We Would Have Seen 'Star Wars 7' Earlier if George Lucas Stuck Around

Long before Disney took hold of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars behemoth there were already rumors that a new trilogy was being developed by George Lucas. It would have followed a similar pattern as when the prequel trilogy was on the verge of being announced, preceded by the re-release of the original movies. That was back around 2010-2011, but then the Disney deal was struck in 2012 and everything changed. Lucas was out out of the picture, having earned a hefty $4B in the deal, but in a conversation with USA Today he revealed a new trilogy was indeed in the works which he would have written and directed for a much earlier release than we're getting in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Lucas admitted that his Star Wars: Episode VII would have been released in May of this year, followed by a selling off of the companywhen its value was soaring. But then Disney entered the picture and Lucas thought different of the idea...

Lucas: “It’s better for me to get out at the beginning of a new thing and I can just remove myself….The time is more important to me than the money."

Surely the money played into his decision in some way whether he admits it or not. But Lucas has found a way to deal with the loss of the sci-fi epic he created, and that's by experiencing the new films as a fan, something he's never had a chance to do.

Lucas: “The only thing I really regret about Star Wars is the fact I never got to see it — I never got to be blown out of my seat when the ship came over the screen. The next one, I’ll be able to enjoy it like anybody else.”

 Meanwhile, Lucas is still keeping busy. His next film is the animated fairy tale, Strange Magic, which opens on January 23rd. Lucas can purchase himself a ticket to Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 18th 2015.

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The Official 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Title Revealed!

Filming wrapped on Star Wars: Episode VII, and in celebration Lucasfilm and Disney have revealed the film's official title, Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Set to open on December 18th 2015, the J.J. Abrams-directed film reunites Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher with newcomers Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and more.

So who's Force is getting awakened? We'll find out soon enough, but is it me or does this sound like a video game title?

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Warwick Davis is Coming Back for 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

Warwick Davis has been a part of some of the most iconic franchises in movie history, from Star Wars to Leprechaun to Harry Potter, and yet he's more of a geek favorite than a household name. Perhaps it's because he's usually in some kind of costume with his face covered up, except for when he played the hero in Willow for George Lucas. With J.J. Abrams bringing back much of the original cast for Star Wars: Episode VII, it only made sense that Davis would be asked back, too, and now he's gone ahead and made it official.

Davis hit the Star Wars YouTube channel to announce his role in the film, although his presence has been speculated for some time. He originally played Wicket in Return of Jedi, then returned for The Phantom Menace as Anakin's childhood friend Wald and a bunch of other characters. It's unclear who he'll be playing now but it's probably safe to assume he'll be doing a little bit of everything. Who knows? Maybe Wicket will make a comeback to help out the Solo kids just as he did the rebels before?

Star Wars: Episode VII, now with 100% more Warwick Davis, opens December 18th 2015.

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David Fincher Talks Meeting Disney Over 'Star Wars 7'; Oscar Isaac Dislikes Changes to Original Trilogy

How might Star Wars: Episode VII be different if David Fincher was directing it? Certainly, he's a very different filmmaker than J.J. Abrams, and for awhile there was at least the possibility of Fincher taking the job. Clearly that didn't happen, but the Gone Girl director opened up to Total Film about meeting with Disney, and his reasons for turning the job done. Basically it amounts to his ideas being very different from what Lucasfilm and Disney would want to do.

Fincher: "It's tricky. My favourite is The Empire Strikes Back. If I said, 'I want to do something more like that,' then I'm sure the people paying for it would be like, 'No! You can't do that! We want it like the other one with all the creatures!'

He goes on to add...

Fincher: "I always thought of 'Star Wars' as the story of two slaves [C-3PO and R2-D2] who go from owner to owner, witnessing their masters' folly, the ultimate folly of man... I thought it was an interesting idea in the first two, but it's kind of gone by 'Return Of The Jedi'."

To be fair, pretty much everything that worked in the first two movies is gone by Return of the Jedi, replaced by a bunch of Care Bears in camouflage. Fincher's not the only one who holds the original trilogy in high regard, of course. Oscar Isaac, who has a mystery role in Star Wars: Episode VII, told HuffPo that he wishes George Lucas had left his original trilogy alone rather than mucking with it digitally.

Isaac:  "As an artist, like, he made the shit, so why can’t he do whatever the heck he wants with it. There’s a part of me that appreciates that he doesn’t really care if people are upset about it. He decided to share it with all of it and he wants to go back and do stuff, whatever. But as a fan, I’d much rather go back and watch the old thing, because it’s a product of the time. It’s what did you do at the time with the things that you had. And that’s what made that movie so amazing. At that time with that technology he made this thing and it was fucking awesome. So, you know, to go back and kind of tweak it with new stuff, it doesn’t make it more interesting for me as a watcher. It makes it less interesting, but I can’t fault him for doing that."

Can't argue with that. Lucas isn't the first or last director to try and improve on an earlier work, and he meant well in the attempt. It just failed miserably and fans will always be resentful of the changes he made.

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'Star Wars' Set Video Features the Millennium Falcon and a Bat-Surprise

J.J. Abrams and Zack Snyder are quite the pair of practical jokers. For weeks they've been trading Star Wars/Batman v Superman mash-ups, even having fun with the rumored theft of the Batmobile. A stormtrooper did it, in case you didn't hear. Or did he? Maybe it was a different, more roguish character of George Lucas' creation? A set video tweeted by Bad Robot gives us a tour of the Millennium Falcon, which will be appearing in Star Wars: Episode VII. If the music sounds a little off that's because it's a mix of the familiar Star Wars theme with music from Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. You'll have to wait for it (a whopping 30 seconds!), but the end of the video continues Abrams' and Snyder's shenanigans in a fun way. Watch close.

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Possible Details on Gwendoline Christie and Adam Driver's 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Roles

A lot of sites are making their name passing along supposed Star Wars: Episode VII news, and one of those sites is Making Star Wars. They had the recent rumor about a possible Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff, but along with that story were a few nuggets about the movie's villains and their ties to a past enemy from the Star Wars prequels. Some may consider this a spoiler so just be warned!

According to the site's sources, Episode VII's villains will be an "aristocratic family line" of bad guys, with the theory being they are related to Count Dooku. Dooku was played by Christopher Lee in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The character was also the central bad guy in the Clone Wars animated series. He was once a Jedi but turned to the Dark Side under the name Darth Tyranus.

Apparently, the characters played by Gwendoline Christie, Adam Driver, and Benedict Cumberbatch (when he was rumored for the film) are all connected to this Dooku bloodline. In particular it's Christie's character who will now have the connection to Dooku that Cumberbatch's was intended to.  There have been some set photos of Christie dressed like a common member of the rebellion, but that doesn't mean much. Her character could be hiding in plain sight just as Dooku did. Driver has always been expected to play a bad guy so connecting him to this isn't much of a surprise.

With so many sites claiming to have their own inside sources at Lucasfilm either some of them are making stuff up or J.J. Abrams has lost total control of his vaunted "mystery box".

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Miltos Yerolemou of 'Game of Thrones' Joins 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

Gwendoline Christie won't be the only Game of Thrones cast member part of Star Wars: Episode VII. For obvious reasons there's a need for those with plenty of sword training, and J.J. Abrams has enlisted Miltos Yerolemou, who played Arya Stark's graceful sword trainer Syrio Forel, for a role in the latest Star Wars film.

The report comes from the BBC who state Forel's role is "not thought to be a major one.” Makes sense, otherwise he probably would have been cast long before now. But with production just picking back up after a hiatus due to Harrison Ford's injury, now seems like the right time to bring him aboard. And of course, with Forel's experience one can only think he'll be playing a Jedi or Sith, anybody that might have a chance to wield a lightsaber.

Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18th 2015.

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Major Villain Rumored to Return for 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

The most recent Star Wars: Episode VII rumors have centered on the dark side of the Force and the villains who will be tightening their grip on the galaxy. The current thought is that the Inquisitors, ancient Sith warriors who will also appear in Star Wars Rebels, are expected to be the major threat throughout the new trilogy. That hasn't been confirmed and probably never will be, but now a "new" rumors has surfaced that says the Inquisitors won't be alone; they'll be joined by a very familiar bad guy from the prior trilogies. Potential spoilers beyond this point!

Latino Review says two sources have "100%" confirmed Emperor Palpatine will be returning for Star Wars VII and VIII. If this rumor sounds familiar it's because a year ago the same story was making the rounds, only then it was with the expectation Ian McDiarmid would be in the role once again. That wouldn't be the case this time, though, but it's not clear if that's because Palpatine would be taking on a new form. He was, after all, killed at the end of Return of the Jedi. Or at least it was assumed he died but without a body and his considerable Force powers anything is possible. He wouldn't be the first Jedi to survive a tumble in the Death Star.

It should go without saying but everything in regards to Star Wars: Episode VII should be taken with a grain of salt until confirmed by J.J. Abrams or Lucasfilm, and they aren't really in the habit of doing such things.

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Want to Create your Own 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Rumors?

Ever get the feeling that most Star Wars: Episode VII rumors are nothing more than a pile of bantha poodoo? The fact of the matter is that very little has actually been confirmed, despite the near-daily glut of casting stories, supposed concept art, and other stuff that J.J. Abrams will never ever cop to. Like the seemingly random stories that crop up about superhero films, Star Wars rumors tend to be pretty lame and follow a predictable template. This actor will play a character who sounds an awful lot like a character you've seen before (Oscar Isaac is a Han Solo-type, Adam Driver is a Darth Vader-type) in a story involving Jedi and Sith. Well, duh.

It's so predictable that anybody can do it, and now Slate has made it possible for you to get in the fun of spreading Star Wars rumors with The Star Wars Rumor Generator. With just the click of a button you can conjure up your own random Star Wars scuttlebutt then peddle that bullshit to your pals as truth. Guarantee someone will take it as gospel and retweet or "share" the Hell out of it. Why shouldn't they? Whatever you come up with can't be as ridiculous as some of the stuff that's already out there. Star Wars: Episode VII- A New Sarlaac? Sure, why not?

To generate your own Star Wars rumors, simply go here.

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Is this the First Look at the 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Villain?

Over the last couple of days a number of concept images have been released for Star Wars: Episode VII, trickling out in a most calculated fashion by the site Indie Revolver. They've been pretty cool; showing off designs for the Stormtroopers and Han Solo, both fitting nicely with some big plot reveals about the movie's villain. Whether any of these are truly legit we probably won't know for some time, but the latest image claims to be our first look at that villain, who promises to be a major presence in the Star Wars universe. Turn away now if you don't want anything spoiled.

This piece of "official" concept art also comes from Indie Revolver, and it's one of the Inquisitors, the villains of Star Wars: Episode VII. They'll be introduced first in the animated Star Wars Rebels, or at least one of them known as the Inquisitor will be. The Inquisitors are an order of the Sith obsessed with Darth Vader, and in a flashback sequence with Luke Skywalker we see them serving a young Vader. This particular Inquisitor appears to be at least partially cybernetic, and is holding the remnants of Vader's mask. The site says he has a red lightsaber which is pretty standard for those walking the Dark Side, but they didn't offer an image of that.

I have my doubts about the legitimacy of much of this stuff and will continue to be skeptical until J.J. Abrams releases something official. What do you think? Is any of this stuff real? And if so, what could the Inquisitors be doing with Vader's armor?

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Cinema Royale #73- The Giver; The Expendables 3

On this week's show we'll look at Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables 3 to see if he, Wesley Snipes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the rest of the '80s action heroes have anything left in the tank. Also, +Mae Abdulbaki of Movies with Mae rejoins us live in studio to give a fan's perspective on the adaptation of The Giver, starring Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep.

Plus big news regarding an Aquaman movie, Marvel's plans for a film on The Inhumans, and MAJOR Star Wars: Episode VII spoilers! Cinema Royale is part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network and brings you movie reviews and news straight from the Nation's Capital! Go to www.cinemaroyaleshow.com and subscribe, and while there consider signing up for the premium service for more content and to be entered in our monthly prize drawing.

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'Star Wars: Episode VII' Villains, Plot Details, and Han Solo's New Look Revealed?

All of the sudden there is a new Star Wars: Episode VII rumor every day, but what's fascinating about the latest spurt is that we're getting images to go along with them. Last night we saw some art that may have been the new look Stormtroopers, and today brings rumors on the villains and maybe a glimpse at Han Solo. So by now you should know the drill but potentially huge spoilers are beyond this point!

If you've been paying attention to the upcoming animated series Star Wars Rebels, then you probably know it takes place prior to 'A New Hope' and chronicles the start of the Rebel Alliance. The villain of the series is the Inquisitor, and according to Latino Review it will be the Inquisitors as the baddies in Star Wars: Episode VII. The Inquisitors are defenders of the Sith Order who have apparently been around for a very long time, but just how long is where this story gets super spoilery.

So we've heard that the plot is driven by the discovery of a severed hand and lightsaber on a desert planet. Found by Daisy Ridley and John Boyega's characters, they set out to find the weapon's owner and meet up with Han Solo and Chewbacca (more on the Millennium Falcon's whereabouts in a sec) to find Luke Skywalker. Luke hasn't been seen in years, and it turns out he's been a captive of the Inquisitors. When Luke is found and discovered, he recounts the history of the Inquisitors, triggering a flashback that reveals their ties to the Sith. The scene also features an appearance by a young Princess Leia and Darth Vader. Yep, Vader will be showing up, too. As for Leia, you'll recall that Carrie Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd was said to be hanging around on set and it's to play a younger version of her mother's most memorable character.

That's a lot to digest and yet it's just the beginning.  Harrison Ford is currently laid up with an injury but he'll be back as Han Solo soon enough. And when he does return, Solo will be sporting some new threads and piloting a totally different ship. IndieRevolver, who showed us the Stormtrooper art from before, have now released concept images of Solo's new threads. One is definitely a rogueish variety but the other is clearly designed for cold weather. Perhaps a return trip to Hoth? He's also got two blaster holsters if you can see through the irritating watermarks.

So where is Solo's ride? Y'know, the fastest one in the known galaxy? Well, according to Badass Digest the Millennium Falcon is in the possession of Oscar Isaac's character, who they describe as the trilogy's Lando Calrissian-type. Solo and Chewie are now piloting a Super Star Destroyer, indicating they've either stolen it or have acquired Imperial rank since we saw them last. We'll also have a chance to see him wield a lightsaber again, hopefully for more than slicing open Tauntauns.

There ya go. Deep breath. So to recap, the new trilogy will lean very heavily on the prior ones, and Star Wars Rebels is now looking like a must-watch series. Phew.  Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18th 2015, which doesn't seem so far away.

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'Star Wars: Episode VII': Possible Look at New Stormtroopers, Plus Mark Hamill's Epic Jedi Beard

Production on Star Wars: Episode VII is on hiatus right now so that Harrison Ford can mend his broken bones. Funny how he didn't get hurt like that in The Expendables 3, eh? Anyway, while J.J. Abrams may be taking a break the endless quest for every scrap of information continues, and now we may have our first look at the infamous (and mostly hapless) Stormtroopers, who appear to have undergone a makeover.

A few days ago artist Tom Hodges posted this sketch of what he says is the new-look Stormtrooper, which features a kind of helmet visor. He refused to say how he saw the design, and the Instagram was quickly deleted, but here's a snapshot of what he drew....

That's not all, though, as the folks at IndieRevolver, an outfit I'm not familiar with and don't totally trust, say they have a source who revealed these below images of a Stormtrooper and Snowtrooper. There's not a lot of wiggle room between one image and Hodges', which to me seems to suggest some level of authenticity. Certainly it excited the 501st Legion who retweeted the images excitedly....

First glimpse of the @starwars #EpisodeVII Stormtrooper & Snowtrooper (via @IndieRevolver)! The future of the #501st! pic.twitter.com/Zycnl5Q4P2
— 501st Legion (@501stLegion) August 15, 2014

Pretty cool, and streamlined enough they could pass for advanced Stormtrooper gear. Of course, none of this is confirmed and probably won't be until we see an image of Abrams on set having coffee with a guy in a Stormtrooper suit.

If Imperial fashion sense isn't really your thing, there's always this image of Mark Hamill that's been making the rounds. In it he's sporting a pretty epic beard, his Jedi beard, I guess. Actually we don't know if he'll be keeping it for the movie but I can't help but think how much he resembles Obi-Wan Kenobi. That can't be a coincidence, right?

Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18th 2015.

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Simon Pegg Probably Has a 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Role But Won't Admit It

Barely an interview goes by that Simon Pegg isn't asked about Star Wars: Episode VII and if he has a role in it. And for good reason because every time he's questioned on the subject Pegg gets squirrelly and starts the verbal tap dance. Basically he's been saying the same thing for awhile, that he doesn't want to be a distraction to audiences even though he and J.J. Abrams are really cool from their Mission: Impossible experiences. And now the subject has come up yet again and reading between the lines we've probably got an answer.

Over the weekend at Comic-Con, Benedict Cumberbatch was asked about not being cast in the film, and his response was to suggest Pegg might have been. That may have been him having some fun with his Star Trek Into Darkness co-star by saying something he knew would draw in the press. But when Pegg was asked about it he again started ducking and weaving....

Pegg: "Well, J.J. uses me in different roles, and we're good friends. I feel like my face in Star Wars would pop people out of the movie. Look, I love Star Wars, and I don't want people to watch and go, 'Oh, there's Simon Pegg's face.' The film is cleverly cast with these amazing, unknown actors."

So Vulture did what any journalist worth their salt would do and that's press the issue with a more pointed question,  only to get a smile and this response....

Pegg: "Of course I visited the set. It's amazing, and I love Star Wars. I want to see everything happening. It looks wonderful, and you need to believe those characters. Any type of stunt casting might just pop you out of the movie."

What it sounds like is that Pegg will either be unrecognizable in a tiny role, or his voice will be used for one of Star Wars' many colorful alien creatures. Or he's just screwing with us.

Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18th 2015.

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John Boyega's Role in 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Revealed?

Perhaps realizing there's good business and a lot of site traffic in Star Wars: Episode VII info, Badass Digest is now slow bleeding news on the film when they could have put it all in one place. For instance, just hours ago we had a story from them that revealed some crucial plot elements, specifically about Luke Skywalker and the characters played by John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. Now they're back to reveal even more about Boyega's role, so stay clear if you don't want to be spoiled.

Apparently, Boyega's character is a former Stormtrooper, one who has fled the Empire and now resides on a desert planet that is not Tatooine as many have suspected. After discovering the severed hand of Luke Skywalker, still gripping his lightsaber, Boyega teams up with Daisy Ridley's character to find him and return the weapon. The site goes on to say this is the "single most confirmed piece of news" they've ever run so....I guess we should just take it as fact then? Judge for yourself.

Assuming any of this is true then it must be killing J.J. Abrams right now. I wouldn't be surprised to see some script rewrites emerge out of all these leaks. With Harrison Ford laid up for awhile and production taking a couple of weeks off that might be the time.

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J.J. Abrams Shows Off X-wing Fighter; Win a Chance to See 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Early

J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm are using the attention gained by the production of Star Wars: Episode VII for more than just selling merchandise. Some weeks ago they announced Star Wars: Force for Change, a program benefiting UNICEF. Part of that initiative was a chance for donors to win a role in the new film, and now the prize just got better as Abrams has revealed the winner will also be able to attend an early private screening of Star Wars: Episode VII. And as part of his announcement Abrams has also revealed a cool X-wing fighter jet on the London set.



For more info go to www.starwars.com/forceforchange, and to contribute for a chance to win head over to www.omaze.com/starwars. Here are the Grand Prize details:

· Airfare and accommodations to London for one winner and a guest
· Behind-the-scenes access on the closed set of Star Wars: Episode VII as VIP guests of J.J. Abrams
· Winner will have the opportunity to meet members of the cast
· Winner and their guest will then be transformed by makeup and costume teams into a Star Wars character and filmed for a scene in Star Wars: Episode VII

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Potential 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Plot Details Revealed

The one thing everyone knows about J.J. Abrams is that he cherishes secrecy, his "Mystery Box" as he likes to put it. It's one thing to keep the Star Trek into Darkness villain a secret but keeping anything about Star Wars: Episode VII a mystery has proven to be a challenge. Try as he might, set photos and plot details have leaked at a fairly consistent pace, and now some key story points may have just been revealed once again.  These will be considered a SPOILER so only read on if you don't mind.

Taking place about 30 years after Return of the Jedi, the story has long been said to follow a trio of young heroes who will eventually come across familiar characters Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia. Badass Digest's Devin Faraci now adds some context to that, beginning immediately after the classic Star Wars logo crawl. It is then that a severed hand gripping a lightsaber is discovered on a desert planet by the characters played by John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. Recognizing it as a Jedi relic they will set out on a journey to return the weapon to its owner, a quest that will take them off world.

It's then the two will encounter Han Solo and Chewbacca, who will not be flying in the Millennium Falcon, although we know from set photos the ship will be seen in some capacity. They won't have seen Luke since the events of Return of the Jedi, and recognizing the saber as his, will join in on trying to find him. Meanwhile a super weapon capable of destroying galaxies is being built in secret on an icy planet. By who and for what purpose is unclear.

How much of this is accurate we probably won't know until the film comes out in December 2015, but it doesn't seem to contradict anything learned previously. Expect more information to be rumored or leaked to the Internet between now and the film's release.

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Christina Chong Takes Role in 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

Even if you happened to catch 24: Live Another Day the name Christina Chong might not ring any bells, but she's about to get a lot more famous. The British actress, who also has appeared in Madonna's W.E. and has a role in Ridley Scott's Halo digital series, has joined the growing cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Her role is unclear but is expected to be a minor one, and she becomes the latest addition to a film that stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Gwendoline Christie, John Boyega, Lupita Nyong'o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Daisy Ridley, Andy Serkis, and more. She also becomes the latest female castmember after there was a little bit of an uproar over the lack of women in the initial announcements. It was obvious there would be more females announced later on and that has definitely been the case.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18th 2015. [Latino Review]

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J.J. Abrams Shooting 'Star Wars: Episode VII' in IMAX; Teases Pic of Tatooine

This won't come as a surprise to anybody paying attention to Star Wars: Episode VII over the last year, but J.J. Abrams has confirmed he'll be shooting the film in IMAX. Or at least partially in IMAX. Abrams tweeted the below image that teases filming of Tatooine using the IMAX cameras...

#bestformatever pic.twitter.com/fs6JcTALmZ
— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) July 8, 2014

Disney had already announced a few months ago that Star Wars would be released in IMAX theaters,while rumors surfaced even before that claiming Abrams would be using the format. He'd boasted about his intentions of shooting the film in 35mm and we can probably expect him to do that in conjunction with IMAX.

So there you have it. Lightsabers the size of a small building will be coming your way on December 18th 2015.

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'Star Wars: Episode VII' Casts Two Newcomers; Production Takes Hiatus in August

Disney and Lucasfilm have done a pretty good job of casting a lot of new faces in Star Wars: Episode VII, from the total unknowns like Daisy Ridley and Maisie Richardson-Sellers, to young actors like John Boyega and Domhnall Gleeson. Two more newcomers will be getting their big break in the film just as production is being altered to deal with Harrison Ford's injury.

According to The Wrap and StarWars.com, Pip Anderson and U.K. actress Crystal Clarke have joined the cast, having beaten out an open casting call of over 67000 to earn the coveted spots. Anderson is an American actor with a knowledge of parkour, the free-running style seen in District B13 and the recent remake, Brick Mansions. Sounds like a potential Jedi or Sith Lord similar to Ray Park's performance as Darth Maul. Clarke has mostly done stage work but is set to make her feature film debut alongside Benjamin Walker in The Moon and the Sun. Here's what Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy had to say about brining Anderson and Clarke on board...

Kennedy: “The Star Wars universe has always been about discovering and nurturing young talent and in casting Episode VII we wanted to remain absolutely faithful to this tradition. We are delighted that so many travelled to see us at the open casting calls and that we have been able to make Crystal and Pip a part of the film."

With Harrison Ford laid up for months it was expected that production would be disturbed in some way, and while J.J. Abrams isn't going to get the release date pushed back like he wanted, filming is going to take a brief hiatus next month. Here's Lucasfilm's statement on the matter which includes a reiteration of the December 2015 date....

In August, the team will take a brief two-week hiatus while adjustments to the current production schedule are made as actor Harrison Ford recovers from a leg injury. Harrison is doing well and is looking forward to returning to the set soon. Shooting remains on track to wrap in the fall with the film scheduled for release on December 18, 2015.

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