Star Wars: The Force Awakens hasn’t even hit theaters yet and it’s already experienced more dissection and examination than most films could ever hope for. We can’t exactly say that we’re surprised, as few movies have ever developed as much hype as the upcoming continuation to the Star Wars saga. While J.J. Abrams has successfully maintained a great deal of secrecy around the film, he has confirmed one Easter egg in The Force Awakens, and it is a direct reference to the Beastie Boys.
A new report from Yahoo! Movies indicates that the character of Ello Asty from The Force Awakens is in fact a reference to the 1989 Beastie Boys album “Hello Nasty.” Check out Abrams’ full quote on the matter below and see for yourself:
It is for me. But I’d be lying if I said I came up with that name. It was suggested to me from the creature department. And I loved it for that reason, because it referenced the album, and also because it spells out Lost. And so both of those felt like, they were funny reasons to approve that name. Some names came from the creature department; some came from us, from me, from other people I’m working with. But it was one of the things that just felt like something funny that people might smile at.
In the film Ello Asty is a reptilian looking X-Wing fighter pilot who fights for the Rebellion against the TIE fighters of the First Order. Think Wedge Antilles only with way more connections to late 1990's hip-hop. It's an awesome reference as a well as a reminder that as science-fiction adventure, Star Wars: The Force Awakens will not take itself overly seriously, which likely is a lesson that was learned from the overly dramatic prequel trilogy.
Of course, given the fact that this is J.J. Abrams we’re talking about, there’s more to it than just a reference to the Beastie Boys. The director confirmed that the name also holds a special place in his heart due to the pronunciation of the character’s name. “Ello Asty” sounds an awful lot like “L-O-S-T,” a fitting reference to the TV series that catapulted Abrams to the top of the Hollywood game.
As awesome as this revelation is, it exists as a firm reminder that we probably haven’t even come close to uncovering all of the Easter eggs and references that have been littered throughout Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film will blast its way into theaters one week from today on December 18, and you can bet fan boys will continue to search every single frame of the highly anticipated movie to see what other little tidbits and references they can pick up on.
