As with all Episode VII news, nothing should be believed until it’s officially confirmed by Disney/Lucasfilm…however, it sure is fun to speculate and keep up with the rumor mill! So how about some juicy Star Wars rumoring to usher us into the weekend? Thanks to my inside contact at the mothership for these tidbits (they previously provided some deets about director and timeframe).
First up. Release date. No surprise we may be looking at a May 2015 release (this keeps in line with every other Star Wars live-action release); specifically, May 29, 2015. This puts it almost a month away from the May 1 release of The Avengers 2, another Disney tentpole. Nothing too surprising here (although, there was rumor JJ Abrams only provisionally agreed to that release date, in case he felt he needed more time).
Next up. Cast. Again, not too surprising, but apparently the Big Three (Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher) have all agreed to return…and have contracts.
All three of the originals will be back in VII; they all have contracts now.
Then there’s this:
We’re introducing Han and Leia’s child and grandchild.
One child. One grandchild. Both singular. This could mean so many things. While we’ve been hearing the kids would be involved for a while now, it’s interesting to hear some more specifics. Are they ditching existing Expanded Universe characters for a brand new take? Are they picking one of the three established kids (Jaina, Jacen or Anakin) and pretending the others never existed? Or (which is the preferable course of action, at least in my opinion), they could be picking up where we currently are in the EU – Anakin and Jacen are dead, Jaina is carrying on the Solo/Skywalker legacy and Jacen’s offspring, Allana, is the grandchild next in line to take center stage. This also fits with rumors that the main character will be a female. If this is, in fact, the direction they are going…I’m even more pumped than before (which is saying something)!
Regarding the spinoffs:
No on Yoda, George doesn’t want it. Yoda is a supporting character and will stay that way.
I have to say, I’m glad to hear this and it echoes some of my concerns when the rumor first starting circulating.
Regarding rumors about different directors taking on Episodes VIII and IX:
JJ’s contract has a clause for all three movies and an additional three of Lucas/Disney choosing if everyone melds well on the first one. This is typical of these types of contracts; gives everyone an out if needed.
Regarding novels:
There are three new books we want Timothy Zahn to write.
What?! Great news! I had the pleasure of attending a writing workshop with Zahn last weekend and the man is wonderful: smart, kind and talented. So glad to hear they want him back. He may not know anything about it yet, but it’s nice to hear there’s some Zahn love over at Disney/Lucasfilm. It’s also not too surprising, considering his impact on the Expanded Universe. Will they be movie novelizations? Knowing Zahn’s interest in his own characters and stories, I doubt it. But we’ll just have to wait and see!
There you have it! That’s all I got for now. Again, all of this could change, but, so far, it fits with everything else we’ve been hearing…hope you all are enjoying this exciting ride of new Star Wars goodness as much as I am!
Allana Solo only appear like 150 years after the original films.
They should get Alan Dean Foster for the novel
Ania Solo,Han and Leia’s Great Great Granddaughter is the one who appear 150 years after the films. Allana is their granddaughter.
oops my bad, those names sounds so similar to me :s can’t wait to read the new comics
Jaina ans Allana would be awesome, fans would love it.
I would absolutely love if they jumped forward and made a movie with Jaina and Allana. It makes sense and keeps EVERYONE happy! This thrills me and I hope it is true.
No way this is out in 2015. I do not believe any of these rumors.
Funny someone voted me down! Think about it! Each of the other 6 movies took at least a year in post (i think the last 3 took 2 years in post), And as far as we know there is not even a screen play, much less a cast, or a schedule, or any costume or set or props. I hate to say it but I doubt it will be out before May 2017.
Lucas himself has said several times (as did the Great Destroyer, McCallum) that it takes 3 years to make a Star Wars movie. If it’s because of the effects work, I can understand that. However, even during 4-6, Lucas was still churning them out in three.
It’s possible that JJ could do it in two. The three years, technological issues notwithstanding, could be how long it takes GEORGE to make a movie.
The expanded universe is stupid and Disney would be stupid to have anything to do with it. And where is Billy Dee Williams?
The expanded universe is stupid and Disney would be stupid to have anything to do with it. And where is Billy Dee Williams?
You couldn’t be more wrong about the Expanded Universe. Sure, not every novel or comicbook has been a hit–but plenty *have* been. The New Jedi Order series, about aliens who use biotech and are immune to the Force, would make an absolutely outstanding film series (or TV series, if anyone could scare up the budget). The Truce at Bakura is also one of my all-time favourite SW stories.
Plus, nearly everybody praises the Zahn books; man’s a very fine writer. There’ve also been 7 superb Han Solo novels, and Dark Horse Comics have done an excellent job on their stories, overall.
The EU (overall) is in fact better story-telling than the movie franchise itself (overall).
Soooooo are the any actually sources for this? “There are three new books we want Timothy Zahn to write.” Who is “we”?
It’s like, the collective we, man.
I’m not bummed about losing the Yoda movie, but I’m bummed about the reasoning behind it. A side movie should feature a side character. Isn’t that the point? If you pick a primary character for a side movie, you’re kind of wasting an opportunity to chart new territory, and isn’t that the point of side movies?
I am afraid that Episode VII is dead to me, you will have alot of disappointed Star Wars Fans whom will not be going to the Theathres nor watching on Space TV. It is a pitty that JJ Abrams will not do what the Star Wars Fans want him to do. I am curious how JJ Abrams along with George Lucas and his woman sidekick will fill in the Background Storyline that all this just happened??!! I think it is a kick in the teeth for alot of Star Wars Fans, Disney’s take on Star Wars.
You have absolutely no rational basis for this opinion. None whatsoever. If the new SW is at least as good as Star Trek ’09, then it’ll be a blast.
Hummm the Multimedia already bubbling over Timothy Zahn erasing alot of good Canon such as “The Courtship Of Princess Leia” and the Thrawn Trillogy……sad that Timothy Z Turner cannot erase Jacen Organa Skywalker so easily. I fear Jaina Organa Skywalker pregnant just will not cut it since you must have a granddaughter Shadow Force Witch to explain the Planet Dathomir….if not the Sequel Episode VII will stink and so will George Lucas and his Canon in the E Chronology…..can anyone ever forget that BIBLE OF CANON?
So Jacen Organa Solo had an inncestious affair with Jaina Organa Solo, hummmm wonder how the Disney Grown Kiddies will love that booboo? I am curious how Timothy Zahn will explain this to the Producer JJ Abrams? You certainly cannot write any books about that taboo, since it puts Han Solo’s and Leia Organa Solo’s parenting skills at about Zero when it comes to their children…..hummmmm what of The Force Witches and Nightsisters of Dathomir…..no Rancors? You cannot explain the events of The Return Of The Jedi without Rancors can you???!!! I think Timothy Zahn will have abit too much on his plate to explain to the more Small L Liberal Star Wars fans whom were going out and watching George Lucas’s Star Wars Prequels believing most was accepted Canon, I wonder since George Lucas is just a consultant now, how the screwed up Canon he cannot explain to the fans of his franchies, that is much like Moses and the 10 Commandments, I think one can think now that George Lucas’s Moses Complex is over for good.
I am not even giving this article a single star in RATING, JJ Abrams will have atleast one dozen characters as secondary characters to work with….NOW HE AND TIMOTHY ZAHN is thinking of tossing them all out with the bathwater that JACEN ORGANA SOLO and The Force Witches of Dathomir NEVER EXISTED…..pooooooooorrrr George Lucas and his very carefully constructed Canon. I bet the Wookieepedia Star Wars Big C Conservative Barrack Obama and Nichelle Nicoleites are right now about to protest Washington….but they may not I suppose, perhaps we are going to see Captain Kirk and the Vulcan Spock in the Star Wars Series too in the Sequel VII?? A young Lt. James T Kirk getting Jaina Organa Solo pregnant perhaps, make for interesting Star Wars I would think, but the protests…..think of the Protests Disney will suffer.
You know Andy, I have every rational idea for my posting, and you do not to knock down my valid points. Without clear basis for Dathomir, if you change Dathomir what it has been established in the Prequels as well as in The Phantom Menace, including Attack Of The Clones and lets not forget Revenge Of The Sith, how on earth can you explain the Demon Men and the Force Witches as well as the Hapes Cluster? More than likely The Hapes Cluster was started by a few rogue Men Slaves and Women Force Witches from Dathomir, since both Starsystems are very close to one another and had 20,000 years to evolve into what they became.
Alright Andy, so tell me which is the “precieved Canon” and which is not? You say the Expanded Universe Books should be considered, but right now the Author of the above Article says that Timothy Zahn and JJ Abrams are going not to use the established Canon but chart new territory……I feel sadly it cannot be done as they want it too without the 24 or so characters you must have in atleast flashbacks to establish this new “territory”. If you cannot explain rationally a good reason why you cannot have Rancors and the Force Witches and Force Warlocks of Dathomir and Iridonia you cannot explain Jaina Organa Solo Skywalker getting pregnant and instead a certain Force Witch Queen of the Hapes Cluster that should be pregnant with Jacen Solo’s child can you???!!!!
AND YOU DUSTIN Diehi, your tidbits from insiders does not take into consideration about the 24 secondary characters that have to be mentioned if only in flashbacks…..if not then the Sequel VII will fall flat on it’s face.
I could even write a better backstoryline and am on Google Star Wars Community. That most if not 60% of Star Wars fans will accept, according to those I have talked too, some are very happy with my storyline. If you do not have the 3 solo children and atleast a rational explaination about the Yuzzhan Vong comming into the Star Wars Galaxy as well as atleast Flashbacks about Dathomir and Iridonia along with rational explainations about the Force Witches and Force Warlocks of the Dathomir and Iridonia Starsystems then the whole Sequel VII will implode and along with it will be JJ Abrams career along with George Lucas’s and the Star Wars Franchises.
I don’t know which order you posted your comments but I’m just going to make a general comment regarding them all… Now granted the way you write is very unclear, it’s quite difficult to understand, but seriously dude, what in the name of the maker are you on about? Dathomir was incredibly unimportant to the prequels (the films didn’t have to explain the politics between the Witches and Zabrak tribes to give us Darth Maul), there was no incest between the Solo twins, who the frak is Jaina Organa Solo Skywalker/Jaina Organa Skywalker (her name is just Jaina Solo), and what is all this crap about rancors? You could absolutely have RotJ without the freaking rancor. And you can absolutely explain that Allana’s father is dead without going into the whole backstory of Leia rejecting Prince Isolder who then married a Witch and their daughter is Tenel Ka the mother of Jacen’s daughter. Hell, you don’t even need Tenel Ka or Hapes at all. In Ep IV we didn’t NEED Luke’s family history, all it took were a couple passing comments that his parents were dead and we got the picture. The important thing would be that Allana is related to the Solo/Skywalker clan which is easy enough to see when she calls Han ‘grandpa.’ And they certainly wouldn’t need to introduce even 7 EU characters let alone 24. A reference to the Vong would be necessary but so easily done it doesn’t even warrant a mention.
WTF? Why would they do that? Jaina would be about 30 if this was done this way and Allana would be only about 7-10. Ben Skywalker would be the better choice to focus on for the movies as he would be about 16-18. Seriously Disney just fracking recast the roles already and do the Heir to the Empire series of novels. I get that you want to keep the people in their roles, but it’s just NOT going to work. If they decide to go this route this series of films are doomed.