Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII To show a passage of time and that things change, they may have killed off Lando during the 30 years not seen. This would also drive home that our big 3 are aging and not "immortal". Maybe one of the new characters is Lando's son?
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII I would hate for a character like Lando to die off-screen. That being said, I have a gut feeling that not all of our iconic heroes are going to make it through the new film alive.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII I like Lando well enough but I'm not sure we need every ancillary character around 30-years-older just to show they can do it. If Lando's integral to the story, fine. If he's just a walking prop, why bother?
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII I'd be fine with Lando showing up in the second or third movie, but I agree there's no real need to see him in the first one.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII If he shows up it will be in the second movie, for symmetry.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Lando's not exactly your average ancillary character, though. He's pivotal to the outcome of Empire, has a backstory with Han and Chewie (he's the guy who lost the Falcon to them in a game of sabacc) and fires some of the decisive shots that destroy the second Death Star, saving the Rebel fleet at Endor before the weapon can go full bore on them and emerging as one of the primary heroes of that decisive and historic battle. Sure, he's not the Skywalker twins, Obi-Wan or Han, but he's hardly a minor background guy most people don't care much about.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII I was thinking that Han bites the dust in 7, and Lando takes his place in the Rebel cause in 8 and 9. But Billy Dee not getting a phone call about this is quite upsetting. I figured JJ would go to bat for him, you know, JJ is responsible for elevating the OT core characters to the focus of the story from a few cameos so I'd say he's already earned my respect on this project for taking control of the script that way.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Did Lando ever manage to play an important vital role in any of the EU books? He's just always there with some latest get quick rich scheme... I'd say his greatest contribution was the VYH Destroyer droids.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Yeah, for some reason I've had this sense that Han won't survive Episode VII.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII I wonder if Harrison Ford may have agreed to do Episode VII only if they killed off Han Solo. I have this feeling that may be so.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Despite the important role he played in ESB and ROTJ, I've never really considered Lando to be a "core character" like Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie and the droids. In my mind he was always more of a supporting player.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Any speculation on what the story may be about? I'm really hoping that JJ doesn't try to play the same cat and mouse games with the story line as he did with STID.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII If so, it's a shame. Personally I don't need Han in a SW film just to see him die.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII But what if it's an epic hero death?! It could certainly work if done right. Everybody dies eventually.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII At this point I guess it doesn't much matter. Harrison has the right to ask for Han to die if he'd prefer to see the character have a heroic death, and at this point - while I and a whole lot of other fans would love to see Han in all three episodes of the Sequel Trilogy - it's not in our hands. Ford wanted Lucas to kill him off more than 30 years ago but George stuck to his guns and kept the Troika together for the entire span of the OT. If he asked J.J. and Kasdan to kill him off and they said yes, then all we can hope for is that he has the most heroic and memorable death possible and something befitting a character that beloved. As long as a giant moon doesn't flatten him into a grade-A, all-Corellian patty or get devoured by a big sand vagina with sharp teeth.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII They could even re-use the dialogue from TESB. "I love you." "I know." And then he charges into battle! Or something.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Except reverse the order of who says each line of dialogue.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII There's certainly something to that point... part of the myth of post OT was that Ford was pissed at Lucas (and disowned Star Wars for decades) for dismissing his insistence that Han sacrifice himself to save Luke and Leia at the end of episode VI. I'm with Lucas on this one. After sitting through six films it would be a bummer to end on a low note with Han dying. Besides, pretty much all of the other characters from both trilogies were dead... jeez, a handful of people do need to survive. Plus, it would have eliminated that great moment where Leia tells Han that Luke is her brother... the look on Han's face is priceless.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Given how standoffish he's been about the SW franchise over the years it's a bit of a wonder that he's in Episode VII to begin with. He's never disliked the films to the extent Alec Guinness appeared to in his later years (Old Ben even went off on a small kid once if the story is true), but it's clear to even casual observers that Harrison has had lingering issues with being Han Solo and even expressed the opinion that Han was too one-dimensional and limited a character that didn't challenge him the way roles like Indiana Jones did. I'm just glad he saw the light and decided to come back, even if it turns out it's just for one film. Having Han disappear or die at some point during the 30 years between Jedi and Episode VII would have been pretty disappointing for the fans.