‘Star Wars: Episode 7′ Eyes Trio of Actors and Plot Details Surface
While 'Star Wars: Episode 7' has been gearing up for production, plenty of names have been rumored to have taken meetings with J.J. Abrams for roles in the upcoming trilogy. Now comes word of three actors whom Abrams has been eyeing for a possible leading role: Michael Fassbender, Hugo Weaving, and 'Girls' star Adam Driver. And we've also got some details on Abrams' reworked script, which is said to focus more heavily on Luke, Leia, and Han.
For months now we've been hearing that actors like Chiwetel Ejiofor, Saoirse Ronan, Michael B. Jordan, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alex Pettyfer have met with J.J. Abrams to discuss possible roles in 'Star Wars: Episode 7.' According to THR, those reports have been correct, but that's not all.
Abrams is reportedly eyeing a trio of actors for possible leading roles in the film: Michael Fassbender, who recently starred in '12 Years a Slave' in a role that may earn him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination; Hugo Weaving, who's played villains in films like the 'Matrix' trilogy and 'Captain America'; and 'Girls' star Adam Driver, who was also recently rumored to have been considered for the role of Nightwing in the upcoming 'Batman vs. Superman' film.
On top of all that is the recent news that 'Breaking Bad' and 'Friday Night Lights' star Jesse Plemons is also being considered for a role -- THR confirms that Plemons is set to meet with Abrams in the coming week.
Also of note is what we can expect from Abrams' reworked script. Since screenwriter Michael Arndt left the project due to creative differences last fall, we've only been able to make an educated guess about what those differences were. We knew Arndt's script focused more on a new, younger cast, including the children of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo, and rumor had it that Abrams wanted to shift that focus. The trade confirms that Abrams has indeed refocused the script, making 'Episode 7' more about the classic trio of Luke, Leia, and Han, while also introducing fans to the new characters, who will become the primary focus in the next two films.
While the script changes aren't surprising, we are certainly excited by all the big names being tossed into the mix: Fassbender could skew either good or bad, while Weaving seems like an obvious choice for a villain. Driver is probably the most interesting name of the bunch: a rising but still relatively unknown star with tons of talent. Still, these are just meetings with nothing official -- you know the drill. But with production set to begin and the film slated for a 2015 release, they should be locking in the cast pretty soon.