organa should have been a compelling character. Perhaps it was how it was written or how Lucas directed star Jimmy Smits, but how it came to be in the second trilogy... Bail was stale, stiff and just frankly irked us.
5. General Grievous
How is General Grievous supposed to be one of the most feared villains in the Star Wars world? He coughs all the time and he appears like a frail robot who could be taken out by a blaster. We find Grievous not fear-inducing... just funny.
6. Jedis Who Get Wiped Out in Revenge of the Sith
All those wasted Jedis! Supposedly, they're the most trained warriors in the galaxy, yet Lucas wastes hundreds of them in one scene that simply annoys us more than anything. These "soldiers" look like they just picked up a lightsaber last week!
7. Watto
That thing kept Ani and his mother as slaves. Couldn't they have just grabbed him and then beaten the crap out of him and escaped? Surely, Ani's menacing slave master could have been more... menacing?
8. The Neimoidians
If Jar Jar Binks was a slightly racially offensive effort, then we must also consider the Asian stereotypes that were truly insulting with the existence of the Neimoidians. Surely, Lucas could have done something better for these legislators.
9. Fode
Was it us, or did this guy seem completely out of place? And we get the play by play and comedic color commentary, but why not create two vastly different characters instead of having one with two heads? Just. Silly. And annoying!
