Lies About The Star Wars Cast That People Believed
Star Wars exists in two distinct galaxies: the one on screen that is "long ago and in a galaxy far far away" and the one off screen, here on planet Earth, which is overrun by chat rooms and conspiracy theorists. Let's take a moment to navigate the latter, focusing on the falsehoods surrounding the franchise's seventh episode, The Force Awakens. And you probably don't need to be told, but major spoilers ahead.
The One Where Carrie Fisher's Kid Plays A Young Princess Leia
The rumor was just too good to be true: Carrie Fisher's daughter, budding actress Billie Lourd, would take up her mother's mantle as a young Princess Leia Organa, while mom played the older, real-time Leia. Lourd was cast in the film, but you'll have to use the Force to find her. She plays the part of Lieutenant Connix, an officer in the Resistance army led by Princess Leia (Fisher), who is now its commanding general. Lourd's role is minor, at best, but there is a delightful moment on-screen when she gets to ask her mom a question. According to Popsugar, she says, "General, are you seeing this?"
The One Where Mark Hamill Ruins The Ending
Diehards were convinced that Mark Hamill, our beloved Luke Skywalker, gave away the ending of Episode VII nearly a decade ago, long before creator George Lucas sold the franchise to Disney and before Disney handpicked J.J. Abrams to direct it. The supposed spoiler occurred on an episode of the Independent Film Channel's Dinner for Five program in 2006. Hamill and Abrams are among the guests being interviewed by filmmaker Kevin Smith when the topic of Star Wars arises.
Smith asks Hamill if he thinks Anakin Skywalker's evil turn in the prequel trilogy should have belonged to Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi. Hamill says he pitched the idea to Lucas. "That's what would be the pivotal moment," he said. "I'll have Hans Solo in my crosshairs and I'll be about to kill him, or I'll be about to kill the princess, or about to kill someone that we care about." But sorry, folks. No such scene plays out in The Force Awakens. Instead, a bearded Luke Skywalker appears at the end, shrouded in mystery, fueling more questions than answers.
The One Where Screenwriters Kill Peter Mayhew's Character
We all but expected a valiant death for Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in The Force Awakens, but rumor had it that Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) would bite it, too. The thought was too much to bear.
Why is it that non-human movie deaths are so much sadder than human movie deaths? Think about it. Dozens of people are slaughtered in Dances with Wolves, but we lose our minds when the wolf takes a bullet. In Castaway, Tom Hanks' character is the lone survivor of a horrific plane crash, yet it's the loss of a smiley-faced volleyball that triggers the ugly cry. Even Indominus Rex killing man-eating velociraptors in Jurassic World had us reaching for the tissues. So, yes, we were a little broken up about the thought of letting go of Chewbacca, a name derived from the Russian word for dog. Luckily, the big guy is still kicking at the end of Episode VII, buying us some time to steel ourselves before the next installment
The One Where Bigfoot Hunters Try To Kill Peter Mayhew
Was Peter Mayhew's life truly endangered by hunters mistaking Chewbacca for Bigfoot? Though this tall tale originated in 1982, during filming of Return of the Jedi, we didn't know the truth about it until 2015, during post-production for The Force Awakens.
The Wookiee never dodged a bullet during filming in Northern California's Redwood forest, but there is a bit of truth to the story. Mayhew confirmed in June 2015, via Reddit, that crewmembers, wearing bright vests, accompanied him while in costume to ensure local hunters did not mistake one mythological creature for another. That historic tidbit was analyzed and publicized by the Bigfoot Lunch Club. Which is also a real thing.
The One Where J.J. Abrams Thinks Harrison Ford Is Too Old To Act
Don't get it twisted. Director J.J. Abrams wanted Harrison Ford to be a part of Episode VII, but he did question how convincingly Ford, and other alumni from the early space operas, could slide back into old roles. "It wasn't until we got on set that I got my answer," Abrams told the Seattle Times. "It was a remarkable thing to see how effortlessly Harrison Ford became Han Solo again."
Ford harbored no hard feelings. Abrams "brought great energy, passion and clear focus to the whole event," he told People. "So I had a good time."
The One Where Daniel Craig Is Not In Episode VII
Daniel Craig lied to the world. When Entertainment Weekly asked if he had a cameo in The Force Awakens, he copped a bad attitude and said, "Why would I ever bother doing something like that? F—ing hell! Pffft. Play an extra in another movie?"
But he did! EW confirmed that Craig is the Stormtrooper that an imprisoned Rey (Daisy Ridley) manipulates with her Jedi mind tricks. It's an insignificant moment for Craig, but an important and nostalgic turning point in the movie. We can now confirm that James Bond is a double agent both on- and off-screen.
The One Where Hayden Christensen Returns As A Force Ghost
Rumor has it that Hayden Christensen was secreted onto the Episode VII set to play the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker, but the Jedi's dead spirit does not materialize, at least not in this installment of the space opera. The controversial Christensen may still return to the franchise. According to an unnamed source quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, "A team in the U.K. are soon heading to the U.S. to begin training" him for a role in Episode VIII.
The One About George Lucas Liking Episode VII
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy told The Hollywood Reporter that George Lucas "really liked" The Force Awakens. Really?
We're not buying it. Lucas birthed the space opera and captained it through six films. He saw his beloved prequel trilogy ripped to shreds by entrenched fans. He sold his baby to Disney in 2012, alluding to his inability to please the masses, but then tried to share ideas with the franchise's new family. Those suggestions were completely ignored. Do you still believe Lucas "really liked" Episode VII?
Lucas has compared his status with Star Wars to a couple divorcing and then attending the wedding of their child. When asked if he would watch the new film, he told the Washington Post, "I gotta go to the wedding. My ex will be there, my new wife will be there, but I'm going to have to take a very deep breath and be a good person and sit through it and just enjoy the moment, because it is what it is and it's a conscious decision that I made."
After sitting through it, Lucas offered another perfectly polite backdoor compliment. "I think the fans are going to love it," he told Vulture. "It's very much the kind of movie they've been looking for."