Star Wars: Episode VII: The Nerd Rage Awakens

[Reverend]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

And of course, at the time the EU was some sort of nebulous semi-canon status.

Do you mean that it was canon unless contradicted by the films?

Well, back in the day, Lucas picked and chose what he wanted from the EU and incorporated it in the movies. For example, Coruscant was created in the EU.

The name may come from the EU, the planet itself was conceived under a different name back when the OT was being developed. At one point the climactic battle in RotJ was going to be over the Imperial capital city-planet rather than Endor (with two Death Stars IIRC). Indeed, the look of Coruscant derives directly from the concept art Ralph McQuarrie created for it. Hell, TCW even directly adapted at least one of the scenes from his paintings.
A version of it might have also cropped up in one of the original drafts too, though I don't recall the details.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Coruscant is pretty clearly a shout-out to Trantor, the galactic capital Asimov's Foundation trilogy. Wookieepedia claims:

Indeed, one of the draft names of Coruscant was Jhantor, in homage to Asimov's work.

The first book of the Foundation trilogy also has a place called Korell, in which things are Korellian.

 

[Saul]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Why don't they just put Han in a space-cast for the movie, and the opening space-crawl says he had a space-injury right before the space-movie space-started?

Because that would suck.

 

[Set Harth]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

But would it space-suck?

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

No, that's reserved for Transformers movies.

But I kid the cinematic turds.

 

[Saul]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

But would it space-suck?

Considering the vacuum of space I would say yes.

 

[mos6507]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

It's been mentioned many times that Lucas has a lot of notes that define the Star Wars universe. At certain points fans believed these notes were very well-defined (sort of Silmarillion sort of tome) but now I think most agree that it's just that--lots of isolated concepts and ideas, not all of it (in Lucas' mind) needing to elevate itself into canon. (One can only hope that bad ideas such as midichlorians didn't originate from the original notes, BTW)

 

[Set Harth]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

In this Lucas was consistent with what he’d said in the summer of 1977 — the first time he’d had to explain in more detail many of his concepts:

“The Force is really a way of seeing; it’s a way of being with life. It really has nothing to do with weapons. The Force gives you the power to have extra-sensory perception and to be able to see things and hear things, read minds and levitate things. It is said that certain creatures are born with a higher awareness of the Force than humans. Their brains are different. The Force is a perception of the reality that exists around us. You have to come to learn it. It’s not something you just get. It takes many, many years… Anyone who studied and worked hard could learn it. But you would have to do it on your own.”

[Please note: While we were preparing the text for The Making of Star Wars, Lucas added a note to this passage about midi-chlorians, bringing his original words in line with his later thoughts and the events of the prequel trilogy.]

It’s interesting to see, however, that in 1977 Lucas was already talking about creatures with a more natural capacity to interact with the Force; perhaps he was already thinking of a creature such as Yoda.

http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/2013/06/24/so-what-the-heck-are-midi-chlorians/

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

But would it space-suck?

Considering the vacuum of space I would say yes.

<Data>
Correction, sir; "space blow."</Data>

 

[Saul]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

But would it space-suck?

Considering the vacuum of space I would say yes.

<Data>
Correction, sir; "space blow."</Data>

She’s gone from suck to blow.

 

[Doctorwhovian]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Regarding the Coruscant thing, I believe in the earlier drafts Endor-or some version of it, was going to be Had Abbadon/Coruscant's moon (BTW what's it actually orbiting in ROTJ?). The main difference would be that instead of on the Death Star, the Luke/Vader/Emperor fight would take place in a hellish chamber on the Imperial world.

 

[Reverend]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Regarding the Coruscant thing, I believe in the earlier drafts Endor-or some version of it, was going to be Had Abbadon/Coruscant's moon (BTW what's it actually orbiting in ROTJ?). The main difference would be that instead of on the Death Star, the Luke/Vader/Emperor fight would take place in a hellish chamber on the Imperial world.

RE Endor: I think the absence of a primary in RotJ was either an oversight or just the result of "sanctuary moon" being a hold-over term from earlier drafts. Given that no effort was made to add one in for the special edition, it's probably the latter.
On the other hand, while you never see it in RotJ, IIRC I think there is a gas giant looking planet visible in the sky in at least one of the Ewok TV movies.

No clue if they're still considered canon...

 

[Skywalker]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Endor orbiting a gas giant would fit in with ROTJ's theme of mirroring ANH, which also featured a space battle fought near a moon orbiting a gas giant.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Yavin 4 was also a lush forest moon, to boot.

 

[Set Harth]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

In ROTJ you can see some sort of planetary body a ways off in the distance in a certain shot. Maybe that's the planet.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

The Star Wars Atlas book published a few years ago might depict a gas giant located near Endor.

 

[Masiral]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

The Star Wars Atlas book published a few years ago might depict a gas giant located near Endor.

The Atlas does state that Endor is the second moon of a gas giant.

 

[JD]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

There's a rumor going around that Carrie Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourde, has a role in EpVII.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

In ROTJ you can see some sort of planetary body a ways off in the distance in a certain shot. Maybe that's the planet.

Yeah, when the stolen shuttle is approaching Endor. It sorta looks like Mars. I always assumed that was a moon, but, sure, it could be the primary. Why not?

 

[sojourner]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

I remember as a kid thinking it was "moon of Endor". Endor being the gas giant.