May 2014 Daily Update Archive

This page archives IGN's May 2014 Daily Updates for Star Wars: Episode 7.

May 30, 2104

Swedish musician Anders Flanderz recently performed a nifty one-man band rendition of the Star wars theme for onlookers. Check it out.

Also, his name is Anders Flanderz. Say it out loud. It's amazing.

May 29, 2014

Actress Carrie Fisher is known for her candor, making some amazingly straightforward (and occasionally bizarre) statements over the years, like this one:.

Or this one:

Fisher made a few more interesting and humorous off-the-cuff comments about Episode 7 last week. In an interview with The Guardian, Fisher had this to say about meeting her fellow Star Wars Original Trilogy stars:

"We all look a little melted. It's good to see other melted people..."

"And it is good to have us all in a room because it's unique. I mean, I don't suppose they have reunions for the Gone With The Wind gang."

• Read Ten Surprising Carrie Fisher Quotes on IGN

Fisher poked more fun at herself by deriding her questionable attempts at an accent in The Original Trilogy:

"We are doing it over again so I can get Princess Leia right this time. I think less British. I looked a little pretentious faking the accent. It was sort of a viral accent – it came and went."

Asked about the famous bikini from Jabba's palace, Fisher said:

"Why would I keep a stupid outfit like that, so that years later I could say to you I have it? No, I wear it on special occasions. I've got it on underneath this. I wear it always, for luck."

But perhaps most fascinating was her revelation of what Star Wars role she really wanted to play:

"I would rather have played Han Solo. When I first read the script I thought that's the part to be, always wry and sardonic. He's always that. I feel like a lot of the time Leia's either worried or pissed or, thank God, sort of snarky. But I'm much more worried and pissed than Han Solo ever was, and those aren't fun things to play."[1]

Also, Fisher weighed in on Leia's iconic hair style. Speaking with the BBC's Wynne Evens, Fisher commented on her desire to reprise her iconic bun haircut.

"I'm fighting for the buns, but then that's you know always what I'm doing. I think they should make an appearance..." [2]

May 22, 2014

Today Disney announced its 2016 Star Wars offering, a stand-alone film directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Gary Whitta. Starwars.com announced the film will debut in December 16, 2016.

Also today, John Boyega posted a couple of short videos on Instagram last night detailing an unusual commute to work on camel-back.

Boyega was apparently making his way to one of the Abu Dhabi sets. A second video details Boyega learning to ride the camel.

May 21, 2014

J.J. Abrams revealed a new UNICEF charity initiative, A Force for Change, in a big way, revealing the first on-set video from Episode 7 shooting and revealing a practical effects alien character.

*Read All About the New On-Set Video from Abu Dhabi

Donors gain a chance to join the Cast of Episode 7 and appear in the picture as an extra.

May 20, 1014

A note allegedly written by Episode 7 Director J.J. Abrams has surfaced. First reported by Screencrush the short hand-scrawled message appears to be written on script paper. It calls on the cast to create "something great."

Image courtesy Screencrush

The watermark in the background appears to be the name of Star Trek into Darkness script supervisor Dawn Gilliam, who has worked with Abrams before. However, Gilliam's official LinkedIn page] does not include Episode 7 as a credit, and IMDB does not currently list her as Star Wars Crew.

The text of the note reads:

"5-16-14 What an honor it is, to work beside all of you, on Star Wars Ep VII. I can't thank you enough, for all the work past and future. Let's take good care, of not just ourselves but each other. Amaing, but true: The world awaits this film. Let's give 'em something great. XO JJ"

May 19, 2014

Over the weekend, IGN released a compilation of facts about Episode 7's alleged leading man, the legendary Han Solo.

• Read More About Han Solo

May 16, 2014

Bad Robot's official Twitter account released this image to the public yesterday, accompanied by the cryptic hashtag #dayone.

The sand-specked Episode 7 clapperboard confirms that Star Wars Episode 7 filming in Abu Dhabi has officially begun. A sign has also been placed in front of Pinewood Studios, England, courtesy of the Star Wars Facebook page. 

Star Wars Weekends begin today at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Disney representatives expressed their excitement to IGN's Eric Goldman about this year's celebration, predicting a Star Wars experience "unlike anything you've ever seen.” Star wars musical themed fireworks display "Symphony of the Stars" debuts this weekend, along with character themed meals and events.

Some Star Wars cast members and alums will be making appearances during Star Wars Weekends. Mark Hamill, Peter Mayhew, and Ashley Eckstein are all confirmed for visits to Disney parks during the event.

• Read More About This Year's Star Wars Celebration

May 15, 2014

Director and writer Kevin Smith joined the IGN Keepin' It Reel podcast to discuss Episode 7. The crew discussed casting auditions and choices.

Smith also presented his philosophy that Star Wars should be presented in a more prolific manner. He expressed his pleasure with seeing a bevy of new Star Wars materials soon to be available under Disney. Additionally, Smith stated that he had no problem with recent Expanded Universe Changes.

May 14, 2014

Star Wars creator George Lucas celebrates his 70th birthday today. A California native, Lucas is best known for developing the Star Wars films and core characters. He also made tremendous strides in special effects through Industrial Light and Magic, changed the way we heard movies through audio-technology developer Skywalker Sound, and founded Lucasfilm Games (later Lucasarts), a studio synonymous with quality adventure games, first person shooters, and space flight smulators.

Lucas has relatively little direct involvement in Episode 7, but his fingerprints are all over the galaxy we'll see depicted in the next Star Wars movie. Happy birthday, George.

May 13, 2014

Star Wars Episode 7 is filming now! That is all. But that's enough.

May 12, 2014

Filming begins Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. The cast and crew are assembling and set construction is reported in full swing.

Explosives have been used to create a large hole/crater/Sarlaac Pit? in the desert floor. Spacecraft and ground/possible speeder vehicles have been spotted, as well as desert buildings.

IGN also reported that fan-favorite Wedge Antilles will not be returning for Episode 7.

May 9, 2014

Details continue to emerge as to the behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing that went into the Episode 7 casting announcement. According to Entertainment Weekly, sources with know-how indicate that the casting of Hamill, Ford, and Fisher was nailed down as long ago as 2012. The story goes that George Lucas personally met with and appealed to each of the actors to take part in the films, and that these meetings took place before Lucasfilm was sold to Disney.

The story goes on to add credence to the previously reported rumor that Han Solo is a central figure in the plot of the new film, on a par with the new leads.

IGN also reported that new details have emerged regarding the presence of Lando Calrissian in the new Star Wars Rebels series. A recent slip-up during a panel between a crowd question, Billy Dee Williams, and Williams' manager appeared to confirm that Williams is involved in voice work for Rebels.

May 8, 2014

Lucasfilm released a trailer for the upcoming Original Trilogy storyboard art book, a collection of over 1,200 storyboard images set for release on May 13, 2014.

Also, IGN's Entertainment Staff talked more about the development of Episode 7 on the newest Episode of the Keepin' It Reel podcast.

May 6, 2014

Information emerged from an interview with Empire Strikes Back actor John Morton, who played Luke's snowspeeder RIO, Dak. Morton states that characters created for Rebels "will be around" in Episode 7. His quote in full: "The characters they are creating in Rebels will be around in Episode VII." [3]

Morton's comment, which appears congruent Disney's new take on Star Wars Expanded Universe continuity, opens the door for character crossover from the TV screen to the big screen. However, Morton's sources are unknown, and thus the information may qualify as rumor.

IGN reported on a developing rumor concerning the full Title of Episode 7. According to some sources, leaks indicate that the film's Working Title is Star Wars Episode 7: The Ancient Fear.

May 5, 2014

Photographic evidence suggests that Mark Hamill is in training to reprise his role as Luke Skywalker. 

The image on the right, taken and posted on Twitter by Peter Serafinowicz on April 27, 2014, reveals a facial appearance reminiscent of Skywaler's character, as well as some possibly-Obi-wanish facial hair making its way in. 

May 4, 2014

IGN UK greeted Star Wars day with a question: Should we be excited for Episode 7?

Meanwhile, IGN identified seven things we know for sure about Episode 7. This list of confirmed Episode 7 news helps seperate fact from rumor. 

May 2, 2014

IGN Keepin' It Reel discussed the possible identity of Episode 7's new Heroine.

Also, IGN showed us a few Epiosde 7 Star Wars figures we don't want to see.

May 1, 2014

IGN's Daniel Krupa re-publicized Why We Should Believe in Star Wars: Episode 7, a 2013 article on reasons for optimism into Star Wars Episode 7. The piece contextualizes the misfires of the prequel and the possibility of learned lessons improving the third trilogy.

Steve Butts and Justin Davis also discussed the possibility of Jedi Academy ties to the new trilogy. The Star Wars Expanded Universe has a rich pool of Jedi lore which the filmmakers may or may not choose to drawn from.

Late in the day, IGN's staff sounded off on whether they were more excited about the return of the old cast or the introduction of the new cast in a new video.

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