Earlier this month, some alleged casting breakdowns for Star Wars: Episode VII made the rounds and at the time I was skeptical that they were authentic. (OK, I called them bullshit.) And it turns out that they were. But Bleeding Cool is asserting that they have gotten their hands on some initial casting breakdowns for the film, and given their vague-ness, I am apt to believe this a bit more.
A young man aged between 20 and 25, witty and smart, fit but not classically handsome,
Man in late twenties, also fit, but this one is handsome and confident.
Late teenage girl, independent, good sense of humour, also… physically fit .
Second young female, also late teens, tough, smart and physically fit.
Man in his forties, obviously physically fit, this one is a military type.
A man of around thirty or so, this one is an intellectual type.
Finally, a guy aged around seventy, strong opinions and tough.
So why am I more inclined to believe this set of character descriptions than the previous ones. Well, the previous ones were drawn from specific characters found in the Expanded Universe of novels and comics and there has been much talk that the new films will not be direct adaptations of any of them and will only “honor but not revere” them.
Secondly, the two teen girl leads recalls to mind a comment Matthew Vaughn made last year that he had met with Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy about the job of directing the film and pitched the idea of his Kick-Ass and Kick-Ass 2 star Chloe Moretz as a possible star.
Also, casting breakdowns tend to be vague, to allow casting directors to cast a wide net to find the right actor for the role. Think about the range of actors who competed against Harrison Ford for the role of Han Solo – Kurt Russell, Nick Nolte, Christopher Walken, and Perry King. Can you see any of them playing the part that Ford made so memorable?
We’ll see how this develops.
Michele Fine liked this on Facebook.
They actually look like casting breakdowns and not a teenager trying to write a logline.